London/Windsor, 24 hours in art
Actively supporting women artists in my life came very early on and naturally as I set up my own practice. This week, I had the pleasure of joining two incredible women in London and Windsor for two unique art exhibitions.
Emma Windsor Liscombe, had a solo exhibition at Fitzrovia Gallery, which opened last night. It was a moving body of work, which she explained started in 2018. The theme of the exhibition was celebrating the life of a relative of Emma, who she lost to mental health challenges. Stories so deeply personal cannot help but move us as we navigate the artworks. Walking through the figurative paintings, that also had some semblance of abstract elements, in subdued hues was comforting and I identified myself in the stories, with the birthday cake, the images of children and also the portraits of different people that were slightly distorted which reminded me of memories from times past where things are blurry, and only flashbacks of moments and people pop up in nostalgic imagery of my own childhood.
Emma is not only a talented visual artist, and a published author of children’s book. She is also part of the editorial team of Magazine We Are Here, and a regular contributor to our blog there.
In this exhibition she worked closely with curator Salome Jacques in setting up this exhibition. Having an opportunity to meet both of them in London and talk about the exhibition and both of their backgrounds in art and especially about the body of work, reaffirmed the importance of actively engaging with artists and art. The impressions of seeing these artworks in person and understanding more in-depth the motivation from Emma to highlight the importance of mental health wellness, through the personal story of her cousin was very touching and left an impression in me. I look forward to see how Emma’s work continues to develop and where this exhibition leads her.
Prior to attending Emma’s exhibition I had been wondering the city with a fellow artist friend who travelled also from Norway for the exhibition, Theodora Dea. Having a close bond with other artists, creating opportunities to engage with them in meaningful ways, discussing life and art making provides so much growth to my practice. We visited art stores together and purchased (too many) art supplies, (or did we?) with the excitement to pour our creative into them.
We were also very fortunate to join a very unique exhibition curated by another inspiring woman in my art life, Lee Jin Joo , she is a writer, art historian and curator. Jo and I met in Venice this past summer during the course offered by the European Cultural Academy, she brought with her artworks for her last presentation and the passion for the projects she curates was palpable through every interaction we had.
This exhibition was held at Eton College in Windsor, UK. The Wind from the East, was a celebration of contemporary art and artists creations. Many of the artworks were delicate in nature, and their fragility was that much more poignant. They were bringing with them the a wealth of cultures, that I have only scratched the surface during my studies and in my life experience. I was grateful to have Jo provide an introduction to the artworks and to be able to experience them on my own while interpreting them through my own life experiences, as a person who has grown up in the diaspora, much like the artists in the exhibition, this is an element that is constantly present in my art making.
Jo and her amazing team had put together a moving and engaging exhibition, and I am looking forward to continue to learn more about artists from Asia, through Jo’s work.
Every blog post provides me with an opportunity to reflect on the art I experience, it also enables me to share about the artists I interact with and I hope it also encourages the readers to reflect both on life experiences and how art is woven into so many aspects of who we are. I also hope it allows for more visibility for every single artist / women in the arts, I interact with and in their own journeys, so that their art and contributions to art, continues with a growing audience.
