English
Deutsch
until 03.07. | #3052ARTatBerlin | Kristin Hjellegjerde Berlin presents from 5th June 2021 the exhibition In Orbit with works by the Indian artist Rithika Merchants and the British artist Rachel Garrard.
Intricate, mythical scenes populated with winged women and mystical symbols appear lush and vibrant alongside subtle, geometric forms painted in earthy, faded hues on textured linen. The latest duo exhibition at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Berlin entitled In Orbit brings together the works of Indian artist Rithika Merchant, whose practice explores ancient stories and symbolism that transcend cultural and geographical boundaries, with British artist Rachel Garrard’s more abstract forms that seek to capture different realms of consciousness.
Rithika Merchant’s latest series of works focus around the figure of feathered (or winged) women and the imagined aerial perspectives of the landscapes that they might see during their flight. Aerial women are recurring characters in mythological stories across the globe, albeit in different guises, and typically, they represent a powerful and liberated kind of femininity. In the painting „Peri leaving Paradise”, Merchant specifically draws on winged spirits known as Peris who originated in Persian mythology. According to the stories, the spirits were denied entry to paradise for their mischievous nature and were sometimes locked in iron cages by evil beings. However, the artist inverts this narrative by depicting the spirit’s joyous dance as she retreats from a scene which appears paradisal at a first glance, but the small eruptions of fires beneath delicate, blooming flowers suggest a more sinister reality. In this way, the painting implies a freedom exists beyond the confines of conventional perspectives.
Rachel Garrard is similarly interested in experimenting with colour and materiality to evoke a deeper, more embodied visual experience. For Garrard, the artistic process is one of transformation which begins with the creation of her own pigments from natural, found materials that she collects on her travels across the globe, including ash from a temazcal ceremony in Mexico, powdered quartz crystal, plants, seeds, shells and coloured earth from her treks throughout the Andes mountain range, Europe and Central America. She then layers thin washes of pigment onto the surface of linen, building them up gradually to create the appearance of depth and shadow within precisely delineated geometrical forms. ‘Although the pigments have an earthly quality, my inspiration comes from the ephemeral and unseen,’ she explains. ‘I see abstract art as a way to speak in a language that transcends the material form.’
Rithika Merchant, Panorama I (Terrain), 2021, Mixed media collage with gouache, watercolour, link and marker on paper, 70x100cm, 27 1/2 x 39 3/8 in.
Through extensive research into contemporary science, the fundamental elements of nature, the mathematics behind aesthetics and the energy potential in the material object, the artist has developed a distinct symbolic language that aims to connect subjective experience with the cosmic and universal. ‘I understand myself and the world around me through these symbolic images, as such they can be seen as maps of the inner territories of the psyche,’ she says. The subtle tones and abstract forms evoke an emotional response from the viewer, inviting them to enter into a kind of meditative state which enables access to different realms of consciousness. Interestingly, many of the works feature faded multi-coloured, pointed shapes which seem to suggest a sense of progression or journey, and have the effect of guiding the eye in a certain direction. In the painting entitled Open, for example, these forms appear pointing upwards alongside a luminous wash of white, suggesting an ethereal space or perhaps, enlightenment. This work, as with all of Garrard’s paintings, invites a deep, concentrated kind of contemplation.
While Garrard and Merchant’s visual languages are distinctly striking, they share a powerful interest in the metaphysical, and as such, their works provide compelling explorations into art’s ability to transport the viewer beyond not just the image itself, but also conventional ways of seeing and engaging with the world.
Vernissage: Saturday, 5 June 2021, noon – 6 p.m.
Exhibition dates: Saturday, 5 June – Saturday, 3 July 2021
To the Gallery
Exhibition Rithika Merchants + Rachel Garrard – Kristin Hjellegjerde Berlin | Zeitgenössische Kunst in Berlin | Contemporary Art | Exhibitions Berlin Galleries | ART at Berlin
