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ARTS&LEISURE
206
May15
By Amy Greenburg
This month, contemporar y
R u s s i a n a r t i s t A N N A
BEREZOVSKAYA returns to
REDSEA Gallery to present her
latest solo exhibition,
Edge of
the World
, featuring around 25
enchantingly quirky paintings
with imaginative, fair ytale-
like qualities, and playful and
symbolic narratives. Here, the
young Moscow-based artist
shares her inspiration and tells
us what we can expect.
What inspired this particular
series, and what themes does it
explore?
It’s inspired by Russian culture and
my daily life. I hope to bring together
humour and optimism through romantic
narratives, and capture that fleeting
moment of beauty, joy and playfulness
in our everyday lives. The general theme
is emotions – what people value and
what’s worth doing. Each painting is
separate, but they are all united by a
sense of feeling and emotion.
You describe your style as “poetic
realism”. What does that mean
to you?
I generally use different styles, like
abstract and surreal, with elements of
naïve art; I would even say that my style,
in terms of technique, is a collection of
inspirations that I take from other artists,
as well as an expression of my emotions.
My works are about regular stories
but translated in my own unique style.
In general, I look at regular life in a funny
and optimistic way – I like humour and
fun, and try to see the fun and happiness
around me. I do not portray real life, but
my own life – my own world that I get
people to believe in. I don’t try to be
modern but, rather, my paintings are
meant to be timeless, and symbols are
important to achieve that; I use different
centuries, costumes and other symbols
in my work to convey certain ideas.
What are some examples of the
symbols seen in your work?
I use locks and keys to represent
mysteries and discoveries, while a
king symbolises wealth, and a knight
represents courage. There is a Russian
superstition that wearing an old safety
pin will ward off evil, and I have included
that in my work as well. I even use snails
in my paintings – I’ve read a lot about
them and their symbolism has inspired
me; the spiral on the snail’s shell is a
symbol of life.
See it from 15 May to 14 June at
REDSEA Gallery, Block 9 Dempsey
Road, #01-10 Dempsey Hill.
redseagallery.com