ONE BREATH AT A TIME
In this busy world, filled with mental and physical noise — it is so important to just stop and breathe – Priya Cornelia Link
Australia-based, German artist Priya Cornelia Link puts an exclusive collection of her calligraphy drawings, acrylic and oil paintings and collage works in an art exhibition entitled “One Breath at a Time”, at Le Link Gallery, Soi Ton Son, on June 20 to July 28.
Priya’s work is a meditation on the breath, the body and the unison of the self and the brush in an action of surrender. “Our breath is omnipresent, vital, and yet we so often forget and ignore its presence. This exhibition asks us to stop, remember and breathe. The soft paintings and the ink figures invite us into a meditation and to place attention to the ‘moment’ of the breath,” said the artist.
The beautiful abstract expressionist characters of Chinese ink and other textures — each born from a moment in time and breath — dance among emotive abstract acrylic and oil landscapes in a suspended animation of movement, moment, and chance.
Inspired by both the European and Asian traditions, the calligraphy-like figure drawings are beautiful abstract expressionist examples of a moment, movement, and chance. The different materials used — from stark black Chinese ink to charcoal to deep acrylic and oil paints — offer varying textures that evoke strong characters seemingly suspended in animation, each with their own unique emotions.
The large expanses of white areas within these paintings are spaces for the viewer to stop, to react, and above all to breathe. The homemade brushes of mostly natural materials used to make these artworks also speak to this idea of the “moment.” This extinguishment of control emphasizes the artist’s desire for “letting go”, the brush here acting as an extension of the breath.
These figures are paired with soft abstract acrylic and oil paintings on canvas and board. Their subtle yet strong forms, along with their muted and reflexive tones, awaken deep emotions connected to the meditation of breath. In this way, they act almost as landscapes for the Chinese ink characters to exist in, to dance in, and to breathe in.
Priya has been practicing art for over 30 years. Her childhood saw her travelling between Hamburg and Bangkok due to her family’s company B.Grimm, forming a dual affiliation to both German and Thai culture.
She studied art at Byam Shaw School of Art, now known as Central Saint Martins in London, and later worked under Chinese artist Shan Fan. What stuck with her the most was the idea that by painting a line on paper, one conveys the energy of the soul and the self.
Since moving to Australia in 1998, she has continued to work and exhibit in local galleries. This body of work is not only a culmination of years of practicing but also a reflection of a recent need for stillness that has become more apparent with her diagnosis of a chronic lung disease. The illness both leaves Priya short of breath and also serves as an omnipresent reminder of the breath’s importance as a life source and companion in ephemeral life.
“I see my art practice as a metaphor for my life – a lack of control but a strong sense of trust. This exhibition is references to the literal decline of my health – something I no longer (or ever did) have control over and the ability to trust and to be grateful,” said the artist. “Each stroke made with one breath, a reminder of the beauty in every stroke and every step. In this busy world, filled with mental and physical noise — it is so important to just stop and breathe.”
“I am so thrilled to have an exhibition in this city that has been such an important place for my family.”
Breathe in this fantastic exhibition at Le Link Gallery from June 20 to July 28. Opening reception on Thursday June 20, 6-10pm.
ONE BREATH AT A TIME
Le Link Gallery BKK
34/1 Soi Ton Son, Ploenchit Road
Tel: 095 591 5014 / www.lelinkgallery.com
June 20 to July 28, 2019
Gallery hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 12 noon – 6pm
