Romy

My body of work explores the nature of isolation primarily through the urban and natural landscape. My work initially started with looking at Parisian architecture, specifically Haussmannian buildings that have framed parts of my life, aiming to reflect the shared sense of belonging within these urban spaces. However, my perspective broadened to capture the vast and sometimes empty landscapes, which reflect feelings of isolation and the struggle to find one’s place. 

Throughout my pieces, I wanted to explore different ways of showing Paris's structured, historical settings. I was drawn to the architectural lines (as seen in Concertina) and the way they framed human interactions, which led me to consider how environments influence our feelings of belonging or isolation. I then wanted to capture the natural landscapes through travels and personal discoveries. I realized that these vast environments often carry a sense of forgotten emptiness (as seen in the New York painting). These scenes illustrate how physical spaces mirror our emotional states, often revealing a sense of emptiness linked to our memories. 

In my work, I blend various mediums such as acrylic paint, Chinese ink, watercolor, and more to create layered and textured representations of these themes. I often employ the color blue in various shades to evoke a sense of melancholy and depth, reflecting the emotional undertones of my scenes. This choice is particularly evident in the large-scale cliff painting, where the expansive blues suggest both depth and detachment. Additionally, I experimented with 3D materials like Modroc and clay to replicate architectural textures and human expressions, further exploring the tangible aspects of our interactions with spaces, as shown in my sculptures "Cityspace" and "Echoes of Anxiety."

Throughout the two years, my artistic explorations were deeply influenced by the techniques of Jean Fautrier and David Hockney. Fautrier's "Deep Blue" inspired my textured and tonally rich approaches, teaching me to layer acrylics to create dynamic landscapes filled with depth and motion. This method was particularly evident in the cliff painting, where the layered textures suggest both the chaos and calm of natural scenes.Neil Canning’s abstract expression approach to landscapes and Margo Maeckelberg’s usage of water and mountains inspired me to use watercolors and ink in a style that simplifies nature while capturing its lively core and calm mood, as seen in Ocean’s Murmur. These artistic explorations continued in the Mount Everest painting, a turning point where I created details that evoke immediate emotional responses to the environment. This piece laid the groundwork for my blossom tree painting, where I delved deeper into the themes of memory and belonging, exploring how places shape our sense of identity and the often unspoken feelings of alienation within familiar and foreign landscapes. A challenge I had to overcome was scaling up my artwork, as I find smaller-scale pieces often achieve better details and emotional depth.

Echoes of Anxiety (May, 2024) 

Modroc, plaster, screws, and soft stone

28x16x11cm

In Echoes of Anxiety, Mod-Roc and plaster are used to visually carve the overwhelming grasp of anxiety with screws and soft stones. The head and hands of the sculpture are molded mannequin pieces. This method conveys how anxiety distorts the perception of identity. Hands represent the creeping force of terror by distorting the face. The sensory experience is enhanced by rough textures and shadows, which echo Auguste Rodin's deeply personal works and draw attention to the neglected mental health issues.