Artistellar Gallery is excited to present Sweet Potion; another group show entirely dedicated to emerging female artists with strong voices that we support and believe in. Maria Andrievskaya, Rebecca Foster, Ella Garvey, Monika Marchewka, and Mia Wilkinson will each present paintings focused on exploring femininity, womanhood, and nature, drawing parallels between these subjects of matter and diving deep into the psyche. The title Sweet Potion sets the style of this fantastical show. A potion is of a supernatural character; it can poison or heal. Through the tone of magic realism with a side of surrealism, these five artists survey the sweetness and bitterness of dreams, hopes, grief, and memories.
We personify nature and refer to nature as ‘her’ of ‘Mother Nature’. Similarly to mother, nature is life-giving. We think of nature as strong, but it’s also fragile and vulnerable, similarly to women. In Maria Andrievskaya’s work, insect-sized female characters inhabit the natural environment depicted in her paintings. They explore her complex feelings for the current and future state of our planet, environment, and people. Similarly, in Monika Marchewka’s work, female characters are also protagonists who dwell in her cotton-candy-like version of nature, which is usually the sky or the sea. Metaphorically, both the characters and the environment are on a literal or spiritual journey towards something, whether it’s healing, savouring a memory, or just finding oneself.
Ella Garvey’s practise is centered around the mythology of objects and space. Through collecting imagery spanning from ancient vessels to art nouveau objects, she creates a visual language that paths the way of stories and unfolds many emotions. Her imagery is almost like a fable or fairy tale. In a similar tragicomic style, Rebecca Foster-Clarke paints the disconcerted nature of being a young woman. Her unsettling, dreamlike world usually depicts a female character, insect, or animals. Creating a link between woman and nature through animals is also significant in Mia Wilkinson’s work. She uses the metamorphosis of women into cows and the presence of other animals to confront the stereotyping of women and social norms. She explores female forms and roles through symbolic association with animals.
