Reality in Fantasy

Magical realism is the overall theme of the works in this exhibition. Fairy tales and folktales were explored, which led to the overarching theme of magical realism. Childhood was an important period in which creativity was developed in a person, and a huge part of it originates from the fairy tales that were told. Research on well-known stories was done and artworks were created inspired by some iconic stories, such as The Adventures of Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Ugly Duckling. Insights from said investigations are implemented into the creation of my own world and became a stimulus in the forming of my exhibition. In my opinion, fairy tales were created with the intention of allowing children to easily comprehend certain life lessons through analogies. Since the creation of fairy tales is closely related to imagination, this exhibition will aid the exploration of my own imagination, where some of the morals from other folktales will be applied.

Four of the exhibition works (Cogitate, Recipe to Wonderland, Neverland, Ducks) were produced by taking inspirations from the aforementioned existing stories. The creation process of these pieces allowed me to learn the essential elements to establish a unique fantasy world. From The Adventures of Pinocchio, I discovered that character development was an important aspect of a story. I tried to portray this through Pinocchio’s maturation from a naive wooden puppet into a real human boy. In contrast to the animated style that the puppet was drawn in because of the apparent outlines and less texture, the realistically detailed human version. Other than character, the environment is also a significant component in a fictional world. This was uncovered in my artwork, Neverland, that was inspired by Peter Pan. By including symbolic objects that generate a magical ambience and help build the story. I utilized lanterns to support the existence of the characters, specifically Tinker Bell, in order to bring the whole fantasy to life. The background of the beach and the two Northern stars also established a one of a kind habitat for the characters to live in. The information found during the production of these works helps me to form my own mystical world. The other four works were mainly created by my own fantasy. For instance, Clairsentience. The concept originates from my love for crystals and cool-toned colour scheme. The formal qualities of the work were inspired by James Jean’s Sun Tarot. Together, these things formed this uniquely cool female character littered with crystals. Related to this, Serenity is the landscape that I had in mind for the created character. The juxtaposition between the dark and light colour story creates an interesting connection between the two works.

Overall, the idea of the exhibition set up is to create a gallery wall with all of my hung artworks, however, the oil paintings will be displayed on easels, while the knitted ducks will be set on a block in front of everything. The flow of the exhibition is created with the aim to show my art creating process. Hence, the first few artworks that are showcased in my exhibition are those that were inspired by the children fairy tales, which were Cogitate, Recipe to Wonderland, Neverland, and Isolated. The first three mentioned will be hung on the wall on different heights. Then, Isolated will be on a stand that will bring the viewers out of the two-dimensional works on to the three-dimensional one. This will be the perfect bridge to the works based on my own imagination as it clues in on the realistic style that is used in the rest of my artworks. Since we are in the realm of animals and warm tones, the next work would be Maturesence. It would then be continued with Amiable that transitions the warm colour scheme to a cooler one as well as the pencil medium onto watercolour. Serenity would then follow. Lastly, an oil painting with a darker cool-toned colour story would end the exhibition. I chose this particular work to end because it really interacts and “touches” the audience with its direct eye contact, which I believe would give a significant and memorable impact.

Cogitate

Watercolor

The well-known childhood tale, The Adventures of Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi was the muse for this piece. Two versions of Pinocchio are facing one another in similar clothing that alludes to the iconic Disney’s rendition. The happy wooden puppet symbolizes the innocence that was lost as Pinocchio grew up into a mature human boy. The juxtaposition between the two and the soft pastel yellow to the dark navy blue gradation of the background depicts his cogitation on the naivety of his past self.

Recipe to Wonderland

Acrylic on Wood

This piece consists of nine square wooden blocks where each represents an essential element of the Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass story by Lewis Caroll. All of the symbols were chosen to identify the important and unique ingredients to create this famous fairy tale. Disney’s rendition was the main inspiration for the appearance of some of the blocks as they were iconic. The black and white tiles as the background were selected to portray the White Queen’s affinity for chess.

Neverland

Oil on Canvas

The inspiration for this piece was the story of Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. The focal point of this still-life is the lantern with the green candle inside of it. The lit green candle represents Tinkerbell’s contagious joy-filled, warm-hearted character as the ambience from the candle slowly seeps into its surroundings. The rocks and wooden branch surrounding the lantern on the beach were added to create a sombre, cold, and lifeless atmosphere, symbolizing Peter Pan without Tinker Bell’s warmth.

Isolated

Knit

Inspired by the children story The Ugly Duckling, this artwork depicts the discrimination towards the “ugly duck” by its siblings due to its distinct appearance. Similar to Eko Nugroho’s Blooming Plastic Flowers, this work criticizes the unjust societal discrimination that stems from solely physical appearance. The slight distance, as well as the downturned beak of the grey duck, shows its feelings of sorrow and isolation. The haphazardly draped blue fabric as water also shows its inner turmoil.

Maturesence

Colored Pencil

A photograph by Stefano Urterthiner of a red fox was the main stimulus for this drawing. In contrast to his naive and inexperienced fox is a matured fox. A full-grown fox is depicted looking over the grass field in reflection. The understanding and content look in its eyes show the wisdom that is gained with age, while the warm background portrays the happiness that it radiates. The layers are emphasised through pop-ups to create obvious depth and more engagement with the audience.

Amiable

Coloured Pencil

Although unrealistic, Tiger Swim by Robert Sinega, an Indonesian wildlife photographer, reveals the approachable and friendly nature of tigers. Through a tiger’s warmth-filled eyes to its slightly upturned mouth, this realistic sketch unveils its amiable quality. Its soft watercolour surrounding further creates a sense of likability. This piece of art imagines a world where the usually tenacious and furious tiger is welcoming and compassionate.

Serenity

Watercolor

This landscape filled with a multitude of soft cool colours is the description of serenity. The mystical water texture was created by layering thin strokes of various colours that produced depth. The intricate colouring of the water by several colours generates the feeling of magic and transports the audience to a calming and beautiful space. The pastel, cool-toned colour scheme was chosen to establish the feeling of serenity. This work is the landscape of Clairsentience.

Clairsentience

Oil on Canvas

The formal qualities of this piece were inspired by James Jean’s Sun Tarot. Her blue-green eyes stand out against her icy, pale blue skin littered with crystals all over. The silver leaf on the largest crystal of her crown sparkles under the light and subtly reflects the viewer’s reflection. Only the top half of her face is shown to emphasise the clairsentient eyes that look into your soul. These two elements engage and create a connection with the audience.