Statement

My paintings try to convey the openness and the infinity of nature. I study the rhythm in woodgrain, bark, or the surface of water. I am fascinated with pattern, but I steer clear from the grid structure, because it makes all extension predictable. A swatch of fabric or wallpaper predicts yards of the same. Meanwhile one might foresee a lake beyond the horizon, but there is no way to point at it. And while my images references geometric abstraction, including Islamic art, they do not embrace its underlying aesthetic. My aim is not to paint a mental image of perfection or achieve a reasonable conclusion. Rather, I try to capture the wonder nature inspires us. Colors are the driving force in my process. Their sensuous qualities are themselves mystery and wonder, and therefore I find them best laid bare and not contained in a form or concept. I am aware that my images elicit feelings of bewilderment and being adrift, but that is only the flip side of a sense of release and liberation. The satisfaction of such discovery might be fleeting, but I intend it to echo like poetry.

Nov 2009 © Emna Zghal