Claire Wallwork | 2 SERIES

Claire Wallwork
Celebrating Spring – Rebirth, Connection, and Potential
Winter – Going within

” ‘Random Kindness’, A Moment in Time’, and ‘That Moment Before Dawn’ all speak to the power of the present and the power of gratitude. What lies ahead is often beyond our control – take Covid as an example; its unfolding was straight out of a sci-fi/disaster movie. We can always embrace the present, though, and remain mindful of whatever blessings shine a light in our world, be the torch for others too.” -Claire Wallwork

Celebrating Spring – Rebirth, Connection, and Potential

With nature as my muse, I am deeply influenced by the seasons. I tend to hibernate in winter, then, mirroring the natural world around me, I reawaken and embrace the expansion that occurs in spring. I live, in the Southern Hemisphere, so while half the world is winding down, we are only just emerging. This spring is all the more poignant as we have spent the last 4 months in a strict lockdown, and only now are we seeing some of those restrictions lifted. Unperturbed, the oak tree outside our kitchen window has once again cloaked itself in green, and the maple is once again covered in buds. The energy of awakening is tangible. Everything feels different. Everything feels charged. Everything feels possible!

This series celebrates that dynamic potential. It honors our deep connection to the Source, to each other, and to the natural world. It also acknowledges our responsibility as caretakers of the land and all its inhabitants.
A common thread throughout the series is the white form, with threads extending and interweaving through each painting. Initially, it appeared in my two Warrior pieces embodying the strength and wisdom of generations that have come before. It then evolved into the curvier shape when I created ‘The Rebirth of Venus’ – an adaptation of the open-shell from which Venus emerged in Botticelli’s masterful work – a representation of pure potential, connection, and of course, rebirth.

The veined leaf is another recurring feature, representing that which has come before.
Each evolutionary cycle is born from the previous. Wisdom accrued fuels the evolution of the individual or the group. Nothing occurs in isolation – each component is essential to the next. The past provides context upon which we can grow and aspire to greater things for the future while remaining ever-present in the now.

Claire Wallwork

Curvy, woven, and beautifully sensual, Claire’s style is powerfully feminine and uniquely her own, expressing her deep connection to our magnificent planet. Surrounded by the beautiful land and seascapes of Aotearoa, Claire’s work explores the ever-changing organic shapes, the complexity of color, the richness of life, and the sense of wonder nature evokes. Nature doesn’t strive to be beautiful, yet it is, by its very being-ness, exquisite. Claire’s work reflects her own individual perspective with a keen appreciation for the restraint and power of Georgia O’Keeffe’s magnificent works and the structural simplicity of Karl Blossfeldt’s photos of nature under the microscope. Using nature as a metaphor for humanity’s challenges, she boldly reimagines botanical forms reframing even the ugliest of issues into something beautiful. In a very real sense, then, her work is a botanical celebration of humanity’s ability to shine and transcend.
Claire’s process layers paints, charcoal, graphite, and Conte crayons to reveal glimpses of what has come before. Her work has been featured by the Feminist Art Museum and NZ Art Magazine. She was one of a select group of artists invited to exhibit at the inaugural Art in the Park held at Eden Park in July (and sold out). She is quickly emerging as an artist to watch and collect.

Winter – Going within

Whilst Celebration was inspired by spring, this series was born in winter. Ever sensitive to nature’s cycles, this is the season where I am most introspective, withdrawing into myself. Yet, despite its bare façade, much regeneration and regrowth occur beneath the surface. In essence, then winter represents the pure potential that exists just prior to its expression.

The forms in this series are fittingly much more contained and are expressed in isolation. Negative space around each form, though, reveals our constant oneness with the all. Each form is a universe in and of itself, wholly complete individually, yet each containing and existing within the greater whole.
Oysters are a common thread – a powerful symbol of the ability to take the grit life throws at us, transforming it into a thing of great beauty, i.e., the pearl. I would argue that the real gem is the oyster itself.
What strength and triumph! I’ve used a variety of pearlescent paints as base and glazes with the oysters. Shells feature too to express the walls we erect and our vulnerability within; after all, what good is strength without vulnerability or heart?

A common thread through so much of my work is the humble seed, and that too is incorporated in this series. It represents ourselves at our most vulnerable but also at our most potent, when absolutely anything is possible, and before outside influences pigeonhole our perspective and color our lens.

Read the full article in Art Market Magazine Issue #64