Tuesday 4 August 2009

PREVIEW: 'Ephemeral Shoals' by Farrah Fortnam, 18th August, 6-9pm



Ephemeral Shoals by Farrah A. Fortnam

Farrah is intrigued and inspired by the movement of nature, particularly the sea; the vivid beauty of reefs and the dancing motion of their shoaling fish.

Her recent trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef made a lasting impression on her. Along with seeing the life, beauty and fragility of the reef islands, came the acknowledgment that, with warming and high sea levels, this ephemeral underworld may disappear in our lifetime. She wants to capture this transient beauty, just for a moment, in her paintings. For her, it will last forever.

Farrah’s Persian ethnicity has also had influence on her work, from rich, bright colours and intricate patterns in fabrics to Islamic calligraphic art. She also have a fascination with henna art (mehndi), a natural plant based dye that is used to decorate women’s hands and feet, mainly for wedding occasions.