Gatya Kelly: 'Bloom' - Art Exhibition 2023

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Stunning, sensuous and beautiful new still life paintings, painted with precision while also conveying depth and emotional intensity.

Still life is one of the oldest and most popular genres of painting, and Gatya Kelly is entirely conscious of the tradition in which she works. Like many a Dutch old master, she places her flowers against a darkened backdrop (chiaroscuro) to emphasise the colour and minimise distractions. The light falls from the side, as if entering through a window. The compositions combine drama, movement and colour yet the effect is to create balance and serenity.

Gatya wants people to feel they can almost touch or smell the flowers and most viewers have an immediate rapport with the paintings, but then over time constantly make new discoveries within them. The flowers are adorned in vases, from exotic Chinese porcelain to decorative traditional vases, providing an ideal contrast. Natural beauty and sumptuous ornamentation are perfectly observed and come together in complete harmony.