Farimah Eshraghi
Fitzroy Library Exhibition Space
6 October - 7 December 2007
My Quest for Light -
Visualizing my journey towards a luminous path
The evolution of human consciousness and its relationship to nature are some of the themes addressed in the exhibition by Farimah Eshraghi of 22 paintings and lino cuts at the Fitzroy Library gallery.
Farimah is an accomplished and professional artist with qualifications from the Fine Arts Academy in Bologna Italy and a career as an art teacher in numerous Colleges and community centres.
The work shown at the exhibition displays a fine sensitivity to line, colour and form. The paintings reflect the use of many varied mediums such as lino prints, water-colour and acrylic, pastel on paper, oil by itself and with acrylics and mixed media and collage. Farimah shows confidence and proficiency in the use of all these mediums.
The development of her style can be traced from early cubist abstractions such as After the storm, painted as an oil on canvas and a pastel on paper (Maternity) which is a tightly composed image of a mother and child as well as the spontaneous free and masterful use of acrylics and water-colour in Portrait in red and an abstract water-colour.
However all her skills come together in a number of philosophic paintings which reflect a unique sensitivity of feeling and thought. An early painting, Fire of the Prayer, which is an oil on canvas depicts an abstracted human form with head clasped surrounded by flames, conveys spiritual energy and power.
Another interesting painting is Cascade of Memories. With overtones of Leonardo’s Mona Lisa and Dali’s dreamlike landscapes, this work depicts a haunting female face set in a landscape of broken roman ruins. The painting evokes a search for meaning. Framed in gold it has an iconic quality.
The search for meaning is again reflected in a masterful painting, Crystal, which in mixed media depicts two female faces and two horses embedded in seemingly rock like surrounds. Light blues, pinks and mauves on a tinted and speckled surface convey a sense of human consciousness imprisoned by, evolving from and connected to nature.
An interesting show which is highly recommended.
Review by Nathan Moshinsky