Still life
A still life is more than just an assortment of lifeless objects. It's a means of expressing an emotion or meaning. In my practice, I often use the image of a garden as a vivid example of the symbiosis of natural and artificial. For humans, a garden is a man-made Eden that symbiotically accommodates our understanding of nature and the way we can modify it. A straightforward plot of ground becomes incredibly complex due to the garden's creator's aesthetic standards, aspirations, awareness of the accomplishments of progress, and desire for something primordial. This is literally terra incognita, a space where it is possible to create at your discretion. Plan the procedure and observe the outcome. Furthermore, both philosophically and materially, creation is feasible here. "This book is called a closed garden, a tightly locked paradise full of all kinds of fruits," wrote Richard Roll de Hampole, one of the greatest English mystics, in the preface to the translation of the Psalms during the Middle Ages.
A bouquet can be thought of as a condensed form of a garden, representing the results of a gardener's hard work. At the same time, the lifetime of the bouquet is very limited. Through the symbolism of commonplace items and plants, Dutch still lifes from the 17th century, known as vanitas (Latin: vanity of vanities), urge moderation and spirituality while also serving as a reminder of frailty.
I rely on the Dutch still life painting's aesthetic scheme, the notion of time's fleeting nature, and the balance between what is desirable and sensible. I don't assign a semantic value to every object. I find significance in the gardener's figure, which is hidden from the viewer. The man who designed the bouquet after creating the garden. He is a god who, on the one hand, transforms primordial chaos into order. The power that makes the garden exist. On the other hand, there is a villain whose self-serving interference hybridises, averages, consumes, and permanently alters the essence of things. And whether or not a fair balance is reached is entirely up to him.
Still life with Flowers and a Tomato.
Ceramics, stoneware glaze,
98x69x10 cm, 2025
