Ria Vanden Eynde from Heverlee already exhibited at TABLOO with her landscape series ‘VISTAS’. For the more recent group expo 'Eyeliz loves Bouts' (Dieric Bouts Festival 2023-24 in Leuven) she painted a still life in oil paint with a contemporary nod to the work of the Flemish Master.
With this she was not on her test piece, because in the latter days of the pandemic – a period that made us all ‘silent’ – Ria with her series ‘A Still Life’ (2022-2023) paid attention to the silent beauty and the emotional value of objects around us that we use every day, sometimes throw away or often overlook.
In addition to the visual and communicative potential of everyday objects such as the dishes, they carry an emotional charge: memories of deceased parents and grandparents - what they left and liked - and things we use when we meet family and friends.
In this way, painting still lifes is an act of care and dedication, through which time, energy and effort are invested in the representation of these modest subjects, to experience a moment of contemplation.
For example, the daily dishes inspired Ria to a series of abstractions. She likes to refer to a quote from Kiki Smith: “You can fantasize about having control over the world, but I know I have little control over my sink. In this way you maintain the grace of an open mind.”
The artwork has become a personal expression of what Ria herself finds valuable and 'beautiful' in life: the small and everyday, contacts and family ties and all what connects us.
Website: www.riavandeneynde.studio
Instagram: @riavandeneynde.artstudio