Art

Leah Fraser · Messages From The World Invisible

A mesmerising new body of work from Sydney artist Leah Fraser, opening at Arthouse Gallery in Sydney this week.

 

Written
by
Lisa Marie Corso

‘When we were here together’ by Leah Fraser. Acrylic on polyester canvas, 192cm x 274cm.

‘A gift for those who wish to see’ by Leah Fraser. Acrylic on polyester canvas, 81cm x 61cm.

‘We sang songs beneath a web of stars’ by Leah Fraser. Acrylic on polyester canvas, 122cm x 102cm.

‘He presses against the blue and bursts into form’ by Leah Fraser. Acrylic on polyester canvas, 96cm x 137cm.

‘I leaned over the world into carefulness’ by Leah Fraser, Acrylic on polyester canvas, 81cm x 61cm.

Writer
Lisa Marie Corso
2nd of June 2015

We first came across Sydney-based artist Leah Fraser when we featured her home a few years ago. She was preparing for an exhibition at the time, and we were instantly intrigued by the paintings she was working on. Since then we have kept a keen eye on her work, watching her painting and sculptural practices develop over the years. This week, her latest show Messages from the World Invisible opens in Sydney – a collection of paintings and ceramic figures that tell the stories of wild people, magician warriors and shamanic healers in a vibrant natural surroundings. ‘They are an amalgamation of many cultures and ideas rolled into one, creating a new story, a parallel universe’ Leah says.

Leah’s creative process is intricate and intuitive. She paints across multiple canvasses at once, preferring the works to develop organically. ‘The paintings always seem to take on a life of their own, as each character evolves their identity emerges and I go with the flow,’ she mentions. ‘I always enjoy the moment that I figure out who they are, it’s like meeting a friend.’

Sitting alongside the paintings in Messages from the World Invisible are Leah’s collection of captivating earthenware ceramics, that offer a tactile extension of the magical worlds depicts on canvas. These sculptural figures are often adorned with crystals, and resemble modern day talismans. ‘The symbology of nature is deeply embedded in culture, and I am interested in how this symbology is also embedded in our storytelling and religious beliefs,’ Leah explains. ‘I feel that we need to be the earth’s caretakers, not its destroyers, and I try to embody this feeling in my work.’

Messages from the World Invisible opens in Sydney this Thursday 4 June from 6.00 – 8.00pm. 

Messages from the World Invisible by Leah Fraser
June 4th until June 20th
Arthouse Gallery
66 McLachlan Avenue
Rushcutters Bay, NSW

‘Her luminous eyes led me through the darkness’ by Leah Fraser. Acrylic on polyester canvas, 137cm x 96cm.

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