Lydia Janssen, The Rocking Horse, 2022, Oil and charcoal on linen, 200 x 330 cm

What is home? A place? A sensation? Stillness? Movement? Anchoring? Detachment? Is homeliness to be found in the vibrant now or in our memories? Or, is it all of the above?

In Lydia Janssen’s latest work she explores the concepts of home and homeliness. Inspired by the Wizard of Oz and the main character Dorothy’s quest to get back to Kansas; the characters she meets along the way and the experiences that alter her sense of self and rattle her deeply rooted sense of place, Janssen investigates what it means to belong and feel at home.

In 2011, Janssen, her husband and their first-born daughter moved from New York City to Singapore, 7 years later as a family of five, they moved to Bali, Indonesia. Then in 2020, having traveled between five countries during Covid, all in an attempt to get back to their home in Bali, Janssen became fascinated with the psychology of space, place and how one’s definition of home changes when living a nomadic life. How can you belong somewhere when you are an expatriate, an immigrant, a foreigner, an outsider, a newcomer, a visitor, a guest; unfamiliar with the local customs and the language spoken? Movement has always been home for Janssen; her past as a professional dancer leaves clear traces in all of her paintings. In her new work, movement is investigated in a vast variety of shapes: twisting, running, roaring animals; bodies that curve and spin, unfold and crumble; waves of color and light; rocking horses and long hair thrown forcefully back forming vibrant curved lines.

Written by Kristine H. Harper, Author.

Venue: REDSEA Gallery, 9 Dempsey Road, S247697

When: 12 - 22 Jan 2023, 10am - 9pm

By: REDSEA Gallery