Cecilia Gunnarsson

MEMORIES OF SOMETIME

June 9 – July 25

Exhibition launch Friday June 9 at 6-8pm

Guest opening speaker Sarah Feijen - CEO Guildhouse

Oceanscapes and landscapes by Adelaide based artist Cecilia Gunnarsson. View them up close and see bold brush strokes and shapes or stand back for a totally different visual experience. 

The intimate paintings of swimmers, including herself add a deep layer to her dreamlike oceanscapes with shifting light and rich colours that capture figures floating in the ocean. 

“We mostly see our bodies sitting or standing, swimming is not how we usually perceive our bodies. There is the feeling of movement and suspension, freedom and tension, and there's the fear of water, we can’t breathe underwater.”

Gunnarsson also immerses herself on land, walking in the Adelaide Hills, Skye and Kangaroo island. The tranquil landscapes are thoughtful with beautiful hues and tones that mimic the South Australian colours seen through the eyes of a Scandinavian who has walked and swam in South Australia for over 25 years. 

Cecilia Gunnarsson, Fluid, Oil on canvas board 30cm x 25cm

BIO Cecilia Gunnarsson

Cecilia is an artist originally from Sweden. She grew up in a small country town where nature and the forrest were always close. After half a lifetime in South Australia, its landscape is now also part of her with its smells and sounds, the colour and light, the seasons. Still, she finds the Australian bush beautifully exotic, full of wonders and strangeness. She is trying to capture this in her artwork, with trees especially close to her heart.

Cecilia paints mainly in oils, expressing the light and form with patterns of colours and brushstrokes. Close up her paintings have an abstract expression but when stepping back the motif of the paintings become clear.

Cecilia studied Graphic Design and Illustration at University of Göteborg, Sweden. She also has studied printmaking and painting at art schools in Göteborg. Her work has been a finalist in art prizes such as Adelaide Hills Art Prize and Tatiara Art Prize. She recently had a successful exhibition at Newmarch Gallery in Prospect.

instagram - cecilia_gunnarsson_

Cecilia Gunnarsson, Horsnell Gully in October II, oil on linen 30cm x 25cm