Irina Nazarova
The Flower of the Fern
June 9 - July 23
Exhibition launch Friday June 9 at 6-8pm
Guest opening speaker Sarah Feijen - CEO Guildhouse
In Estonia, where I was born and lived most of my life we have a beautiful well treasured traditional holiday, called Jaanipaev, celebrated on the summer solstice. The cities become empty whilst people camp in the forests or by lakes, lightning thousands of bonfires throughout the country. We celebrate the beginning of summer by jumping over the campfires, but most importantly we look for The Flower of the Fern.
There is a myth, that only once a year, on the night of 23rd of June, the Flower of Fern blooms in the forest for a very short period of time. The flower will bring fortune and happiness to the person who finds it. I remember, as a child going to the forest with my family and friends in the night looking for a flower and how intrigued and happy I felt.
The duration of my exhibition coincides with this magical celebration and so I take it as a sign to call my second solo exhibition at Hahndorf Academy 'The Flower of the Fern'.
I adore the mystery of the darkness of the night, the freshness of the forests and uniqueness of the flowers. Through my latest artworks I explore the nature of flowers, the feelings they give you, the comfort and beauty, against backdrops of darkness and light.
Living in Australia for quite some time, I unavoidably fell in love with Australian flora, however the simplicity and tenderness of European flowers are deeply rooted in my heart. I depict a collection of Australian indigenous flowers and plants that I find incredible and fascinating, along with the European flowers that I grew up with. Spring forest grounds covered with the carpet of tiny Forget-Me-Nots, the smell of Lilies of the Valley, endless handpicked bouquets of Daisies, Bluebells, Lillac and Mock Orange, all these are tender memories of my childhood.
I present a body of artworks that unites two worlds, magical and real. I dream up and create new flowers, play with the colours and shapes of the artwork. I find inspiration in the little things, walking in nature with my family, finding intriguing looking flowers and plants.
I am one of many who is trying to find the magical 'Flower of the Fern', sometimes I feel I am the one who is attempting to create it.
Irina Nazarova, Crown Flower, acrylic on wood
Irina Nazarova, Mock Orange, acrylic on wood
BIO Irina Nazarova
Irina Nazarova is a visual artist born and raised in Estonia, residing in Australia for over a decade. Irina has developed over this time a stylised, stark and iconic depiction of botanicals, with the use of acrylic paint on timber.
Whilst much of the topic matter is of indigenous flora, the traditions and folklore of northern Europe are there to be seen. There are hints of medieval tapestries and wooden block carvings. Feelings of the iconic and the mythological fill the room. The tree becomes an altar and a focus. All the stages of life can be represented on the one living plant, by way of juvenile flower through to barren seed pod.
Much of the work is informed from the inquiry and adventure of collating a breadth of floral specimens for her “Flowers In Your Hair”jewellery which has developed in parallel. One can see that the jewellery is influenced, by the painted artworks, with a careful sense of how the flower is framed and composed with other clippings of floral specimens. Conversely the paintings of botanic matter are seemingly influenced by the act of pressing floral specimens. The works whilst living in a three dimensional sense, of shade and light, posses aspects of the hyroglyphic art, with layers of two dimensional shapes overlapping to produce striking images possessing a power.
Irina has succeeded as a visual artist with entrepreneurial ventures abroad. Her works are found in numerous regional galleries, large scale art and design markets, and boutique shops focussed on the 'maker' and 'artist'.
https://www.irinanazarovaart.com/
https://www.instagram.com/iranazarovaart/
https://www.facebook.com/flowersinyourhair.oz/