There is a primordeal human attachment to light, and we cherish anything that bears it – gemstones, crystal, lacquered wood, the living brightness of the human eye. And we have no better metaphor than light gives us for making vivid the way spirit animates matter. Edna Fourie calls her paintings 'light gatherers'. We take a look.
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create a sanctuary of sorts for others.' sustains her.?O Visit her website www.ednafouriegallery.co.za for more. tepping from the McGregor main road into the airy light-filled space, Edna's gallery feels more like a sanctuary. Her oil paintings glow softly
Art that feeds
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finding tiny yellow ochre bird footprints across the canvas are never accidents, rather useful directives. It is a cosmic wisdom which flows through me not from me. I feel my life experiences have prepared me to be a rec eptive channel.' A permanent collection of paintings anchor the story of Edna's art. The work is both personal and universal. It tells the story of transformation/rebirth which we are going through on this planet at present. Collectively they carry a message of hope and confirmation. 'I have consciously chosen to follow my own path as an artist rather than the commercial or establishment route. My gallery [est. 2007] is the exclusive home of my art. This has allowed me to stay true to my own vision and pace. I feel I have found my life's purpose by following my passion and using it to The gallery is where Edna and her art connect with the world. Home and studio are on her farm in a converted barn set in an endless 'empty' space of Renosterveld and sky. It is in this silence and 'nothingness' that she creates her art. Living intimately with nature is what nourishes and
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in the stillness, revealing themselves layer upon layer. Luminosity seems to emanate from the paintings, giving them, through the deep meaning light has for man, a spiritual identity. These paintings have not sprung from clever intellectual complexity, but rather from heart-felt directness. 'Each painting is a birth and a spiritual encounter. It could start with a word or an image which suddenly jumps out at me repeatedly, or it could be a stain on the canvas. It is a very slow process of unfolding which demands a lot of courage, risk-taking and allowing. Spilled paint, a slip of the brush or
'I feel when I paint, each brush stroke is infused with energy flowing through me to the painting where it is stored – and then redistributed to the receptive viewer.'
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