We promised you some exclusive first photos of Audrey Kawasaki’s new work and here it is! My Modern Met correspondent Brandon Shigeta was on the scene when Audrey debuted her new series, titled Restlessly Still, this past Saturday at Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles. As always, Audrey blows us away with her incredible talent for encapsulating feeling and emotion.
As the press release for the gallery states, “Her current work centers round the ideas of finding one’s calm amidst a world of disorder, turmoil and frenzy. The young female character she depicts feels the intense energy of rushing and dashing through our modern world while beautifully, seductively finding her balance of calm and peace. The movement of Audrey’s pieces always pushing and pulling both literally and metaphorically, till one loses oneself in the process. Her sharp controlled lines conveying the possibility of the control and steadiness she seeks.”
Love Audrey’s take on this series. She eloquently and vulnerably describes the journey she went through on her blog:
“~personal note~
looking back at this series,
i realize how strange it is, how unknowingly my work reflects my personal life and state of being.
the colors are monotone, and the expression feel a bit empty and distant,
and to me, there’s a feeling of being out of focus. scattered. distracted.
i feel like the past few months,
my heart and mind were going back and forth from place to place. restless.
wanting not wanting. impatiently, desperately trying to find firm ground and confidence to stay strong.
i was constantly trying to keep busy and stay distracted, so time would go by faster.
and yes, time whizzed by, but i feel like i lost focus somewhere along the way.. and was becoming someone unfamiliar.
looking at these pieces now, i am surprised at how apparent it is.
this makes me feel perplexed and a bit sad, but find it necessary, as an artist, to have these phases and then to face them straight on.
i’m relieved though that my work is still intimately connected to me.
and i feel like i can move past this state.
i already have some ides for the next series. more vibrant more playful. more carefree.
am excited for that change and to explore a different chapter in my life..”
Audrey Kawasaki, the Artist
Catch Audrey’s gorgeous works along with art by Femke Hiemstra and Deedee Cheriel from now till August 27, 2011 at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles.
Photo credit: Brandon Shigeta/My Modern Met