Anoma was welcomed back to London last autumn for an exhibition of her paintings and sculptures at the Noble Sage Gallery, commencing with a packed and lively preview evening at Wright and Teague right in the heart of Mayfair.
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| The artist at her exhibition in Dubai |
Anoma’s paintings demand the attention of the viewer, they refuse easy answers, they remain poised on the cusp between different worlds, the lived and the spiritual, the real and the mythical.
Similarly, her glass sculptures appear reluctant to give away the messages trapped between their layers: the sheets of glass mask rather than offer up the message and, just when you think you can read it, it is obscured by your reflection. I found myself moving around the pieces trying to find the best viewing angle before realizing this illusiveness is integral to the meaning.
These works mark a move away, at least for the time being, from the work on peace and reconciliation that has been the hallmark of her art for the last few years which combined digital and video art, music and words in a series of installations. In contrast, her recent paintings mark a return to more personal statements, as seen in her shows in 2010 in the Maldives and Dubai. They still communicate a call for humanity but in a softer, more subtle and sophisticated way.
Doorways and passages into another universe, one more spiritual than our own remain a constant in Anoma’s work – they offer a hope for the future, of better things to come. Yet this hoped for future remains at a distance, still illusive –something worth struggling for.
(Anoma’s paintings will be exhibited at the Galle Literary Festival 2011) |
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