ARTist SILVIA Gallery Moving Paintings in Enge

Quite modestly my neighbour, Silvia, had asked me if I wouldn’t fancy coming to the opening of an exhibition. Sure, I thought, at a private art exhibit one finally has the opportunity to meet and get to know the artist personally. As it turned out, it was Silvia herself, who opened her own gallery in Enge, and it made me particularly proud to attend.

The major themes of her paintings are women and landscapes, which she paints in bold colours using oil and oil pastels. The female portraits left a remarkable impression on me. The women are depicted in everyday situations, showing a variety of emotions in life. They are thoughtful, sad, anxious, and shy. They amuse themselves in a circle of friends, giggling, talking, dancing, drinking a cup of coffee, jumping for joy, travelling, enjoying the sunset together, swimming in an indoor pool, and most recently, skiing.

Each painting is the beginning of a little story. In a quiet moment Silvia begins to tell me a few of these. And I remember events from my own life and feel connected to the scenes in her works. A sense of familiarity comes to pass but also when observing her landscapes. There are some pictures of the region, for example, showing boats on the lake or a small series of Zurich trams. These, of course, were the first sold at her exhibition.

Another reason for the artwork’s appeal lies in the choice of colours. The pictures radiate in the moving colours. Silvia sees the combination of light and colour as a key element in encapsulating the images. There is no lack of this in her art!

I opt for a picture with a female skier and as I walk out think about all the women in the pictures and reflect on how their stories possibly continued. For me, a truly moving exhibition. Art is simply what it does for us.