ART REVIEW

by Dr. Barbara Aust-Wegemund, Art Critic

A spread of paintings in a meditative medley surrounds the new body of Rotterdam International Art Fair with works by Rieko Karrer. Inundated with visual metaphors, her artwork appears in a tactile interplay of spaces and geometrical forms using a meditative symphony of brush strokes in elegant compositions.

The subtle colours and the play of light endow the works with luminosity. Rieko Karrer captures the movements in her meditative brush strokes that carry us seamlessly into a mystical realm. The elegant still imageries on the hand made paper en-captures the viewer and his attention. A lifelong fascination with painting and calligraphy shapes the work of Rieko Karrer, who is selected from the Jury Committee of Rotterdam International Art Fair to present her recent works in Rotterdam. This art fair, which takes place from 12th to 13th September 2014, showcases contemporary art in the setting of the medieval Laurenskerk.

Rieko Karrer, born in 1952 in Japan, based in Switzerland, explains her artistic concept: “My work combines the techniques of calligraphy, Suiboku and Japanese Tempera to create pieces that celebrate the importance of space and the invisible flow of air. This allows the mind to free itself, and to enter into a state of meditation – something that has interested me for many years as a part of Zen Buddhism. White is a crucial component of my works, and I make my own white paint by mixing heated glue with ground mother-of-pearl and lukewarm water. The concentration that goes into this process is itself a part of the finished work.“ Rieko Karrer’s work has been featured worldwide (Athens, Basel, Belgrad, Lausanne, London, Tel Aviv among othrers) and is held in private collections. The artist who was teached in Calligraphy in Japan since her childhood, studied Suibokuga at the Japanese Master Roppei Matsumoto class and Drawings at School of Museum of Fine Art in Boston, US States.

Created from an inner silence it is facing the question how to reconcile the traditional literati mindset of retreat into nature with the public appeal for social intervention of reality emphasized in contemporary art in order to complete an effective contemporary transition. Reiko Karrer prefers to seek out valuable ideas and resources for creative transformation within her own rich cultural traditions in contributing different values and views.

In reviewing her complete oeuvre she has reflected a deep impact of sensibility. By going into the paper, behind and underneath the surface, the painting gains a unique kind of physicality seeking out what lies beyond the surface appearances.

Through series of sweeping brush strokes including meditative restraint and lumination, Rieko Karrer creates abstract patterns that evoke an intensely personal sense of the knowing and understanding of the universal, spiritual landscape. It reveals a purity of vision and shares rhythm and balance that draws the viewer into the composition. 

Rieko Karrer’s concept is focused on the importance of mind, body, unity and purity. While viewing these pieces, the mind remains in the now, being fully aware of the illusory nature of material life. Please, sit down, stop your analytic intellect, open your eyes. So, what is the color of the wind?

About the Artist:

News: Open Studio Days!

Studio Rieko Karrer
Chemin du Laviau 6
1805 Jongny
Switzerland
Mobile: +41 (0)79 6628347
Email: rieko-ok@bluewin.ch
www.rieko.ch

Exhibition
Rotterdam International Art Fair 2014
September 2014
www.artfairrotterdam.com

About the Author:

Dr. Barbara Aust-Wegemund, born in Zuerich/ Switzerland, is a German Art Historian and Managing Director at Art History Consulting (AHC). She studied Art History at Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (Germany), University for Foreigners Perugia (Italy) and London Guildhall University (UK).

In 2002 she earned her PhD from University of Kiel with a Dissertation on Modern Sculpture: “Sources of Inspiration.The Meaning of Nature in Henry Moore´s Late Work.” The art historian and art critic has written widely on modern and contemporary art. Her essays have been featured in monographs, exhibition catalogues, e-zines, journals and the online editorial department of Goethe Institute Inter Nationes.

Contact Author:
Email: aust-wegemund@t-online.de
www.arthistoryconsulting.de