Abstract Landscapes
A British citizen, born in East Africa, Kirpal Marwaha’s origins are found in the Punjab in Northern India.
Trained at the best British schools of art, including the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, and the renowned Royal College of Art, Kirpal Marwaha received her Masters in 1981. She then taught art and design in British universities for eight years, later promoting and recruiting for arts courses internationally. Finally, Kirpal’s expanding work with universities saw her appointed as Director of Marketing for an English university; a challenging and rewarding task that she committed herself to intensively.
Based in France for three years, in the Gers department, Kirpal now has the time to dedicate herself entirely to her passion and organize exhibitions of her work in England and France. The nearby Pyrenees have naturally become her constant source of inspiration. The landscapes she sees from the windows of her studio are the primary stimulus for her painting. The work is divided into two separate series: the first retaining a degree of realism in the representation; the second vision is abstract, concentrated on expressing with even more intensity and power the movement of landscape. The latter is mostly in black and white with occasional use of reds. These works, in close-up, are particularly well served by the pictorial technique of the artist.
Kirpal enjoys working her materials with vigour, but does not abandon sensitivity. The pictorial key (acrylic and mixed media) is placed in successive batches using a variety of methods, including brushes, wood and even fingers, with each one producing its unique pattern. Some of the most interesting effects are obtained by blowing on the surface of the canvas with a straw to make the paint ‘run’. Another method is to scrape the thick paint layers to introduce a particularly lively dynamic between the top and bottom alternate outcrops. There is a clear link between Kirpal’s techniques with paint and her experience of woven textiles, evinced by her experimentation with texture and layers. Her generous coats give shape to the curves of mountains or surrounding fields, whilst her colours follow the seasons with vivid summers and lighter, frosty winter scenes.
Also on display is a selection of her seascapes depicting the Atlantic coast of South Carolina, USA, which she visited in 2009. They are painted using the same technique.
While fond of panoramic views, Kirpal does not hesitate to transpose these to very small pieces. This back and forth among various size canvases proves the range of the artist to adjust her eyes, and ask the viewer to reconsider both form and scale.
The exhibition features sixty recent works by the artist. A number of her paintings have been bought by private collectors in Europe and especially England, India and USA.
Roseline Giusti-Wiedemann
