Synchronicity in Venice
Italy was on my mind this summer…after 8 amazing years in Singapore, I am relocating to England with my family and the promise of a long awaited Italian holiday was on the cards in between arriving in England and awaiting for our container in 6 weeks time to reach London.
As I have not visited Venice before, but always wanted to, it was top of my wish list-- along with a tour around Tuscany that we are doing afterwards as a family when my husband can join. I booked a little canal view apartment for me and my 3 children in Venice. And planned to have a gorgeous week exploring Venice, checking out a little art maybe and eating gelato!
After booking up our week in Venice, an 'artists call' landed into my inbox from 'Its Liquid Group' or an exhibition in Venice called 'Fractal Identities.' I was in the middle of packing up our house and my studio but the exhibition caught my eye. I made the application choosing 2 paintings from my new collection - 'Ginger Lilies' and ‘Sunbird‘ - all inspired by the Botanic Gardens in Singapore. In the business of organising our move and an emotional goodbye to friends, I had almost forgotten about the exhibition when Luca Curci contacted me.
A week or so later, when I received the email confirming that both my pieces had been selected for the show, I was absolutely delighted. I was so excited as I also realised that it coincided beautifully with my visit to Venice! I checked with my apartment and they told me the location of the Palazzo Ca Zanardi was only minutes away! Maybe this was universal synchronicity!
The venue of 'Fractal Identities' Palazzo Ca’ Zanardi (Cannaregio 4132, Venice) is a residential palace dating back to the 16th century, which, over the centuries, has been added on to by various noble Venetian families and is one of the most evocative and beautiful palaces in the city of Venice.
One of my new clients, Louise, who had just purchased one of my Singapore paintings for her family home in Auckland, New Zealand, messaged me when she heard about my inclusion in the Venice to say : “Don't you just love it when the universe unfolds its master plan for you. So exciting!”
So here I am in the middle of moving from Singapore to London and have been given this opportunity to visit and exhibit my Art of Singapore in Venice. I am feeling very, very happy about blending my love of travel and art in one trip and bringing my Asia inspired paintings to Europe.
The paintings I am exhibiting are 'My Beautiful Ginger Lilies' 122 x 122 cms, acrylic on Canvas 'Sunbird' 100 x 100 cms Acrylic on Canvas.
The Botanic Gardens in Singapore have been a constant inspiration on my work. I've been lucky to live near them and walked there regularly. The gardens are a green oasis in the city of Singapore and a great place to go to reflect. My friend Kim Pearce, who is a reiki healer, recently paid me a surprise visit in Singapore and we went to the gardens do a meditation practice together and give gratitude to our friendship and the opportunities Singapore has given us both.
My favourite time to visit the gardens is early morning, when the gentle art of Tai Chi is practised in the coolest part of the day. I was always drawn to the ginger garden particularly, I adore these flowers with their showy cone-shaped heads atop tall stems. The coral pink colour of them as they unfold is mesmerising and as a plant they have culinary and medicinal qualities throughout Asia. The bud of the ginger lily is used in the Asian dish, Nasi Lemak and Rojak, and medicinally, the flower is used for fever reducing medicine in medicinal folklore!
Sunbirds, part of the hummingbird family, are attracted to the ginger Lilies and are their natural pollinators. My series of ginger lily paintings were launched in Singapore. Some have already sold; one going to a home in Costa Rica, another to England, and another to a Sydney expatriate in Singapore.
Just last week I was so pleased to hear that Singapore Botanic Gardens has just been awarded Unesco World Heritage status.
