Människor och djur
Welcome to Vanna Bowles mysterious, surreal and amazing world. Here you become a part of the work of art by being invited to look for connections that are hidden from us at first glance. When new opinions take shape, the way forward is open for reflection. The motifs are realistic fragments of snapshots where humans, animals and nature are the basic elements that without an obvious logic lead to a reflection on the place of man in nature.
In the exhibition at Tegnerforbundet I show a large installation and a series of 24 pencil drawings. The installation consists of seven scenery with drawings in large formats, masks and costumes depicting animals, trees and people made of paper maché, graphite and pencil.
I work intuitively when I search for motifs for sculptures and drawings, and I look for stories that arise in a combination of images and characters I find or invent. I look for motifs that are ambiguous or enigmatic, qualities that I reinforce when I process and put together images and sculptures. The work is an attempt to describe a subconscious thinking. Through images, costumes and objects, I approach existential aspects such as identity, body and psyche. The result of this exhibition is a theater without an actor or director, a scene where the viewer creates the performance. I wish that the viewer can do the same as I do myself, that they can orient themself intuitively and wonder among the works. That the works can provide opportunities for the viewer to create new thought connections and stories with different outcomes than what they might have expected. (Vanna Bowles)
Vanna Bowles (1974) was born in Gothenburg, lives and works today from Nesodden / Oslo. She is a graduate of the Oslo Academy of the Arts, Universität der Künste in Berlin. She has had several solo exhibitions, including at Kunstnerforbundet, Hå Gamle Prestegård, Vänersborg Konsthall in Sweden and Hordaland Kunstsenter in Bergen. She has also participated in a number of group exhibitions at home and abroad, including Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall in Arendal, Lillehammer Kunstmuseum, Stenersenmuseet, Map Of The New Art, Venice, NO Gallery, New York City and Art Amsterdam, Art Fair. Vanna Bowles has been purchased by, among others, Lillehammer Kunstmuseum, Statoil / Hydro Norway, Kunst på Arbeidsplassen, Malmö Kunstmuseum, Statens Kunstråd, Sweden.
The exhibition is supported by Billedkunsternes Vederlagsfond, Kulturrådet and Regionale prosjektmidler.
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On the occasion of the exhibition, we had a talk with Vanna Bowles in the gallery.
Video production: KUNSTDOK / Jon Marius Nilsson
