This exhibition "Inner Silence" invites you into a landscape of quietude where time becomes a physical substance trapped within the surface. The images presented here are "nowhere places," vague landscapes born from sensory memories such as the scent of the night or the fading feeling of a dream. These works are created through a process of "oil pastel scratch," where I build up dense layers of oil pastel and occasionally acrylic paint before meticulously carving into the surface with sharp tools. This rhythmic act of layering and revealing captures the quiet energy found in small, persistent movements, transforming a spiritual search for stillness into a tangible presence.

The installation creates an immersive environment that encourages viewers to slow down and reflect on the hidden layers of their own experiences. In this dialogue between the past and the present, the gallery becomes a sanctuary from our overstimulated world. These works explore the delicate boundaries between visibility, loss, and hope, offering a space where viewers can find themselves within the stillness and connect with their own deep place of memory.

About the Artist

My work explores the intersection of physical repetition and memory. This practice is rooted in the joy of childhood drawing, which evolved at the age of twenty into a core concept centered on how the repetition of small and simple forms generates immense energy. To express these traces, I use a technique called "oil pastel scratch." The process involves building up dense layers of oil pastel, sometimes incorporating acrylic paint, then carving into the surface with sharp tools such as metal awls, bamboo skewers, or wooden sticks to reveal what lies beneath.

This meditative act of painting and excavating is a ritual to record the passage of time. Each layer of color becomes a page in a story, accumulating like stone. For me, scratching is an act of both destruction and rebirth, serving as an excavation of lost memories. Since moving to Finland, these delicate patterns and imperfect traces have been increasingly inspired by the profound beauty and severity of the Nordic nature. 

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Website: http://www.sawakohoshi.com