ROSA x ALBA – ELEMENTS OF A WHITE ROSE

This series comprises 26 acrylic painting on canvas. As the subtitle suggests, these works are not floral per se but their genesis can be found in the symbolic White Rose of myth and poetry.

The White Rose – a symbol of femininity, purity, virginity, youth, modesty, romance, life.

The series is personal and biographical. It began during one of those times when life takes a sudden and surprising turn. Out of the blue, healthy, fit, clean-living me was diagnosed with lymphoma. Luckily, it was of the curable variety but I was shaken to core.

I am unsure what drew me to the White Rose at this time; perhaps it was the ephemerality of the rose which signifies so profoundly the transience of life. However, on working on this series, I gleaned a certain solace in the pristine beauty of the rose and found the cocoon-like, protective arrangement of the petals comforting.

The earlier pieces reveal a fascination with the way the soft velvety petals of the white rose absorb and reflect light displaying the perfection of form. As the series develops, unruly and colourful seed heads with their promise of life and continuance come into play leading to the final pieces which contain themes of poetry and romance.