Ivana Williams

oil on canvas
80cm x 60cm
Title: Comfort in the Uncomfortable

The strongest force that pushes us out of a comfort zone usually comes from experiencing a loss. It can be a death, loss of love, loss friendship, and even loss of self. What all these things have in common, is grief. There are layers in the process, that have no shortcuts but rather practising acceptance and the fact that comfort is overrated. The subject of the painting provokes the question: what does an emotion feel like, rather than look like? The work is inspired by Jonathan Gardner’s The Lavender Room in which he awakens mystery and emotion through portraying figures without revealing their faces, the main platform where emotion is assessed.

With Comfort in the Uncomfortable, the use of space, body language and environment suggest a story. There is no facial expression, the body, activity and environment take over the emotion through the use of complimentary colours and modern aesthetic of surrealism. The painting suggests a mystery to which answers are unknown and subject to perception.

“This project and overall OFCAD course inspired me to explore outside of my comfort zone and experiment with different techniques. I say this confidently because my final piece is what I consider my best work yet, it wouldn’t have happened without the knowledge I gained in this course.”

STUDENT SHOWS

Ivana Williams