FINE ART AFRICA GALLERY
LEILA GARDE
“Disturbed” by the state of the “Modern” World, Leila has drawn on her spiritual upbringing to bring us her unique style of art. Part Painting, part light Installation, but foremost, each work is the result of “spirit” that draws us, the purveyor, inward, a tribute to minimalism that will feed your soul.
With a history in fashion, Leila has a natural respect for fabric and thus “honours” the natural cloth of the canvas, leaving parts exposed, allowing the light to shine through. The polarities of light-dark, day-night, positive-negative, yin and yang find balance and synergy amidst the many processes involved in achieving each work, despite how “simplistic” and minimalistic they might appear - Leila calls it “Alchemy”.
Fascinated by Quantum and Meta physics (and having recently “transcended”, she cautiously tells you) it is for this reason that it was important for her to include the “light”. By day (or unlit) a satisfying work of art, by night (or lit), a remarkable statement that speaks to each of their own light. At times, one needs to appreciate her work in “layers”, with both sides of the canvass painted, 2 separate images merging to create a 3 rd – Minimalist, clean & uncluttered. Just very very clever.
She creates in a meditative-state; incense burning, and to the mesmerizing sound of solfeggio frequencies, surrounded by the tranquillity of nature, from her beautiful home-studio in Hout Bay.
Her fundamental belief is that today’s art is owing much to the experimental spirit of the artist, much like the Impressionists of yesteryear who advocated radical theories, breaking almost all the major rules concerning composition and subject matter and it is through this exploratory spirit of hers that gave rise to “Beings of Light”.
Both her creative presence and work demands serious attention, as she disturbs the “norm” of what is to be “expected” of a trained or academic artist.
Leila is no newbie to the art world, with much of her work in private collections across the world. She is perhaps most recognised for her “Connection” series – a monochromatic (also minimalist) depiction of linear, sensual dancing figures connected across the painted canvass. Supported by science, the work depicts the interconnectedness of the human race through mitochondria DNA, and was the starting point to this latest body of work, which brings much needed colour-therapy, mysticism and fun to our modern-day, stressful lives.
With the 2020 pandemic, (and generally modern life) we as a human race, have largely retreated to the sanctuary of our own living spaces and her ART adds a new dimension and dynamic to such a way of life. She gently smiles and calls it “forced meditation” as one “zones-out” watching the light and colours fade in and out – A healthy, relaxing zone, when we learn to mindfully be more “present”.
Quite literally, her ART transforms our homes and spaces into healing, tranquil places of refuge. Leila writes “I am by no means a saint or a shaman, but I try live an authentic life with intention. If we acknowledge and recognize interconnection, we’ll look after our forests, rivers and oceans better, Climate will be kinder, we’ll suffer less. If I recognize myself in you – I’ll be more compassionate, more understanding and accepting. Listen to your inner-voice; we are all part of creation. We are the same – We are all vibrational energy …..We are light.”