"The Beauty of Living" explores both the physical female form and the mental well being of women in a developed society. 22th of November Ingjerd Holten Ytterdal will show her paintings in Hong Kong.
Holten Ytterdals paintings, many of them inspired by her own life, will be exhibited in Studio 2 in 21 Elgin Street, Soho from 19.00 - 22.00.
A personal journey
"Some of the paintings depict my emotional journey starting with my feelings of powerlessness, sorrow, resignation, acceptance and finally, hope", Holten Ytterdal explains. The colours in the paintings also follows this evolving state of mind, and goes from dark and full of melancholy, while in later works towards lighter pastel colours.
The paradox of the modern woman
Other parts of her works include paintings that expresses the paradox of women living in a materialistic world. "Some women have everything that money can buy and yet this has left them emotionally bankrupt." On the background of these observations, the artist explores through her paintings feelings of loneliness, isolation, invisibility, and lack of self worth.
The waist measure society
The final theme of the collection focuses on the impact of a weight-obsessed society on the female psyche. "My paintings reinforce my view that a woman's worth is no longer being measured by her intellect, talent or generosity of spirit but by the size of her waist and her likeness to a shop mannequin", the artist expresses. Holten Ytterdal works with both oil and acrylic on canvas, and watercolour, guache and charcoal on ricepaper.