calendario eventi  :: 

X

11/9/2002

Roma Tearne

198 Gallery, London

The House of Small Things

Photography, painting and installation combine to evoke memories of life in a Brixton house

History, memory and a meeting of cultures are some of the themes that can be found in Sri Lankan born Roma Tearne's work. She has used painting, photography, installation and daylight to produce a captivating body of work, inspired by the long-lasting effect of her childhood experiences on the person that she is now.

Her large-scale photographs of interiors with minimal items of furniture have something strange about them: as you look more closely, you realise that the proportions do not quite add up. They are blown-up images of a doll's house that she played with as a child, in a house in Brixton. She arrived in Britain in 1964 by boat from Sri Lanka on a journey that took 21 days. She said of this journey: ³Crossing oceans we travelled 7000 miles, chased by monsoons and battered by rough seas. It was a journey I would never forget. Its impact on my life was far reaching but it would be three decades before its full significance would dawn on me.' The disparate objects placed in the rooms a piece of English furniture here, a Sri Lankan doll figure or a pile of textiles there are the sole inhabitants of the miniature spaces. An oblique sense of melancholy reflects the sense of alienation that she felt as a newcomer in a strange country. Delicate paintings of near-empty rooms with peeling wallpaper add force to this impression.

Also in the exhibition is an installation that stimulates different senses as well as a series of glowing images that combine photography, painting and daylight.

Launch Event: Thursday 12 September, 7.00pm-9.00pm

FURTHER INFORMATION: For further information, please contact Michaela Casetta (PR Officer) or Asako Yokoya (Exhibitions Manager) at the 198 Gallery, on 020 7978 8309

OPENING TIMES: Mon-Fri 11am-5.30pm, Sat 12-4pm

The 198 Gallery has a unique history, initially established in 1988 after the Brixton riots to provide exhibition space for black and other minority group artists. Now the gallery supports emerging contemporary artists from diverse cultural backgrounds working with a variety of media and issues within a multicultural context.

198 Gallery
198 Railton Road
Herne Hill
London
SE24 0LU
Tel: +44 (0)20 7978 8309
Fax: +44 (0)20 7737 5315

stampa

permanent link