Wilting Flowers
2022
Berlin, Germany
Wilting Flowers, 2022, Berlin, Germany.
In the 1800s, artists who would later be called the Romantics, drew on their emotions and imagination to capture the visual spirit of the world around them. Similarly, Olivia Botha follows in the tradition of the Romantics by producing a body of work that describes the social and psychological landscape of her coming to Berlin as a DAAD Artists-in- Berlin fellow. A multidisciplinary artist from South Africa, Botha’s dedication to creative expression in its entirety is what undeniably defines her as a visual artist. Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Michaelis School of Art in Cape Town, South Africa, Botha has spent time researching and honing her artistic practice in various cities in Zimbabwe, South Africa, France, and more recently Germany. Her work is an expression of the experiential nature of our lives, drawing inspiration from anything, from the social feeds on our phones to the objects on our bed stands.
Wilting Flowers consists of a series of paintings, works on paper and poems which have been produced to trace and translate the tensions between the daily world and the artist’s imagination in a search for “something” in-between. The title of the exhibition alludes to a particular moment in time, where Botha arrived in Berlin in search of a way to reconnect physically with the world around her, a sort of departure and rebirth into a new life. Throughout history, flowers have carried multiple meanings. Types of flowers and their intentional arrangement has been used to convey a multitude of unspoken messages to their receivers. Flowers have also been known to carry symbolic meanings most related to life, death, and in some instances, rebirth. This body of work is simultaneously an exploration of the complex dynamics and influence of our physical environment and social settings, as well as a search for self within uncharted, unfamiliar territory. It reflects on a particularly challenging year for Botha, having committed to multiple residencies in foreign countries, navigating anxiety and heartbreak as well as recovering from the effects of long periods of isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“ I paint flowers so they will not die. —Frida Kahlo”
Nothing Goes Unsaid, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 150 x 200 x 2 cm
I Carved A Space Out For You, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 70 x 90 x 2 cm
In The Forest All Is Forgotten, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 100 x 100 x 2 cm
The Moon Slips Through My Fingers, oil and oil stick on canvas, 125 x 205 x 4.5 cm
When The Rain Whispers, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 40 x 40 cm
Into Midnight, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 30 x 40 x 2 cm
Tinting The Colour Of The Sun, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 40 x 60 x 2 cm
Tethering Tight, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 150 x 200 x 2cm
Can We Change The Shadow Of The Sun? oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 50 x 70 x 2 cm
The Warmth Of The City, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 100 x 100 x 2 cm
When Night Falls, oil pastel on paper, 42 x 59 cm
Dancing As The Sun Rises, oil pastel and pencil on paper, 36 x 48 cm
Dancing In The Sky, acrylic, oil pastel and pencil on paper, 36 x 48 cm
Early Morning Setting, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 30 x 40 x 2 cm
As If To Swallow The Shining Sun, oil and oil stick on canvas, 100 x 100 x 2 cm
When the Sun Changes Its Colour, oil stick and acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 x 2 cm
Her Flower-Beaded-Dress, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 160 x 200 x 2 cm
Glistening Under A Starless Night, oil stick and oil paint on canvas, 90 x 90 x 2 cm