LIMINAL TIES UNVEILED Virtual Gallery 1st August to 10th October 2021 J/M Gallery, London 2nd to 10th October 2021
Curator: Rita Carta Manias
Cover Image: Rian Hotton, South by South East, 2021 Winner of Island2Island Art Prize 2021
Introduction Our 2021 edition of Island2Island Art entitled ‘Liminal Ties Unveiled’ presents an international group of artists from Sardinia, United Kingdom, Austria, and Jamaica in conversation over familiar themes related to their experience as islanders, interpreting personal influences through their unique artistic interpretation. The exhibition follows the success of the first physical event, held in October 2020, and it is proposed this year as a hybrid project, a bespoke virtual gallery alongside a physical exhibition in October 2021 at the J/M Gallery in London. The artworks of the fifteen artists superbly tell stories of common visions and feelings that overcome geographical separation and reveal bonds that seem to find stimuli of 'liminal' perception presents in the personal conscience. The virtual space presents three interconnected rooms representing the spatial connection between Sardinia and British islands. The original plan to exhibit in Coventry had to be replaced because of the pandemic situation, and the idea of a borderless gallery seemed to present a lovely opportunity to work on a blended and unique environment. Lastly, the showcase at the JM Gallery in London finds them reunited in real life for an authentic experience and engagement in their physical entities. Colours, textures, and sensations expressed by the collective of artists, emphasizes those harmonious links that unify us in subtle ways bringing to light universal relationships found in nature, human presence and imaginative symbolism.
Curator's words: “The second edition of Island2IslandArt entitled ‘Liminal Ties Unveiled’ is taking place in a constantly evolving cultural and artistic environment strongly affected by the 2020 pandemic.
In a spirit of optimism and anticipation for a return to normality and
personal encounters, I invited Sardinian, British and international artists to participate with their original artworks in a creative exploration intended to continue the original objective of the Island2Island Art initiative. Themes investigated by the participating artists touch upon wide-ranging ideas in terms of heritage influences, environmental concerns, personal living experiences, issues of remoteness and/or limitations, and abstract conceptual interpretations.
My personal ambition is to continue generating exposure and awareness of contemporary Sardinian art and culture at international level and keep building on British and global connections to convey a message of unity and cohesion, especially in this unstable post-Brexit times. It is a fundamental premise of my work, and the aspiration of the Island2Island Art initiative to open a space for international artistic networks, in celebration of our own heritage, cultural diversity and human connections. Sardinia is one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the geologically oldest bodies of land in Europe. Its strategic position favoured historically a constant influx of populations generating organic exchanges of cultural traditions that still have an impact in contemporary life and are explored by artists in their present-day output. The variety of artworks on show present an impressive selection of styles and techniques with valuable reference to aspects of familiar coherence in their geographical elements, to personal encounters, intriguing stories, and individual heritage. They gradually reveal those connections that, although belonging to an individual significance in the use of diverse materials and in the medium employed, are reminiscent of fascinating investigations in the sphere of universal ties of co-existence. Nature and environment have a vast influence in generating connections and the current concerns are expressed by the way the artists have used their techniques to attract attention and raise awareness to specific subjects and topics. Human development and personal growth are handled in a sensitive manner raising questions and inner thoughts touching upon memories, current social situations and personal experiences, highlighting how our own heritage permeates our beings and although divided by geographical divides, we find those 'liminal ties' which unite us in such meaningful and subtle ways. I am grateful to all artists who have joined me in this journey, and I wish them a welldeserved success with their future enterprises and even more wonderful artistic collaborations.
Rita Carta Manias London, 2021
The Artists Ana Maria Serna The art of Ana Maria Serna is a tribute to the femininity, sweetness, sensuality, awareness, and creativity of women. In addition to painting, the artist is also a poet, sculptor, and performer. Revealing all her talent and originality in the use of colors, shapes, and emotions to create, inventing and experimenting with new pictorial techniques such as the use of biphasic canvases and in visual poetry in which she superimposes words, matter and color. The works focus on social issues, such as violence, femicide and women's rights. The love for her land of origin is latent in all her works. Born in Monterrey, Mexico, in 1960, she studied at the Faculty of Medicine of the UANL, obtaining a Degree in Clinical Chemist and Biologist in 1982. Since childhood he has been passionate about painting. In 1982 Ana Maria took lessons from the Teacher Carmen Trevino in Monterrey and then in 1991 she participated in free art workshops at the University of Veracruz, Mexico. In 2002 together with his family she moved to Olbia, in Sardinia, a place that is a source of inspiration to create works of great artistic value that are appreciated by various municipal authorities who bought them for their collections. Ana Maria’s artistic vein is guided by the love for life, the beauty of nature and the pleasure of emotions. She is sensitive to social issues and for this reason, part of her works has been donated to charities such as the International House of Women in Rome, Casa Silvia Olbia and Libere Energie. The artist has participated in national and international exhibitions among the most important the Florence Biennale 2007 and 2011, The Biennial Islands, Sardinia 2012 and the Rome Biennial 2018. In 2014 she organised the event "Antes que el amor me mate" ("Before love kills me"), an event of painting, sculpture, poetry and theatrical performance sponsored by the Municipality of Genoa. In the same year, she organised the exhibition event "I paint at night" sponsored by the Municipality of Olbia. Her poems have been awarded and published in magazines (In Arte Milano) and she has received awards and recognitions such as the "Premio la ragazza di Bennin City" in 2015, the recognition by the Mexican Consulate in Milan for her work in promoting Mexican Culture in Italy. In 2018 she received the "Women Water in the Desert" award of the Lombardy Region. She wrote the book of poems "Antes que el amor me mate" ("Before love kills me") published by Egnatia of Genoa. Ana Maria actively collaborates with the Promotourism Sardinia Association as a teacher of Spanish language and Mexican cuisine. She also collaborates with Radio Internazionale Costa Smeralda creating programs of art and culture and well-being. Social Media: @anamariaserna.art
1. Isolani no Isolati / Islander no Isolated
“This work was inspired by the famous ‘Janas’ to the ‘Giants of Monte Prama’ and many other histories and legends of the great Sardinian culture. I was also inspired by the current life of islanders who never isolated. Every year during the summer season we are immersed in tourists, so we are never alone.” AMS
Vita / Life In questo grande amore della vita dove ogni piccolo cosa e’ banale dove conta essere grande
In this big love of life where every little thing is trivial where it’s important to be big
Nasce una poesia!
Poetry is born!
Abbiamo perso la bussola abbiamo perso il valore. Il pensiero e’ confuso il cuore insensibile. Crediamo alle nostre bugie ci crediamo santi.
We have lost direction we have lost our values. The thought is confused the heart is insensitive. We believe our lies we believe we are saints.
Ma siamo solo umani…
But we are only humans…
Il seme fiorira’!
The seed will bloom!
2. Il Sole / The Sun “The sun in the islands is getting more and more beautiful.” AMS
Sei / You Are Sei voce del vento il mare la pioggia.
You are the voice of the wind the sea the rain.
Sei il cuore del fiume sentimento occulto… nascosto.
You are the heart of the river occult feeling… hidden.
Sei l’amore mancato.
You are lost love
Sei fuoco giovinezza che nasce che muore nel tempo. Sensualita’ parola del corpo che amo.
You are Fire youth born dying in time. Sensuality word of the body I love.
Sei la note oscura profonda,
You are the dark night deep,
giorno soleggiato, cielo grigio mare in tempesta.
sunny day, grey sky, stormy sea.
"Antes que el amor me mate" ("Before love kills me") published by Egnatia of Genoa. Ana Maria Serna.
3. Rinascere / Rebirth
“Being reborn every day despite everything. The current conditions of 2021 putting us to the test.” AMS
Andrea Mameli Laurea (M.SC.) Degree in Physics (1995, University of Cagliari) and Master Degree in Communication of Science (1999, International School for Advanced Studies, SISSA, Trieste), has been attending diction and acting classes since 2021. In 1998 Andrea won the Italian Journalism Award SMAU (Milano), thus being able to undertake an internship in England (The Trevithick Trust) and in Austria (Terra Mystica, Bad Bleiberg). He participated in the organization of shows (Art&Scienza, Cagliari, 2006) and events (History Festival, Cagliari, 2009; Science Festival, Orgosolo, 2010). He began his acting career with some small roles in movies and tv series: Bellas Mariposas (2011); L'isola di Pietro (2016); Nieuwe buren 4 (2018); Side Effect (2020); Emilio Lussu, il processo (2021) and the main role in a short film (Paranoia, 2017). In 2020 he wrote and performed a monologue that was produced by the Cagliari Science Festival (Il bidello di Pacinotti). Social Media: @linguaggiomacchina
4. Il Bidello di Pacinotti / The Janitor of Pacinotti Monologue Video, 2020
The Janitor of Pacinotti (monologue) “Royal University of Cagliari, 1912. A Janitor speaks about his meeting with Antonio Pacinotti. A story full of admiration for the scientist born in Pisa, inventor of the DC dynamo-motor, who lived in Cagliari from 1873 to 1882. In the video you can see the copy of Pacinotti's dynamo made by Carlo De Rubeis, exhibited in Monserrato (Cagliari) in the Physics Museum of the University of Cagliari. I thank Francesco Pupillo for the video, Andrea Mura for the hospitality in the beautiful Museum of Physics (Department of Physics, University of Cagliari), Fabio Marceddu for the artistic support, Carlo De Rubeis for the historical support, Michele Saba for the scientific support. I would also like to thank Giuliano Malloci and Gianluigi Corrias for their support inside the Museum. This video participated in the Cagliari Festival Scienza 2020.” Copyright 2020 © Andrea Mameli
Bernadette Paddeu Bernadette was born in Lyon, France in 1967. Autodidact, already as a child she is passionate about abstract drawing. Over time she develops her craft in material compositions and applications on various supports. From ink drawing to the use of colors, to the recycling of waste materials, Bernadette instinctively creates non-trivial works that reflect society and contemporary perceptions. She works at the family business of objects of art and furniture as a manager and artist in residence, reworking items either in ceramic or wood to give them another lease of life. She lives in Orani, a town where art and culture are prominent, thanks to acclaimed artists such as Mario Delitala and Costantino Nivola. In the last decade she has been approaching material painting and applications, finding appreciation in the public eye. In 2009 she presented her first solo painting show at the ART CAFE' in Olbia, which allowed her to make new contacts, opening the doors for subsequent exhibitions, of which another in the same "ART CAFE' at the request of the organizers. Bernadette recent artistic contribution: 2018 Southampton: Premio Giuria Popolare Internazionale (esposizione di partenza) organizzata da Molecole (comunità liera e indipendente d'arte e d'artisti 2019 Southampton: Premio Giuria Popolare Internazionale ( esposizione conclusiva) organizzata da Molecole (comunità indipendente d'arte e d'artisti) 2019 Molecules Connection Mostra colletiva presso il Museo Casa Manno di Alghero organizzata da Molecole (comunità indipendente d'arte e d' artisti) 2020 Teatro Liirico di Cagliari per la selezione della XIII Biennale di Roma. 2020 Molecole per l'ambiente 2020 : “Immagina un fiore”
Social Media: @bernadettepaddeu
5. Visione in Stato d'Ipnosi - (alla ricerca di un ricordo remoto) / Vision in a State of Hypnosis – (searching for a distant memory)
“State of hypnosis [is needed] to recognize one's emotional and communicative instinct that can fail when there is a detachment from one's origins, from one's own culture. Re-establish [a] contact through a remote memory to reconstruct paths or create new ones. Hypnosis as a tool to discover the ancient origin of everyone, a regression, the need to rediscover the perfect symbiosis between them.” BP
Cat Coulter
Cat Coulter is a Scottish artist, working in Fife and London. She creates original prints and assemblage sculpture from found objects, notably plastic marine debris. This is used either as raw materials in assemblage compositions or transformed into cyanotypes or monoprints. Cat’s work is motivated by her concern over the rising levels of ocean plastic pollution which she finds on the beaches near her studio in Scotland and in the Thames. Cat has no formal art training. She has made art for many years whilst pursuing a variety of other occupations before finally prioritising her art practice in 2019. In that year, Cat exhibited at Pittenweem Arts Festival and was commissioned by The Scottish Fisheries Museum to promote their Big Beach Clean. In 2020, Cat took part in the highly acclaimed group exhibitions The Art of Isolation, Class of 2020 and A Year in Lockdown, all of which happened in real life, in London. Cat’s work was also selected for TRANS|FORM - the 2020 ArtCan Open Exhibition (postponed to autumn 2021) and the 2020 ING Discerning Eye, which was held entirely online for the first time, owing to social distancing restrictions. During the first three months of 2021, Cat was honoured to have her work lit up in a threestorey high window display in Oxford Street by W1 Curates Ltd as part of the Light It Blue campaign celebrating NHS and frontline workers. Cat’s work is currently showing in Elevate 03 - a hybrid, virtual and real-life group exhibition with ArtCan hosted by Kroll in The Shard, London and also as a public art installation in the From Studio Lockdown finalists’ exhibition Art On The Streets in collaboration with Artist Hive Studios, EFG Art and Enfield Council. Two of her prints are also featured in Issue 15 of Artist Talk Magazine, devoted to art created during the pandemic. Cat is delighted to be an artist member of ArtCan and East Neuk Open Studios, a SplashTrash artist and a member of the Visual Artists Association.
Social Media: @catcoulterartist
6. Lifelines I
“These Lifelines are created using seaborne lost fishing gear, found on a Scottish shore but whose origin is unknown. They visually link from one piece – and place – to another and are literally ties which bind them together. The movement created by the cordage recalls the waves of the sea and the tides which brought them to land.” CC
7. Lifelines I I
“These Lifelines are created using seaborne lost fishing gear, found on a Scottish shore but whose origin is unknown. They visually link from one piece – and place – to another and are literally ties which bind them together. The movement created by the cordage recalls the waves of the sea and the tides which brought them to land.” CC
8. Network
“This is created using abandoned ‘ghost’ fishing net. It was found in Scotland but similar lost nets can be found in oceans everywhere. ‘Network’ is made in recognition and celebration of the growing number of artists and activists around the world who are working towards the common goal of clearing our seas from plastic pollution, to safeguard marine life and protect this precious environment.” CC
Clay Ferrarese Self-taught artist interested in experimentation. Clay currently creates his sculptures with the technique of welded iron, which he elaborated in the last years driven by the need to overcome the classic processing of metals and allow the realization of more complex and detailed shapes. The result is sculptures in suspension in which voids highlight the solids and vice versa, leaving the observer the possibility of spacing with their own imagination and make their own interpretations of the piece. In 2018, after exhibiting at the naturalistic museum of Sa Corona Arrubia, he was awarded the author's diploma at the XII Rome Biennial organized by CIAC (international art center contemporary). Clay’s artworks are inspired by the pragmatic philosophies of the Toltecs who represent humans within their own immensity, the difficulties and fears generated by awareness and the infinite but not fully explored possibilities of life. Themes such as human perceptions and its multiple facets, self-imposed limits, the branched structure of food useful for life, eco-systemic services, research of a high overall view of the motion that regulates everything and ultimately, the search for universal bonds. All his pieces result from a total immersion in the theme represented. A total personal engagement and preoccupation in finding new knowledge, accepting all experiences as the best way to grow, leaving aside ideologies, prejudices, limitations, egos, and superiority over others. Some of Clay’s works can now be found in private collections in Spain, Malaysia, England, New York, Georgia (USA) e Italia. Recent exhibitions: 2018 Museo naturalistico Sa Corona Arrubia. 2018 Diploma d’autore alla XXII Biennale di Roma organizzata dal C.I.A.C. 2018 “L’Inferno di Dante” Galleria d’Arte del Cavallo Valleggia di Quiliano Savona. 2019 “Zoo Nous Erectus” Mostra personale presso il museo Casa Manno in Alghero. 2020 “Island2IslandArt” Velorose Gallery, Londra Social Media: @clayferrrese
9. Delave’
10. Il Controllo dell'Ego / Control of the Ego Presented as a group work with Bernadette Paddeu ‘Vision in a State of Hypnosis’ both sculptures ‘Delave’ and ‘Control of Ego’ represent an investigation into human behaviours in relation to contemporary societal changes. “In a fast world of hyper communication and cultural contrasts, Bernadette Paddeu and I wanted to highlight three related themes in which man emerges as the protagonist. The themes represent three obvious characteristics over which man has lost control: the ego, awareness, his ancient memory.” CF.
Enrico Deiana Enrico Deiana is a 28 years old italian artist; he was born in Nuoro, Italy in 1993. He studied in depth figurative arts, particularly academic drawing and oil painting and graduated in “Painting and Visual Arts” at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence, Tuscany, in 2016 and in “Exhibition design” in 2019. Since he was a child, he had a great curiosity for the Italian Reinassance and challenging himself he always drew copies, portraits or scenes from his imaginary world. Enrico is now finding his personal artistic path, slowly reaching a conciliation between the chaotic society of nowadays and the beauty and richness of the cultural heritage. What attracts him is the fascinating spectrum of emotions, the mistery of existence and the spiritual connection between us and nature. He believes that art should speak to the people in order to help them discovering meaning and the power of self-understanding; art is of course the expression of our times, but it should not only address the problems but even give some solutions. He has been teaching figurative drawing and painting since 2017, also travelling abroad sharing his knowledge about figurative art.
Social Media: @enricodeiana.arte
11. Mother Nature A portrait of mother Nature, the face of peace that represents the harmony of co-existence and the connection with the wild. Love will bring us to the truth.
12. Nativity of the Son of Nature
The opposition of mankind to nature is leading us to sufferance and a future defeat unless humans will connect again with the planet. The son of mother Nature is born.
Gianluca Pisano
Born in Sardinia, Gianluca completed fine art studies in Italy and has lived in London since arriving in 1996. The focus of his work is on the human figure, re-interpreted to include contemporary themes and re-interpretations of landscape themes. With his deeply fascination of large dark surfaces of the Baroque paintings found on the walls of Italians churches, he loses himself in an almost spiritual sense of shape and colours which have become a fundamental aspect of his paintings, worked, and re-explored in an original and complete new way. Gianluca engages the viewer with emotionally charged, melodramatic images, with his extensive use of dark tenebrism. Shapes emerge from a deep black background, ‘light’ gives way to ‘shadow’ the end of ‘Knowledge’ the place where mystery irresistibly excites the mind with the suggestion of the unknown. Paintings are abstract and real as our thoughts are. Gianluca continues to explore his depiction of ‘Sardinian Brides’ taking them to new heights of spiritual meaning in this second edition of Island2Island Art.
Social Media: @gnl.pisano
13. Sardinian Bride
14. Sardinian Bride
15. Sardinian Bride
“Continuing on the theme of the Sardinia bride. I want to celebrate the beauty, elegance and charm of the Sardinian traditional dresses. The brides are painted in a meditative state. In my mind their closed eyes are like that of The Buddha, when with eyes closed, is able to "penetrate into the essence of things", unburdened by mere vision that comes in through the eyes, this elevate the bride's portrait to a higher sacred dimension. They are all Painted during this solitary and depressing lockdown.” GP
KV Duong
KV Duong (b.1980 Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam) is a London based multi-disciplinary artist. Duong explores themes of war migration and cultural assimilation through a re-examination of his parents’ experience of the Vietnam war and his own experience of growing up in Canada in a minority immigrant family. War trauma and integration are correlated with the artist’s coming out as gay Asian man. In his paintings, Duong blends layers of acrylic paint with historic images of the Vietnam war and images of his body painting performances. The original source images are corrupted using paint and physical mark making techniques – ripping, scratching, erasing – to disrupt the photograph’s original representation. The ruptured surface of the work responds to the conflict. The sense of movement in the painting responds to his migration journey. The final work functions like a palimpsest where a new narrative is created while the work’s history is revealed through its scars. Duong is a self-taught artist with a background in structural engineering. He has been a part of several open competitions including Derwent Art Prize, Discerning Eye, Royal Cambrian Academy Open and BBC’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Programme.
Social Media: KVDuongArt
16. The Red Canoe The Red Canoe looks back symbolically to the end of war with hope for the future. The brutalist building is the Reunification Palace, formerly the residence of the South Vietnamese President during the War. At 10:45 on 30 April 1975, a tank of the North Vietnamese army bulldozed through the main gate, effectively ending the Vietnam War.
17. Yard Sale Yard Sale depicts the spoils and effects left behind by war. The reconstructed wall mural is a scene from ‘The Fall of Saigon’ in April 1975, when the South Vietnamese surrendered, and the soldiers stripped off their army gear and became civilians. The foreground is an imagined modern-day deserted street scene of everyday life Ho Chi Minh City, in this case electric poles with ubiquitous plastic stools.
18. Reunification Palace The brutalist building in the Reunification Palace, formerly the residence of the South Vietnamese President during the War. At 10:45 on 30 April 1975, a tank of the North Vietnamese army bulldozed through the main gate, effectively ending the Vietnam War.
Laura Parker A self-taught, London based artist, Laura enjoys discovering different ways of depicting the world around her, from expansive landscapes, to intimate still lives, and dramatic underwater views. She is currently harnessing the use of colour and brushwork in a bold, vibrant and dramatic way, bringing energy and vitality to a new series of semi-abstracted landscapes and underwater paintings. Originally a historian of art and architecture, then a curator and consultant in the architectural field, Laura turned some years ago towards the more direct experience of creating art itself. She works predominantly in acrylics or oils on canvas, but also explore the use of other materials, using colour to enhance and add drama to a painting and so help communicate her artistic vision. Her landscape paintings are worked both ‘en plein air’ and in the studio and are inspired by her travels abroad as well as closer to home, and she enjoys exploring the abstract qualities that can be discovered in the world around us. Her aim as a painter is to express the hidden beauty she finds in objects and scenes, sometimes seeking out those that are perhaps not typically considered to be an artist’s subject matter and offering the viewer a personal interpretation of the world where our individual sensibilities might meet. In the spring of 2021 her underwater painting “In Deep” was featured as part of the W1 Curates ‘Light It Blue’ campaign in support of the NHS. Lit up on the expansive glazed frontage of Flannels shop on London’s iconic Oxford Street, the artwork turned the area into a giant aquarium for passers-by to enjoy. This exposure in turn led to several articles in scuba diving and local publications, as well as an interview on the BBC World Service Radio’s Newsday programme. Laura is represented by Woolverton Gallery (Woolverton, Bath), and BobCat Gallery (London). Her works have been acquired by private collectors all over the world.
Social Media: @lauraparker_uk
19. Isola Isolata 1
“Many small islands have a feeling of isolation and a special serenity, seemingly untouched by the clamour of human urbanisation. With these thoughts in mind, I was inspired to paint one that floated joyously on a calm and sunny sea, tree-filled and remote, with just three standing stones as witnesses to the changing seasons.” LP
20. Isola Isolata 2
“As I painted Isola Isolata 1, I became intrigued by the idea of exploring ‘my’ island. So this second canvas focuses in more on the trees dipping down towards the water and their reflections.”LP
21. Isola Isolata 3 By this third canvas of the small series, the view is much closer still, with the trees becoming more abstract. The only hint that this is an island is perhaps the distant shoreline on the horizon. I was inspired by the feeling of tranquillity that pervades so many islands, as well as that sense of remoteness and of nature reigning supreme even on such a small fragment of land.
Manfredo Weihs Born 1962, worked as freelance photographer in Vienna from 1985 until 2012. Photography has, and always will have, a very big significance for Manfredo. An important creative phase in his life was his experimental work with the medium „BWPolaroid“, he created fantastic „light beings“. In 2013 Manfredo founded a joint Atelier Coolpool with Daisy Gold in Vienna. They deal with the connection and combination of the art forms of painting and photography. He photographs people in different life situations, also experimenting with close-ups and various elements. Water in motion, ice in the melting state and flowers and seeds in the water. This resulted in joint projects as well as own ones. “The magic begins in details!”
MEMBERSHIPS: member of ArtCan, London UK member of Biennale Austria, Vienna co-founder of Atelier Coolpool, Vienna co-founder of Galerie Art Pool Vienna, Vienna CURATION: 2018 „Vienna Calling“, Galerie Art Pool Vienna, Vienna, Austria 2020 „Vienna Calling II - All you need is Love“, Galerie Art Pool Vienna, Vienna, Austria Latest Exhibitions: 2020 „Fantastische HeldInnen“, Galerie Art Pool Vienna, Vienna, Austria 2020 „SreetArt-Kunst am Zaun“, Börseviertel, Vienna, Austria 2020 „REVOLUTION! Blumen im Frühling“, Galerie Art Pool Vienna, Vienna, Austria 2020 „From ArtCan with love“, Fitzrovia Gallery, London, UK 2020 „Biennale Austria ART SALON“, Galerie Art Pool Vienna, Vienna, Austria 2020 „Hot Ice“, Kunstraum Damani, Vienna, Austria
Social Media: @manfredo.weihs
22. Do Not Cry Mother Earth
“By enjoying experimenting with photography in the macro area, he found fantastic magical beings in various shapes and details. He deals with numerous elements in the solid and liquid state. Glass marbles in frozen water create a utopian space fly. Poppy petals turn into a bizarre deep-sea fish. Due to the systematic arrangement of their structures, animal shells form a natural matrix. It is the infinity of possibilities that drives us to discover new things, to accept them and to live them.” MW
Maria Pasqua Scanu
Born in Bonannaro in 1949, Maria Pasqua moved with her family to Macomer as a child, not being able to attend academies or painting courses, she studied accounting but always felt a particular attraction for painting. Self-taught painter, she has been painting since she was twenty-six years old. She start immediately using oil on canvas. Her first works were medium-sized paintings and miniatures representing still-lives and natural landscapes. She was strongly influenced using colors and various techniques of many artists of the past that motivate her and forge her artistic personality. Thus begins a phase of figurative art with the use of bright colors in the constant search for new ideas. Her creations are of strong visual impact and chromatic charge and some themes such as the flowery field are often recalled in his works. Now in retirement age a hobby has become full activity to which she dedicates his days with great enthusiasm and commitment. Some of her miniature artworks are showcased in 2021 Island2Island Art exhibition in London.
Social Media: @mariapasquascanu
23. Beranu / Spring Flowers are a recurring theme in my paintings. Spring is the season that most inspires me because I see nature come back to life and color after a gray and harsh winter. Living on a beautiful island with a mild climate is a great fortune and gives me stimulus and motivation to paint.
24. Riti Ancestrali / Ancestral Rites “Sardinia is rich in traditions and preserves over time its customs, which document influences and cultural exchanges with other islands and other lands. So, I wanted to blend together the expression of folk dances and pagan dances in an explosion of colors and a festive atmosphere.”
25. Il Viaggio / The Journey “The departure of my children abroad for work reasons, inspired this painting that wants to depict emigration. The warm air and the colors of the hot air balloons represent the affectionate warmth of your island, and the starry sky the hope of a prompt return of loved ones.”
Maria Senes
From an early age Maria loves to watch her mother as she works on the loom making carpets, bedspreads, and tapestries. Hence, the inspiration and the will to learn the art of Sardinian weaving. At the tender age of 11 she began practicing in secret. When she was 12 years old, her mother fell ill and was unable to finish a job she had been commissioned. So, Maria's father suggests to his wife to let his daughter do the work. Despite his slender build, she was able to weave exactly like her mother, and demonstrates her skills by completing the commissioned bedspread very well. The family bought her a personal frame, giving her the opportunity to refine her technique, particularly the traditional so-called "a pibiones" (grain). Between the ages of 13 and 14 she worked as an employee, making bags and saddlebags on the loom, and also attended a sewing course. She emigrated at the age of 15 for work, first in Rome and then in Genoa, temporarily abandoning weaving and then resuming it as a teacher after marriage and returning to Sardinia. With the birth of her two daughters, she devoted herself mainly to the house and the family, working on the loom at alternate periods until retirement, when she finally found more time to cultivate her great passion for the loom. To this day, at the age of 74, she realizes precious works with the traditional weaving method two of them proudly showcased in the 2021 Islnd2Island Art exhibtion in London.
26. La Rosa dei Venti / The Compass Rose
or Wind Rose The motif of this carpet shows the symbol of the wind rose, a subject represented with different variations in Sardinian carpets and whose design also takes on floral semblances. The choice of integral white intends to give this work a sober, refined and elegant appearance. Made entirely by hand on a horizontal artisan frame, with an ancient processing method. The traditional "a pibiones" (grain) weaving gives the carpet greater thickness and a three-dimensional appearance.
27. Le Pavoncelle / The Lapwings This carpet has been made by carefully reporting an ancient design that is handed down from generation to generation. The Sardinian lapwing is a very famous figure in the island tradition. A symbol of Sardinia with very ancient origins that represents fertility, abundance of rain and harvests. Made entirely by hand on a horizontal artisan frame, with an ancient processing method.
Michele Bertoni
Born in Venezia in 1973, currently living in Cagliari, Sardegna, Italia. Musician and painter, Michele started in later 80's his creative journey through music and colours. He participated to many exhibitions either solo and collective, festivals, art projects, residences, events, shows and concerts mostly in Italia and Spain but also in UK, Germany, Japan, Slovenia and Croatia. Currently, he is working on "Spettranima" a drawings and paintings series, consisting on along-time mix-media journey, through signs, fluid colours, ancient writings. Michele is fascinated by the mechanical writings like seismograph, encephalograph and cardiograph. Since early 2015 he started studying these kinds of signs and creating new set of works, some of which are on show at the Island2Island Art 2021 exhibition, accompanied by his own music compositions.
Spettranima is his own composed word which means: ‘spectroscopy of the soul’. Social Media: _michele_bertoni_
28. Spettranima Keh ca
Audio to complement the artwork
29. Spettranima Lampo
Audio to complement the artwork
30. Spettranima M.B.N.
Audio to complement the artwork
Rian Hotton
Rian is a contemporary artist based in London. Producing works in varying mediums that are inspired by the built and natural environment, nostalgia, and more recently bridging the gap between art and science. Rian believes that our experience and memories along with our imaginations should be the guiding force to answer the questions of the future. As an artist he has a duty to his art and to himself and that in collaboration with other fields the resulting work should serve a higher purpose. Rian's latest work is a consolidation of themes into a single style that intertwines into a snapshot of his minds-eye and his streams of research.
Social Media: @rianhotton
31. British Isles III
This panoramic is formed of the three locations, Giant's Causeway, Bow Fiddle Rock and Keiss Castle.
32. South by South East
This panoramic is formed of the three locations, Three Sister’s - New Zealnd, Ha Long Bay – Vietnam and Phang Nga Bay – Thailand.
33. The Adriatic
This panoramic is formed of the three locations, Grand Canal – Vanice, Cefalu – Sicily and Lake Bled – Slovenia.
Susan Clare Susan paints in watercolours, acrylics and mixed media. Her work expresses light, color and vibrancy, encouraging a feeling of being connected to, and protective of the natural world. During 30 plus years in Jamaica, after a fulfilling career in scuba diving, Susan had the privilege of painting from the studio of Jannette Eyles, an RA trained sculptor and painter, for several months. She showed her first solo exhibition, at the Round Hill Hotel in Jamaica, in 1997. Although specializing in portraits for several years, her first love has always been the natural environment, inspired by her tumbling tropical garden, Caribbean characters and the underwater world. Regular solo or two-artist shows followed yearly, in various locations in Jamaica and Florida. Since 2013, Susan has reconnected with her native UK countryside, coastlines and wildlife. She now spends her time between the two countries, teaching workshops, giving talks/demos for art clubs and painting commissions. (2020 has been spent on her magical hilltop in Jamaica.) Recent Exhibitions and Awards include: SAA Paint Magazine Cover Artist January 2019, with article. Artists & Illustrators ‘Fresh Paint’ article, December 2018 issue. SAA Artist of the Year 2018 Exhibition, Summer 2018, Newark, (Winner in two Professional categories: Animal & Wildlife and Seascapes) DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2018 Exhibition, at the Mall Galleries, London, 2-6 May (Finalist). SAA Artist of the Year 2017 Exhibition, Summer 2017, Newark (Commended in the Professional Portrait Category) Highly Commended for “London Transport” in Painters Online, The Artist Magazine Artist of the Year Competition, 2017 SAA Professional Artist of the Year Award 2016. SAA Professional Wildlife & Animal category 2016. Her work is at JMMB Investment Bank (Montego Bay), the World Bank (Kingston), and is in private collections in Jamaica, the Caribbean, England, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and Iceland. Social Media: @susan.clare
34. Seaweed City
You could become immersed in this imaginary scene of riotous seaweed growth and rising sea level. It provides an exciting look at the possibilities of climate change, if somewhat overwhelming.
35. Green Sea Turtle
All sea turtles are endangered and protected across the globe, but they need our help and protection, too.
36. Coast
This is a semi-abstract seascape in acrylic on canvas with mixed media and found objects incorporated into the surface of the painting. Items such as nylon mesh bags and string, remind us of how our food-packaging is impacting the health of the oceans, on a daily basis.
37. Annya’s Turtle Prize for partecipants to Wildlife Sense Fundraiser Island2Island Art in partnership with Susan Clare are fundraising in support of the conservation and protection of Sea Turtles by Wildlife Sense in Kefalonia, Greece. Our donation will contribute to the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles that are found injured in Kefalonia and raise public awareness about sea turtles through the creation of an educational centre. Wildlife Sense is a research and conservation project to study and protect Kefalonia's threatened loggerhead sea turtles buy monitoring and recording nesting sites, hatching movements and harmful pollution that is endangering the species. Their research of the coastal ecosystem is important to preserve and protect the turtles and to inform national and international strategies of environmental importance. Website: https://wildlifesense.com/en/kefalonia/
Guest Artists & Judging Panel Catherine Sweet Catherine Sweet is a London based mixed media artist. Her works are primarily small scale abstract pieces on canvas. Catherine favours bright colours and plenty of texture, and she finds a lot of her inspiration in the natural world and in her favourite music. Social Media: @insta_cat13
BobCat Gallery Created by artist Catherine Sweet, BobCat Gallery is primarily an online gallery focusing on small scale, original and affordable artwork, with a fair selling process for new and emerging artists. We also host a series of pop-up exhibitions in London, as well as heading to affordable art fairs to showcase work from selected artists. Social Media: @bobcatgallery
Unstoppable Force
Constance Regardsoe
Constance Regardsoe is an emerging artist living in Reading. She was born in Preston, Lancashire and was always passionate about fine art, but as the first person in her family to attend university, was encouraged to pursue a traditional route. After gaining an English degree she moved to London and began a career in Higher Education but realised the persistence and power of her passion for art, and decided to switch to working part time so she could devote more time, and began some part time study. The next two years were not without challenges, but over the course of 2020, she was selected for several major exhibitions, won the prestigious Bath Society of Arts Grand Prize and Young Artist Prize, and was signed by two private galleries. She has since moved to Reading which has enabled her to focus on art full time. Her work involves bodies in water, and the intense and intricate distortions captured in fleeting moments. She inspired by the visual spectacles captured in her source images, and her respect and admiration for her models, frequently inspiring women in her network. Constance is dedicated to using art to support charity and supporting other emerging creatives as much as possible. Social Media: @regardsoe.artwork
Tentative Steps
Rising
Acknowledgements I would like to thank all our artists who have believed in this project and shared their interpretation of the theme with their creativity and unique style. Their contribution has brought to light a unique and fascinating exhibition full of character and unifying elements. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to our guest artists and judging panel Catherine Sweet from BobCat Gallery and artist Constance Regardsoe for their passionate and unbiased judgement on all artworks presented in this exhibition. Their combined votes elected the winner of the 2021 Island2Island Art Prize. To J/M Gallery goes our thank you for hosting the exhibition in such a wonderful London location. Website: https://www.j-m.gallery/ To Ca’ de Sol B&B in Cagliari Sardinia, we are grateful for their generous partnership in hosting and welcoming the winner of the 2021 Island2Island Art Prize for their ‘Artist’s Residency’. Website: http://www.cadelsol.net/en/bed-and-breakfast-cagliari-sardinia/ Sardinia Embassy London has supported ‘Liminal Ties Unveiled’ exhibition with a financial donation, we say thank you for the generosity. Website: https://www.sardinianembassy.london/ To Tenute Costadoria we are enormously grateful for supporting our event with their gorgeous and prestigious Sardinian wines. Website: http://costadoria.com/en/ To ArtCan, ACT (Art, Culture, Tourism) and The Visual Guys thank you for the ongoing cheers to my projects! Thank you all! Rita
Cover Photo South by South East, 2021
Rian Hotton