YELLOW BRICKROAD
Whatishome?Aplace?Asensation?Stillness? Movement?Anchoring?Detachment?Is homelinesstobefoundinthevibrantnoworin ourmemories?Or,isitalloftheabove?
LYDIAJANSSEN asoloshowby
InLydiaJanssen’slatestworksheexploresthe conceptsofhomeandhomeliness.Inspiredby theWizardofOzandthemaincharacter Dorothy’squesttogetbacktoKansas;the charactersshemeetsalongthewayandthe experiencesthatalterhersenseofselfand rattleherdeeplyrootedsenseofplace, Jansseninvestigateswhatitmeanstobelong andfeelathome.
In2011,Janssen,herhusbandandtheirfirst-borndaughtermovedfromNewYorkCityto Singapore,7yearslaterasafamilyoffive,theymovedtoBali,Indonesia.Thenin2020,having traveledbetweenfivecountriesduringCovid,allinanattempttogetbacktotheirhomeinBali, Janssenbecamefascinatedwiththepsychologyofspace,placeandhowone'sdefinitionof homechangeswhenlivinganomadiclife.Howcanyoubelongsomewherewhenyouarean expatriate,animmigrant,aforeigner,anoutsider,anewcomer,avisitor,aguest;unfamiliarwith thelocalcustomsandthelanguagespoken?
MovementhasalwaysbeenhomeforJanssen;herpastasaprofessionaldancerleavesclear tracesinallofherpaintings.Inhernewwork,movementisinvestigatedinavastvarietyof shapes:twisting,running,roaringanimals;bodiesthatcurveandspin,unfoldandcrumble; wavesofcolorandlight;rockinghorsesandlonghairthrownforcefullybackformingvibrant curvedlines.
WrittenbyKristineH.Harper
LydiaJanssenwasborninMichigan,USA,and receivedaBAfromSarahLawrenceCollege,New York(1998).Aftergraduating,shemovedtoNew YorkCitytopursueaprofessionaldancecareer, dancingattheMerceCunninghamStudioSchool, andperformingwithmoderndancetroupesPam TanowitzDanceCompanyandJordanaToback/ POONDanceCompany. Lydia'sdancecareerendedafterakneeinjury, leadinghertofocusfullyonherart.Lydiaspenta yearattheGraduateFineArtsDepartmentatthe UniversityofMassachusetts,Amherst,before returningtoNewYorktostudyattheArtStudentsLeagueofNewYork(2005-07)underLarryPoons andRonnieLandfield,whereinherfinalyearshewontheprestigiousRedDotawardforExcellence inPainting.In2020,Lydia'sfirstmonograph,‘DancetoArt’,writtenbyIanFindlay-Brownand publishedbySKIRA,wasreleased,andlaunchedattheTateModern(2021).Afterbeingselected intothe2021LondonArtBiennale,LydiawontheTermeaward:agroupshowattheChianciano MuseuminItaly.Lydiawasmostrecentlynominatedforthe2023SovereignAsianArtPrize.
Lydia'sworkhasbeenexhibitedattheChiancianoArtMuseum,Italy(2022),NationalGallery SingaporeAuction,Singapore(2022),LondonArtBiennale,UK(2021),COMOUbudBali, Indonesia,(2020),SusanEleyFineArtGallery(2019,2014Solo),REDSEAGallery,Singapore (2018),TheAsiaContemporaryArtFair,HongKong(2016),TheSingaporeContemporaryArtFair, Singapore(2016),TheAmericanClub,Singapore(2015),TheArtSiliconValley/SanFranciscoFair, California(2015),Cielo,NewYorkCity(2008);MulhenbergCollege,Pennsylvania(2007);TheArt
