Enchantment, Old Fire Station Gallery (Fri Apr 11 to Mon Apr 14)

A GROUP of eight artists who use different creative methods and materials are coming together for an art exhibition at the Old Fire Station Gallery this weekend.

Curated by artist Adriana Rabinovich, from Harwell, “Enchantment” showcases her work alongside that of Arbie Edward, Emma Clifton-Brown, Gabriele Kern, Gary Goodman, Melissa Kime, Neal Morley and Sheila Pehrson.

Adriana says the exhibition is all about escapism. “The show is about getting away from the world we live in, for an hour or so, to enter a bit of a dreamland where these tales which are often light and dark take us away to something completely different.

“Each of the artists has got that idea of enchantment as part of their DNA and has gone off and done their own thing.

“We’ve got ceramics, paintings, prints and drawings. We’ve even got a natural bird’s nest with a pair of handmade shoes which is pretty extraordinary, made out of natural materials like bark and birch, things like that.

“I tried to curate it so that we have different materials, artists with very different approaches to their work so that some are more involved in the tactile quality of what they do.

“Arbie Edward is one of our artists, she loves nature and collects bits of yarn and threads and bits of bark and then makes things out of that.

“Another of our artists does really quite magical but abstract paintings. So there’s quite a big variety of things happening and the plan is that it will all hang together on the day.”

“Enchantment” is “an antidote to the turbulent times we are living in,” adds Adriana, “reaching into the past, delving into folklore, fairy tales, myths and legends as a way of escaping our current reality.”

The artists’ work includes “charred porcelain that evokes mysterious mushrooms in the woods, bold colourful geometric prints inspired by crisp northern landscapes, and playful abstract paintings inspired by French formal gardens and Nordic forests,” she says. “

We have thresholds, meticulously drawn, throwing light and darkness into well observed corners. Witchcraft and shamanism are captured in watercolour and conjure up symbols and spirits. Make-believe landscapes are imbued with creatures that spring to life and porcelain figurines enlarged to give them fairy-tale powers.”

“Enchantment” is at the Old Fire Station Gallery, 52 Market Place, Henley, from today (Friday) until Monday, April 14, open from 11am to 5pm daily.

(Pic Credit: Autumnal Equinox - Gabriele Kern)