(Respite from cognitive dysfunction) Blue-brown agate

Brief Respite is a collection of works whose purpose is to create ephemeral moments of softness for the brain, similar to the feeling of seeing natural geological formations of rock striations such as cliff-faces and canyons, marble slabs, semi-precious stones, windswept sandstone...

The theme is based around the chronic migraines that permeate daily life - the creation of each work was a brief respite from either the symptoms of migraine (excruciating pain, sensitivity to light and sound, sensitive skin, nausea, fatigue, brainfog), or the side effects of the treatment (stiff neck, constricted sternum, lethargy, shallow breathing).

Each work is created to imitate carved stone in some way - clay was used to form the drapes and ripples, and this was all covered in poured paint. Pouring paint is a method of applying paint to the canvas that relies on the molecular properties of the paint and gravity to form natural movement of colour - the same natural process that can be found in the geology of the earth's crust.

May each piece of art bring a brief respite to the overloaded brain.

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Nadia Vitlin is an artist based in Sydney, Australia, who has a background in geospatial and biological sciences. Her art brings together the study of nature, humanity, emotions, and sociological phenomena through the lens of the scientist via the exploration of colour and the tactile form of clay.
Using clay as a means to bring the third dimension onto the canvas, her artworks project movement and dynamism by using contours and drapery to play with light and shadow. Using her knowledge of the earth's terrain and the natural shapes found in the world around us - the reflection of water, the pattern of marble, the rolling waves of mountains viewed from the sky - she creates sensuous renditions of her experiences, both tangible and psychological.
Her works come alive under light and change character according to their aspect and the position of the viewer in the room. Being three-dimensional, the eye is drawn to the sumptuous flow of both shape and colour, creating an immersive aura around each artwork that is further enhanced by the different textures of paint. Ebbs and flows of stratified media spread and reach across the surface, drawing the eye gradually around the canvas like the leaf that falls dancingly from the tree in autumn.
She has created several bodies of work in this style and continues to explore this method as well and expand into the fourth dimension of scent. Her experimental tendencies influence the seasonality of her works, and each series creates a different atmosphere and evokes a new plethora of emotions.
She has been featured in group shows in Sydney and Melbourne, and had four solo exhibitions across Australia and Korea. Her collectors can be found all over the world from Holland to the Philippines.