LOCKDOWN Art.

The online community exhibition “LOCKDOWN Art” has become a global project, hosting art works from contributors in Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Nepal, Netherlands, Venezuela, UK, and USA.

I have been touched by every single art work that has been submitted, and honoured to be witness to the themes of lived experiences that are communicated by the art works themselves and the accompanying words from the artists.

There are expressions of loss, fear, grief and uncertainty.

Image credit : Bina Adhikari (5th April, 2020). “My mother is a soldier”. HB pencil on paper. Kathmandu, Nepal. “I myself is working for the safety of my people during this lockdown in Nepal. The sketch shows how it feels to be a mother of a lovely child being away from her in the time of need”. 

Image credit: Shannon Bradley, ATR-BC, LCAT. Artist and art therapist in NYC.  shannonbradleylcat.com “Riding the waves…” 11 x 14 oil pastel drawing. “The metaphor of emotions as waves really resonates for me, especially right now. Fear, grief, despair, gratitude, love, uncertainty, relief…”

There are expressions of gratitude to health and front line workers.

Image credit: Jay Sterling. (03.04.2020). Acrylic on board. 32×47. USA. “Painting I done for my neighbour who is a frontline nurse and a absolute angel”.

Image credit: Aradhana Rimal, (2020/04/22). “Thank and pray for Frontline workers”. 11/12″ canvas with acrylic paints. Nepal. “I want to thank and pray with these beautiful blooming flowers to all the Frontline helpers who are dedicating their lives for our safety. Hope this pandemic gets eradicated soon and wish for happy days to come soon.”

There are strategies for getting through the days of isolation:

Image credit: Giulia Gnocchi(April 15th 2020). Oil pastel, marker on paper, 30x60cm. Melbourne, Australia. “I’m on the other side of the world, far away from my family in Italy and unable to travel home because of the restrictions…After this simple work, I felt immediately better and every time I look at it, I find the strength to do things on the list.” 

Expressions of gratitude for the time to reflect:

Image credit: Samantha Hickman, (March 2020). “Take it slow”. 28.5cm x 21cm. Materials: Collage. Location: Bath, UK. “This piece was formed after an anxious-thoughts filled morning. Selecting the images and piecing together a calm scene, helped me to understand that lockdown is asking us to slow down and appreciate the simple beauty of life”.

Expressions of feeling held by something bigger than oneself:

Image credit: Anja Zimmermann, (April, 2020). “Me and the tree”. Photograph. The Netherlands. “During one of my evening walks I stopped at a very big tree and saw my shadow in his big trunk.  The size of the shadow compared to the size of the tree made me feel humble but also safely embedded in a bigger picture”.

Image credit: Chrissy Foreman. (Wednesday 25th March, 2020). Ink pen and crayon in watercolour sketchbook. 16 cm X 12 cm. Redcliffe, Australia. “Oh how much pressure has lifted from my shoulders when I choose to perceive through acts of love. This way, I can keep my heart open and serve. Serve my heart and body and mind. Serve my family. Serve my community. Serve my planet. A new perspective”. 

And images of hope:

Image credit: Lesbia Centeno. (26/3/2020). “Glimmer of Hope”. Water colour, pencil and pastel stick on cardboard. Size: 20cms x 13,5cms. Australia. “In life everything is a cycle, and soon we will have a new dawn full of Glimmer of Hope”.

Image credit: colourful.rebelle, (06.04.2020) “Positive Energy”. Acrylic, 30 x 40. Amsterdam, Netherlands. “I love bright colors. They give me energy and make me happy. Especially in this difficult period we need to stay positive and strong”. 

Image credit: Nita Rajbahakdate, (24 March 2020). “Hello Spring”. Acrylic paint on recycled pallet woods. Nepal. “Inspired by the coming of Spring, this painting features lotus flowers in full bloom, with under water view of colourful koi fishes swimming, and pretty butterfly and a dragonfly on the sky. This painting give an unique feeling of rejoice; of the two worlds welcoming the season of bloom”.

Thank you to each and every one of the contributors.

It is super easy to be an artist in this exhibition, all you need to do is send me a good quality photo of your artwork with these details:

Artist name, (date of art work completed), “Title of Art Work”. Dimensions Height in cm x Length in cm, materials, location. And then a short statement telling viewers something about the art work, your process, or how making the art work has made a difference in your life.

There is no deadline for submissions.

To participate please email me your photo and these details at carlavanlaar@gmail.com