Camilla Engstrom: Emerging Passages

EVENT DESCRIPTION

Over the Influence is pleased to present Swedish-born Los Angeles-based artist Camilla Engstrom’s debut exhibition in Hong Kong. In Emerging Passages, Engstrom invites viewers to join her in a meditation on rediscovering one’s sense of self throughout this universally transformative time. The exhibition is on view from 27 November 2021 to 8 January 2022.

As time turns, and society leaves pre-pandemic life farther and farther behind us, we also move away from who we once were. As the world we previously inhabited was demolished bit by bit, a new reality is emerging from the remains. Instead of mourning what was, Engstrom is in the process of exploring what now is.

In this exhibition, viewers are witnessing a rebirth. The artist is finding, and claiming a new voice both personally and in her practice. While maintaining her recognizable aesthetic, Engstrom leans away from her past bodies of work. Through earthly palettes and biomorphic landscapes, this series is an exploration of passages to new spaces that encourage all to examine how we might exist as the world evolves around us.

As an intuitive artist, Engstrom embarks on each work unplanned, yet through her inspiration she is able to create a cohesive body of work. Throughout this series, Engstrom has been particularly influenced by the human connection with the natural world, and how that might evolve over time.

For example, in her piece “Everything Eventually Returns to Earth”, Engstrom depicts an architectural form that is becoming one with the landscape surrounding it. This work recalls the idea of abandoned cities, where man made buildings and landmarks go unused and uninhabited. In the past, present, or future, these abandoned cities eventually are overrun by the natural environment. In this piece Engstrom has managed to create a work that is calming and enchanting, yet simultaneously works as a stark reminder of the ultimate power of Mother Nature and how humans are mere visitors in this space we call home.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Born 1989 in Örebro, Sweden, Camilla Engstrom is a self-taught artist. Her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows in Los Angeles, CA, USA and New York, NY, USA. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, USA.