An exhibition of paintings by landscape artist Elaine Kazimierczuk will include an installation of real living wildflowers which she is currently cultivating in her front garden.
“if it’s not a contradiction in terms – ‘cultivating wildflowers’, says Elaine. “Apparently, all I have to do between now and then is just add water ….”
“Why have magnolia when you can have meadows?”
The live flower installation will feature alongside Elaine’s trademark paintings of meadows and gardens, as the Oxford artist highlights the demise of our wildflower meadows.
“I want to use my art to raise awareness of the scale of this environmental catastrophe,” she says.
Elaine’s riotous landscape paintings will be on display at the North Wall from 17 – 25 May as part of Oxfordshire Art Weeks to encourage us to reconnect with our local landscapes.
Originally scheduled at the Summertown venue for Art Weeks in 2020, the exhibition marks The North Wall’s reopening following nearly five months of closure.
North Wall gallery manager Nicky Laird, said, : “Elaine’s paintings celebrate nature’s wild side and remind us to protect the open spaces that have been so much part of peoples’ lives in the last year.
“It’s the perfect exhibition to mark our reopening; it signals the beginning of summer, the reawakening of nature and life after the pandemic and the very welcome return of visitors to our gallery,” she adds.
Elaine’s vibrant depictions of woodlands, meadows and gardens hope to encourage us to make an emotional connection to such precious places, inspiring us to value and protect the natural world.
“I want people to re-wild their walls … ” says Elaine, “ … with art, of course! Why have magnolia when you can have meadows”.
Several of Elaine’s paintings depict meadows maintained by Plantlife, a charity which works to raise the profile of meadows, celebrate their beauty, and protect their future.
Elaine explains: “When I read about the demise of wildflower meadows – a loss of 97% since the 1930s – I wondered if I could use my art to raise awareness of the scale of this environmental catastrophe, so I contacted Plantlife to see how I could help. I’m now a fully committed supporter”.
Which is why The North Wall is also hosting a webinar, Wildflower Meadows: A Painter’s Celebration on 21 April at 7pm, where Elaine and Plantlife experts will discuss the importance of wildflower meadows. The 45 min webinar will be followed by a Q&A session where audience members can ask the artist and environmentalists about their work.
Prior to the exhibition at The North Wall, Elaine’s paintings will be on display as part of the Oxford City Art Weeks trail at 2 North Street on Osney Island from 8-16 May.
Wildflower Meadows: A Painter’s Celebration
21 April 7pm on Zoom
https://www.thenorthwall.com/whats-on/wildflower-meadows-a-painters-celebration/
Elaine Kazimierczuk: Re-Fresh
8 – 16 May at 2 North Street, Oxford OX2 0AY / Mon – Sun 1pm – 6pm
17 – 25 May at The North Wall Arts Centre / Mon – Fri 10am – 4pm, Sat – Sun 12pm – 4pmhttps://www.thenorthwall.com/whats-on/elaine-kazimierzcuk-re-fresh/
