RAY BERMAN EXHIBITS ‘THE JOY OF PAINT’

MBABANE – This past Saturday saw 85–year-old Ray Berman showcase part of his work from the his new collection dubbed ‘The Joy of Paint’.

The exhibition was held at the Yebo Art Gallery at Ezulwini. The abstract artist has been painting for over 30 years now. He mentioned to this publication that the new pieces were an exploration of the joy of paint, a gift from him to the world and Eswatini.  During the interview, Berman further mentioned how his art had evolved through time with him and that his final pieces had diverted from speaking about pain and agony, to expressing light and joy.
“In my younger years as a victim of apartheid, I would create painting that came from a place of pain but at my age, I have experienced a lot of joy that I would like this now broken world to experience with me,” mentioned the artist.

Collection

‘The Joy of Paint’ features a collection of vibrant and complex abstract oil paintings from the prolific artist. Using the experience of listening to music as a point of departure, the exhibition engages with prevalent notions of artistic interpretation, through interrogating the use of representational imagery and easily accessible subject matter in painting. Exploring the unseen aspects of the human experience, each painting in this exhibition engages with the formal elements of the practice to operate on the emotions of the viewer, challenging the need for objective interpretation.

In the same way we listen to music, the exhibition allows viewers to experience the paintings without the challenges associated with observing fine art, letting the viewer experience each artwork for what it is based on their own subjective perspectives and realities.‘The Joy of Paint’ as an exhibition is an ode to Berman’s fascination within and the desire for spiritual communion through the material qualities of paint and will give viewers a chance to access their own ideas and perspectives through a meditative space honouring our connections to music, literature and art.

During the exhibition and when the artist made a speech, a brief biography of his work and life was shared. It was then that it was mentioned how one of the art pieces on display were of his two-year-old granddaughter who was also among the guests at the venue, and the art painting is titled ‘Two in December’.

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