Breathing Series

Breathing Series by Rory Strudwick is a body of paintings that seeks to render the range of visuals we see behind our closed eyelids. Transmuting these visuals, shifting abstract perceptions into a painted field, the works convey the process of meditation and presence, inviting viewers into moments of reflection, at odds with the frenetic nature of the contemporary world.

Visually, the works are underpinned by the vital warm nature of our translucent skin and seek to capture the transient awareness of light that seeps in between our closed eyelids.

The concave and convex grid formation allude to inhalation and exhalation, with subtle distinctions in temperature representing the nature of each breath. Each painting is characterised by a different time of day; man-made and natural lighting conditions revealing the endless variations which can emerge in what we typically consider to be blank darkness.

In our current world, so dictated by technology and accessibility to information, over-stimulation is a deafening hum that grips modern humanity. A symptom of late-stage capitalism, this pattern leads us to feel less connected to the whole, to nature, community and mortality. The Breathing Series works serve as a sanctuary, offering refuge and rest for viewers and inviting personal and collective participation.