Hormazd Narielwalla celebrates human life and our relationship with nature in Sanctuary, his first exhibition with Gallery Elena Shchukina, London

On Wednesday 14th June 2017, Gallery Elena Shchukina held the private view of  Sanctuary, a solo exhibition by artist Hormazd Narielwalla.

Behind the colourful and incisive geometric patterns of Hormazd Narielwalla’s artwork lies a very interesting and reflective artistic process. The artist uses and revitalises tailoring patterns as unique paper collages. For Sanctuary, Narielwalla predominantly used French antique sewing patterns as the starting point for each work. By cutting and collating coloured papers on these long forgotten tailoring patterns, the artist imbues them with vitality, transforming his art into a real meditation on the human condition and reinterpretation of the human form.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue and a video in which Narielwalla expresses what are, to him, the spirit and goal of the exhibition. Celebrating summer, life, and beauty is the purpose of Sanctuary. In Narielwalla's work, the natural world symbolises life and celebrates human creation. The notion of a garden is an infinite source of inspiration for the artist who sees it as a metaphor for society. The floral themes and magic forests recreated in the works of Sanctuary represent refuges from the chaos of our fast-paced lives, and open up possibilities for contemplation and reflection.

Sanctuary, just as each one of his exhibitions, also bears a personal meaning for Narielwalla. Through his work, he creates what he calls “his own sanctuary.” His exhibitions are the reservoir of his own memories, where he can trace back his experiences and past journeys. Narielwalla's message is a deeply personal and touching one: everyone needs to create his or her own sanctuary, where life can be celebrated.