Sylvia Fernández: The Illusion of Paradise

Featuring stretched paintings mounted back-to-back and suspended throughout the Main Gallery, themes of paradise as an emotional and physical territory, nature as solace, and the potential for optimism are among the many paths laid out in The Illusion of Paradise. Tracing our attention over a ghostly, shadow-cast embrace, whispers seem to be audible. The senses come alive in The Illusion of Paradise, aided by a layered presentation of works that mimics the strata of perception on a journey inward.

 

In her works, imagery capturing a painterly fascination with light and the majesty of the natural world is visually described with moonlight refracted through space, ripples of running water glistening in the dark, and overgrown flora rustling as branches obscure further view. The works are quiet, meditative, and possess an aura of shrouded meaning. For Fernández, nature serves as an inspiring space to belong and a connection for rescue. 

 

In English, an illusion is a deception, a false perception or belief. In Spanish—Fernández’s mother tongue—ilusion has a double meaning, one that includes a sense of excitement and hope and a positive emotional state. This duality resonates with Fernández, as it allows for internal exploration of light as a respite from the uncertainty and fear that is omnipresent in contemporary life.