COLORS AND SAND

April 25 -May 15, 2009

Opening April 25th 2009 6 – 9 pm

Iva Dimeska’s latest exhibition “Colors and Sand” embraces Africa, a continent that thrills with its warmth and vibrancy.

With her choice, Iva combines rural portraits with calm, deep, gray-blue ocean seashores. The eye of the camera leads us into a relaxed promenade through the Kenyan village, alley after alley, hut after hut, so our gaze would finally settle over the infinite coastline. Her portraits illustrate rural everyday life, while some of them are a “blow up” of intimacy and reflection of the individual’s joy of life. The photographer meets eyes that engage us into a “long” stare and extensive attention.

Africa that Iva presents is not wild, but it is not peaceful either. It is looking at us with amazement and anticipation, ready to give in once we recognize it.

The intensive colors are strengthened and saturated by the contrast of the calming background of sand, soil, ocean and sky. Landscapes are tame; still the human presence indicates the existence of an unfinished drama. The characters are sometimes distant silhouettes, yet other times they are portraits defined by character. However, one thing that is always present is the look of the author – the stranger.

Dimeska’s compositions are not strict, allowing her objects to generously embrace the frame. The dynamic moments are poetic, without any imposition, movements are light, airy.. Still, looking as a whole, the photographs allow us to take a glimpse at the rupture, emptiness and exhaustion of the burning African country.

The author doesn’t get too absorbed into the social African picture, but doesn’t pass it by without a comment either; she draws her sympathy with clear light portraying a possible idyllic approach.

Dimeska depicts the foreign, archaic, flaming continent as accessible, even though she leaves us thinking about our readiness to understand it, so it would accept us as we are.

Mira Gakina