Den Helder Landscape
In 2014, Soi spent time in the ocean landscape in a residency sponsored by the Mondriaan Foundation at the historic Pompgemaal (Pumphouse) building near the seaside town of Den Helder. Walking through the dunes over time, Soi spotted a pine tree whose branches had been shaped by the strong sea wind. The tree and the anchor that sat outside the railway station enter the composition set against washes evoked by the windblown dune seascape. The patterns laid out within the composition also bring together Soi’s immersions with craftsmen in Kashmir and his study of Qing Dynasty patterns while working with porcelain craftsmen in the city of Guangzhou, in Southern China.
The composition emanates from what Soi terms a notational methodology, initiated by the need to suture together seemingly disparate images by the string of personal experiences. His immersions with craftsmen in Srinagar, and in Guangzhou, are moments of intense communication where knowledge is shared and friendships are formed. These interactions also allow Soi to gain familiarity to a site that was previously unknown, such as Guangzhou. Repeated immersions (Soi has been visiting Srinagar since 2014) allow for a deeper understanding to emerge, not only of the craft traditions that he has been fascinated with, but also the history of the region and the complexity of its culture.
17
of
17
