Ora-Ora recently held a new solo exhibition for British-born, US-based artist Stephen Thorpe, titled “Enter the Forest at the Darkest Point.” The exhibition theme is inspired by a quote from American mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell, who urges us to “enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path.” The artist believes that by doing so, one can find their truest self through the process of death and rebirth.
Stephen Thorpe has been an art professor at the Hong Kong branch of the Savannah College of Art and Design for many years. This time, he is bringing back his highly acclaimed new work “Corners” to exhibit in Hong Kong. This will be the artist’s first time presenting his creative achievements in a holistic and immersive way. Surrounded by colorful walls and artist-designed wallpaper patterns, these “corner paintings” seem to question our inner selves and our spiritual space.
Stephen Thorpe has won wide acclaim for his sumptuous interior decorations, creating a unique landscape and atmosphere. He does not see corners as dead ends, but rather as a key catalyst for honest spiritual narratives. In this exhibition, he references the noble tradition of European tapestries, depicting the exquisite and intricate luxury of the Gobelin world (a French family known for producing distinctive tapestries in the 15th century) through meticulous details, creatively transferring woven images from lines to paintings, and from walls to floors.
Stephen Thorpe’s interior decoration can be seen as the stage in our mental theater. However, in this exhibition, the artist draws on the dramatic and charming nature of the forest – whether in imagination or in other ways, this place has long been a symbol of the resistance forces we need to overcome and defeat. The challenge we face is to control ourselves and defeat the evil forces within us. Only by doing so can we seize the opportunity to become our true selves.
In these works, the artist describes a series of self-discovery stories. Stephen Thorpe matches creative storytelling with unique painting vocabulary, expressed through three distinct techniques: fine weaving, dry-brushed carpets; abstract and sticky color planes (presented as walls); and exquisite shapes, displayed through captivating graphics. The use of dry-brushing technique is particularly effective, not only using canvas fabric as the basis for painting but also as the actual weaving of the carpet itself. The artist pays homage to famous artists including Frank Auerbach, Gerhard Richter, Leon Kossoff by constructing his own “corners” using thick paint, with these graphic components being the most representative elements in the works, often seen as the “entrance” to the pieces.
“Corner of the Forest” Stephen Thorpe Solo Exhibition
Date: November 24, 2022 to January 8, 2023
Time: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (Weekdays); 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Location: Ora-Ora, Rooms 105-107, 3/F, H Queen’s, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Image source and learn more: Ora-Ora
