Esther Rena Spring

Joie de Vivre

Through clay, Esther Rena succeeds in painting a surrealistic picture of complex feelings, which depict struggle between childhood dreams and longings, and adult reality. Using a variety of ceramic techniques, ballet shoes appear soft but upon closer inspection reveal hard porcelain. A large, adult-size, brown, closed shoe box conveys a sense of foreboding, while the moth and caterpillar at the lid, hint to an unknown yet imminent process. A large white shoe box hints to the naive child inherent in every person. Teddy bears entangled in umbilical cord, yet with a smile glued to their faces. And large bulbous urns with narrow openings, allude to hidden secrets and hidden worlds. Finally, the dance videos projected onto the two wine goblets remind us that when one embraces all parts of life - the least pleasant alongside the simple and understandable - then one can truly rejoice in life.