From March 11, Galerie Fleur & Wouter is showing a solo exhibition of work by Isa van Lier (Amsterdam, 1996). In the installation Sowing Seeds she invites you into her imaginative world of abundance and silence. As in her previous installations, the inspiration comes from her experiences with Japanese culture. She combines the emptiness and wisdom felt in a Zen temple with the colorful abundance of contemporary society, the belief in the animation of objects and the kawaii culture of the Asian country.

Her creative process is deeply connected to living according to the cycles of nature. There is a time for sowing, flowering, harvesting and resting, which follow the four seasons. Without winter no summer, without death no life, without fertile soil and seeds no new ideas and works of art. One of the most beautiful moments in nature and life is the period of sowing. For the artist, it symbolizes the eternal cycle of existence. She who sows, brings forth new life. 2022 was a very successful and intense year for the artist. Among other things, she participated in the prestigious outdoor exhibition Paradys and showed an installation at the Kunsthal. After a period of rest and contemplation, it is now time for Van Lier to share her new seeds and creations with the world.

Clouds
Floating in the emptiness of the completely white gallery space you feel like walking on clouds. Here you can relate to all the shapes and colors around you with the open gaze of a child. The space is filled with ceramic sculptures. Kami Creatures is an ongoing series of cute ceramic figures that serve as guardian angels. On each shape there is a face that smiles at you. In this you can see the influence of Shintoism, which has become a core idea for Van Lier's practice. Shintoism is the animistic belief that permeates the entire Japanese culture and centers on the idea that everything is animated. The so-called Kami (spirit, god, soul) can be found in anything, be it a waterfall, a toothbrush or a cute sculpture.

On the walls Van Lier shows paintings that come to life in sculptural frames made of wood and ceramics. The paintings are also characters, objects that have a soul. They pay tribute to the different seasons and associated elements. Her imagery shows a wonderment for processes such as the germination of a seed, the dying of a leaf and the harvesting of a fruit.

Dreams
With a grab bag full of hand-painted ceramic seeds, Van Lier allows the visitor to become part of her world forever. By receiving and cherishing the sculpture, people become aware of the possibility of planting seeds. The seeds become talismans, reminding the new owners that those who pursue their ideas and dreams will harvest them.

Articles about the exhibition
de Volkskrant: ‘Eigenlijk weet je pas dat je iets goed doet, als je níét wordt begrepen’