It was an unusually sunny and bright summer Sunday afternoon at St Katharine Docks in London. After a long, lazy walk around the docks and a light seafood meal in one of the many wonderful cafes with view to the marinas, I accidentally walked into M1 Fine Art gallery, famished for food for thought.
Hanging on the rear walls of the spacious room, like saved for last for the most eclectic art entusiasts, there they were, two brightly-colored, yet mystical paintings, with obvious oriental-inspired influences, starring one fairylike woman figure in each. Exhaling their celestial aura and a wise solitude to the visitor, that was my first, striking introduction to the Long Ladies of Charlotte Kessler.
LISTENING TO THE MOON
Moving to London at an early age, Charlotte followed her dream of training in Fine Art and went on to study a Masters in Art Psychotherapy. Now painting full time in her studio in Woolwich, she fuses these two disciplines to depict whimsical aspects of feminine beauty and nature, offering windows into spaces of quiet contemplation and personal reflection.
Charlotte’s artistic inspiration stems from regular trips to her beloved Asia where, from an early age, her art-making became a way of containing her life journey and experiences as a visual diary. The elongated dresses of her signature figures quickly became the space in which to play out poignant messages and stories relating to the world around her. She is very aware of the meaning attached to this, citing art therapy theory where pictures within a work of art become containers of the makers’ inner world.
Embracing art therapy ideals fully, Charlotte’s instantly recognisable Long Ladies suggest stories of culture and tradition; of both togetherness and separation, as they stand prominent in their environments which either reflect or contrast their inner worlds.
MARITIME MUSE
Charlotte painted her ‘Maritime Muse’ for the re-opening of the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London and was also recently asked to create a piece entitled ‘Sacred Flame’ which depicts the ancient Greek Goddess Hera holding the Olympic Torch. This painting celebrates the arrival of the Olympic Games to London in 2012 and reflects The Games’ ethos of peace, friendship and unity.
SACRED FLAME
