Heartscape is an exhibit that invites the viewer to take a pause and look at the landscape of their heart. The pieces merge abstract art, poetry and guided meditation, taking viewers on an introspective journey exploring the terrain of one’s heart. Examining a broad array of emotions and states that lies on the surface or hidden deep within, the pieces act as an anchor to take your consciousness to the heart space to promote self-awareness and discovery.

Inspiration for Heartscape comes from a practice of meditation, allowing the themes and words to emerge and be transferred onto the canvas without judgment and social constructs. This allows an honest expression to come to fruition in a physical form for the viewer to experience, and touch their senses.

The artist’s signature paint strokes are created in a movement like rhythmic Tai-chi, it is an expression of energy rather than trying to create a beautiful stroke. It expresses honest beauty, rawness, and ugly. The aim is not to create something aesthetically pleasing, but to emit the energy of each gifted theme. To capture the energy of the emotion that comes up. By moving through each theme without logically placing a label of negative / positive or sad / happy it allows one’s heart to breathe, giving it space to just be as they are. It’s a practice resisting the knee-jerk action of jamming one’s heart into an ‘always happy’ box. The aim of Heartscape is to create a place where your heart can just BE.

Image 1: Cup Runneth Over, Melinda Ly, August 2022, acrylic on canvas, 56 x 81cm
Image 2: Inner Landscape, Melinda Ly
Image 3: Diver, Melinda Ly, December 2021, acrylic on canvas, 91 x 122cm
Image 4: Rose, Melinda Ly, August 2022, acrylic on canvas, 116 x 116cm
Image 5: Rise from the Mud, Melinda Ly, April 2022, acrylic on pine wood, 90 x 120cm