A relationship with yourself is a never-ending journey. For this human experience, our designated home is the body, which separates us from the rest of the world. But we are always together with ourselves. How to get in contact with yourself? What lies in the depths of our subconscious? How to be more present in the moment right here and now? Is opening yourself up a courage or a weakness? “Swimming through my heart” is a voyage of two female artists into their inner world, meeting with themselves and each other.
The exhibition consists of paintings and audiovisual works by both artists. Self-portrait paintings represent the gates to the inner landscapes of the artist’s
soul. The paintings draw substance from the video works, the protagonists being the artists themselves. Here, artists immerse themselves in the embrace of water, reading or reflecting on entries from personal diaries.
Tumena (2000) and Marion Saarik (2000) are young artists from Pärnu who have acquired a bachelor’s degree in the painting department of the Estonian Academy of Arts. The artists are connected by an interest in mental and physical practices aimed at changing the state of consciousness.
Marion Saarik focuses on the moment that falls between melancholy and sadness. Longing for tomorrow and feeling like something is missing. In this quiet symphony of emotions, the atmosphere is saturated with the weight of overthought whispers, a constant stream of reflections that dance like shadows in the burrows of the mind. The heart yearns for a clearer sky, carrying the promise of renewal. In this longing, there is a fragile yet persistent hope that clarity resides in tomorrow.
Tumena’s practice is driven by an interest in living organisms, especially the human body and psyche. What fascinates her most is the invisible, inexplicable something that gives the body lifeforce – the soul. Tumena explores the mysterious nature of the soul through its outer shell, the body. In her works, the body is often cut open, undeveloped, disfigured or supernatural, reflecting different states of mind and spiritual development.
Graphic design: Aleksandra Sofia Helena Nyyssönen
The exhibition is supported by Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Veinimaja, Kata &
Omad, Kevamer, Parool Reklaam
Special thanks to Annabel Juhkental, Raul Tääker, Pärnu City Gallery team
Nikolai 27, Pärnu
Open: Tue-Fri 11-17, Sat 11-14
