Local artist Hilly Coufreur has used art to find her place in the community after a 12-month residency at Contemporary Art Spaces Mandurah (CASM) last year.
The artist’s journey has been expressed through bold and vibrant abstract artworks that will be on show during her Colours of Life exhibition which opened to the public on Friday.
Hilly Coufreur was one of two local Mandurah artists selected for the CASM Residence Program in 2016.
The residency allowed Coufreur the use of a studio space for up to 16 hours each day to work on her art.
The year-long journey enabled the artist to explore and develop her unique painting style by experimenting with paint application, painting tools, textural and linear mark making and, most of all, colour.
Her artworks are bold and vibrant, juxtaposing fluorescent bands against resonant dark tones, scoured with personal symbols sharing her personal visual journeys with the viewer.
The pure abstract painter has diversified her subject matter after joining the Mandurah Plein Air Artist Plus painting group who meet weekly to paint in a different outdoor locations.
This has given the artist a different perspective from her usual large wall pieces.
Coufreur reflects that finding her place in the community has shaped her artworks and introduced some warmth in the colours she uses.
She describes her painting journey as “finding and coming home; in my art as well as my heart”.
The Colours of Life exhibition is a collection of large abstract artworks, full of colour and bold lines.
Through her artwork Coufreur has explored her identity in a new country supporting some small and intimate pieces that speak of nature and belonging.
The exhibition will be officially opened by Barb Thoms, originator of Plein Air Mandurah Artists Plus; a group of artists that paint out of doors following in the footsteps of the French impressionists.
There will be a free artist talk on Sunday, September 17 at 2pm.
Colours of Life will be open until October 1 during CASM gallery hours, Wednesday to Sunday from 10am until 4pm.
CASM is located at 63 Ormsby Terrace, Mandurah. Exhibition details are available at www.artspacesmandurah.com.au.
