Dalia Ayalon Sinclair OAM
painting photography digital imaging
Beauty, poetry, yearning, mysticism and dreams are bound together in trees and leaves.
"The Humble leaf, struggling for survival is symbolic of man and the cycle of life. It could be said that the artist identifies herself with the leaf, since she is drawn to nature, its strength and stability." Rachael Kiang, Global Gallery.
Since 2008 I had encountered major changes in my life and I was once again restricted to paint and travel. As I strongly believe in the concept of 'Mind over Body" I continued to draw on my inner strength to meet new challenges.
Needing to escape from a busy and demanding life structure due to the various roles I held, I found solitude in my ‘bathscape’ where I could indulge in peaceful moments and let my creative mind explore new opportunities – new metaphors. The digital images extend beyond the boundaries of my intimate photographs as I wander to new imaginary worlds to face new challenges. Constrained and free, concealed and revealing, I was engaged in ‘photo chopping’, dissecting and restructuring multiple layers creating tapestries, kaleidoscopes and landscapes which are stimulating, sensual, surprising and confronting as 'new worlds' are.
"Her work is a reflection of her private world and her personal loss which is compensated by a playful and creative mind that never ceases to search for new metaphors to bring to the forefront. Whilst in her early works the leaves represented the image of man, the current exhibition presents multiple choices enabling her to shift between reality and imagination and invite the viewer to add their own interpretation.” "Tic Tac Toe" Breathing Colours Gallery, 2012
In the current climate of uncertainty we face many challenges and the sense of insecurity is brought to the forefront. As leaves without trees wander, so do our toes and feet, as we wonder between ‘hanging on’ and ‘moving on’.
My art is a reflection of personal journey to search for an 'ideal' world where beauty and peace prevail.
For resume and exhibition list click here.
Since early childhood, as I was growing up in Israel, my parents’ struggle of adjusting to a new life after the Holocaust had an enormous impact on my life. I often sought solitude among the fields of flowers and the trees which were part of the natural landscape surrounding my home. It is therefore no wonder that I embrace nature particularly trees and leaves which are influenced by recurring changes and are identified with man’s struggle for survival.
In 1973 I moved with my young family to Australia where I found a fertile ground for my creativity whether in my paid or voluntary positions. I was engaged in marketing, public relations, production of events, programs for SBS Jewish Radio Hour and special features for a number of newspapers and magazines.
In 1992 I returned to Israel where I studied Journalism at Tel Aviv University and later produced documentaries and talk shows for Israeli TV. In 1998 I had finally reached a stage in my life where I could pursue my dream to study arts and enrolled to The Studio Art College in Israel. This was to become a larger challenge then anticipated due to a right shoulder injury which occurred at the start of the first semester. I was determined to ‘soldier on’ and resorted to paint with my left hand. Not being able to hold a brush I used a small spatula and instantly developed a distinctive style of painting which featured leaves in a range of colours and textures.
Although restricted in my movement my leaves seemed to have taken on their own life as if wanting to burst beyond the boundaries of the canvas.
The physical pain I had endured during the long recovery reflected my own suffering, my parents’ inherent pain as well as that of my people who had suffered wars, death and destruction for centuries. This became apparent after my visit to the Holocaust Memorial in Budapest which featured a Weeping Willow tree densely covered with tiny silver leaves inscribed with names of persons who were murdered.
As I continued to move from country to country, I noted the different landscapes and the ongoing transformation of the environment. The snapshots captured in my camera froze the movement and of the scattered leaves on my routes, whilst the video work added the sound of leaves being whisked away by the whispering wind or their crushing sound under my feet. Painting enabled me to add my interpretation to my own life journey.
"Seeing Red" Acrylic on Canvas 40x40cm
"Symphony for Leaves" type C Photograph 20x30cm
"Fall On Water" Detail Digital Imaging 15x15cm
I graduated in June 2002 and 2 months later I had my first major solo exhibition in Israel featuring paintings, photography and video. After a successful art launch in Israel I returned to Australia at the end of 2002 where I have been exhibiting in group and solo exhibitions in Sydney and Melbourne.
In response to the need for adjustments and embracing change I continued to explore the notion of rebuilding and restructuring as the struggle between nature and the built environment. In choosing the leaf as my metaphor I prompted prominence to an often overlooked matter to render its role in life. I turned to the leaf as I kept “Turning Anew”.
Leaves Without Trees Wander - The Way I Am
