Ornela Vorpsi started her artistic journey as a painter. She first studied at the Academy of Arts in Tirana, to continue at the renowned Academy of Brera in Milan (Italy). Ornela has also internationally proved herself as a writer, with a distinctive writing style, both in short stories and novels, whereas this exhibition “Providence” presents her as a visual artist, who uses the mediums of painting, photography and video to interact with the public, nowadays at an international level.
The exhibition is entitled “Providence”, it was curated by Gent Gjikola and it will be open for the public at the premises of COD/ADB (Center for Openness and Dialogue) in Tirana, from April 11th to June 30th 2018. At the center of Vorpsi’s work is the woman’s experience, in the midst of her emotional and moral ups and downs, reflecting her inner and outside worlds. The works of Vorpsi reflect sensitive themes, which are emotionally strong, yet have a philosophical and poetic twist. They are infused with delicate female notes and an undeniable sense of a strong personality, deflecting the attention away from the historical and political events.
The woman is the character at the center of the self portrait paintings entitled: “Red”, “Blue”, “Grey”, also present in Vorpsi’s photography, which is equally important to this solo exhibition. The self portraits, the most daring creations of the exhibition, embody different periods and experiences, as well as different personal experiences. But what remains untouched from one painting to the other is Vorpsi’s strong artistic power.
Photos: Courtesy of The Center for Opennes and Dialogue (COD) | Tirana
The series “Promenade” is intriguing, exposing the relations between generations through experiences and reactions. The artist herself states in the curatorial concept of the exhibition: “My artistic research needs to dig deep into the human soul. My subjects are faces, bodies. I observe through the painting as they “rest” in this “non-evident” existence.” Photography is a second medium used by Vorpsi to capture the inner world in some of her works, such as in “Nothing obvious.”
For the most part of the exhibition, the nude prevails. The uniqueness of portraying the woman from this angle is that she directly confronts the reality, without subordinating to it, but without denaturing herself either. Hence, Vorpsi’s photography communicates a strong, yet delicate woman. It almost looks like the artist herself is curious about this unreasonable contradiction.
“Nevermore”, a short video lasting 3’-3’’ concludes that time brings death and that time runs only one way. The video, deep in its meaning, is an elegantly captured motion picture on the reflection of the inner world of a woman’s sacrifice for the sake of whomever or whatever enters her souls. Almost every art work displayed in the exhibition triggers strong feelings, which create strong memories that cannot be easily erased from the memory of the attentive public.