Shunyam

The way Shunyam (Amsterdam, 1953) paints has a lot to do with how she has developed as an artist and continues to evolve. She used to work with a Willink-like precision. It always had to be better—a pursuit of perfection. But “The Great Discontent” kept hammering home the question: “Am I just earning a living, or am I doing what I feel?” Her rigorous stylistic shift initially drew quite a bit of criticism, which, however, very quickly gave way to enthusiasm. Shunyam: “You shouldn’t stand in front of my paintings and think: why does that one sheep have an eye and the other doesn’t, and why is the sky pink, etc. You have to leave that critical part behind and experience the paintings as they are.” Her paintings are far from superficial, for in order to achieve that apparent superficiality, she had to unlearn everything she had taught herself over the preceding thirty-five years. “The essence of my life is awareness—searching for yourself and beyond yourself. Through my paintings, I’ve found that essence. That uncomplicated abundance, all those colors of the rainbow, those dancing pigs and cows—that’s me; that’s how I feel.” I feel like a modern little angel from the Peter Pan movie, walking around with her wand and scattering light in the form of cheerful and humorous paintings.” And we get to share in that ongoing process with Shunyam.