Arundel Contemporary

This exhibition brings together the work of two exceptional artists: Alex Berdysheff, a painter, and Jin Eui Kim, a ceramicist. Running until July 14, the exhibition features their respective new works, based on recent independent experimentation by the two of working with different mediums and techniques within their chosen disciplines. Alex takes his intricate surrealist pieces in a new direction by exploring new method and shape, while Jin uses new staining techniques and malachite to create bodies which have both strength and variated tonality. The two artists’ works complement each other and provide the viewer with masterpieces which are a delight to observe.

”Whenever I start a new work, as soon as the first brushstrokes on the canvas are dry, I step back, try to perceive an image in the chaos, and work out what to do next. Usually, several different scenarios present themselves for the development of an artwork.
So, how do I decide, what is the process? I think the answer is that it is through a combination of intuition and experience that I make my decision. Any new format, method or material I use can completely change my initial vision and lead instead to something wholly unexpected. A good example of this is the circular format I have experimented with in my recent works. In addition, I have also developed different ways of using acrylic paint, and some of my new works have been created entirely using these methods. But, experimentation aside, the main concept of my work – mixing figurative, semi-figurative and pure abstract forms – remains unchanged.”

Alex Berdysheff

”The exhibition at Arundel Contemporary will be a showcase to introduce my new work, which resulted from a project funded by the Art Council of Wales. The project’s remit was to develop new techniques in the production of artworks, which have the potential to influence the viewer’s perception of both three- and two-dimensional creations.
My previous works have been made by throwing on the wheel, then brushing eighteen different tones of grey engobes onto the surface. These techniques of wheel-throwing and then painting by brush efficiently create a particular visual aesthetic of perfect symmetry and precise tonal bands, whilst at the same time influencing the eye, creating illusions and varying optical effects. I had spent many years perfecting this process, and I was beginning to feel I had reached a point where I had fully explored and almost exhausted its possibilities, although there remained a couple of limitations that I still wanted to improve upon. For example, these techniques can only be applied to circular and symmetrical forms, while the scale of each work is also restricted by the practical difficulties of painting.
I had been thinking about this new project for a long time. My initial ideas, which arose from the restrictions I had encountered whilst working on my previous works, was to make tonal clays that could be used to create artwork through the use of different methods. I made countless experiments, each meticulously and methodically conducted, to create new clay bodies with strength and an appropriate variation of tones. I added black stains to create a smooth tonal gradation, and used malachite to adjust the shrinkage rate, so that it was as uniform as possible, all the way from the lightest to the darkest tone, to prevent cracking at the join. I carried out a great many firing tests to determine the correct temperature for the clay body to become vitrified and strengthened, whilst still acquiring a good tonal gradation. The new works presented at this exhibition are the final result of this exciting project, and represent the beginning of new direction in my work. The new technique has great potential to develop in different ways in the future, and I am excited to explore its many possibilities.”

Jin Eui Kim