"My first thoughts were about how to make the space beautiful, meaningful, healing, but at the same time energetic" – Paresha Amin
Autumn leaves of Gingko biloba, image courtesy of Kew Gardens
Commissioned for our project at Eileen Skellern 1, artist Paresha Amin was keen from the outset to draw on the beauty and strength of nature.
The natural world is a constant source of inspiration for Paresha: much of her work as a painter is informed by her encounters with landscapes both real and imagined, in daily life or between the covers of a book.
Planning the work she would make for the Interview Room at Eileen Skellern 1, Paresha quickly settled on the gingko tree as her focus, particularly the glorious yellow of its leaves in autumn. However it was not the gingko's beauty that inspired Paresha:
“Gingkoes are resistant to disease, insect-tolerant, long-lived and well adapted to the urban environment, taking heavy levels of pollution in their stride. I chose it for its fragile and delicate beauty but also for its tenacity, strength and its ability to survive. For me it is always an uplifting experience when I see the gingko in the autumn fully ablaze with its cloak of yellow gold and I hope the painting does the same for the users of the Interview Room.”
Paresha Amin, Interview Room, Eileen Skellern 1