Helene Cox

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Helene Cox is an artist whose paintings escape geographical location. Her artistic career began over 20 years ago studying at Wimbledon school of Art and RCA; since then her work has constantly progressed and expanded. From her constructivist background her work redefines the boundaries of paint and light as she searches for images that touch the heart. Her paintings frequently allow the viewer to enter a momentary world of escapism: where lollipop flowers with golden sunsets, evocative seascapes and cascades of vividly portrayed horizons do more than simply fill the canvas; they touch the soul.

“When life’s circumstances change; sometimes you back track through memories to find your feet, to regain your balance before you move forward. I found my balance in a garden, my secret garden, here in Asia.  The persistent vegetation  here in Singapore is always trying to defy this modern city and reclaim itself as jungle – This passionate determination inspires me and gives me hope for my spirit to travel forward.

I am not a natural gardener, so amending myself to the subtleties of my environment has been a learning curve which has ultimately affected my work. I believe I have become more patient, layering the paint to create a subtler refraction.  The intensity of light in Singapore has caused the colours and the paintings to become more vibrant and more powerful. The subject matter appears more conservative than my previous works, as ‘Flower Paintings’ hardly seem an intellectually challenging subject matter, yet the paintings of present have become a vehicle that traces my past, incorporates my present day and alludes to the future I wish for. They have a sense of Joy, as that is the mood they were created in.

Robert Henri once wrote ‘Your style is the way that you talk in paint.’ My interpretation of this is that making the unknown familiar creates a sort of calm, a languid faith in the divine. Not ever really knowing what is over the horizon or what is out of the window, by catching or anticipating a moment one can almost crystallize history; or if anything simply create a clearer perspective on life. These new paintings aim to portray some purity and to incorporate composure in chaotic world.

‘The Blossoming Paintings’ aim to combine some of the diverse elements of the world that we live in. I would like the paintings to appease the stresses of daily life and evoke happiness, rather like the comfort of a familiar arm chair, and hopefully create a place of rest for the viewer.”   -  Helene Cox