Artist

  • Kate Serebrianskaia
depot.org.nz

Beyond the Surface invites viewers to step into a realm where the transient nature of existence is both explored and celebrated. At its core, the exhibition delves into the profound beauty of the present moment—a fleeting, elusive experience often overshadowed by the noise of modern life. Through her abstract paintings, Kate Serebrianskaia seeks to distil these ephemeral fragments of consciousness into visual impressions, creating a bridge between the seen and the felt.

This body of work reflects a significant shift in Kate’s perspective following her relocation from Russia to New Zealand in the middle of 2023, which profoundly transformed her connection to the world.

By creating an abstract image, using colours and fluid, seamless forms in delicate layers of acrylic inks, Kate tries to embody the elusive nature of a moment that slips away with each breath. The unprimed canvas and the translucent use of acrylic paint allow colours to merge naturally, capturing the essence of existence. The choice of materials is deliberate, as raw canvas facilitates acrylic paint to behave organically, evoking associative connections to the depicted moment. Applying thin layers of acrylic inks and fluids one after another and seeing how they absorb into the raw canvas and dry with fading vividness enables Kate to embrace fresh, creative insights.

This exhibition emphasises simplicity and authenticity, stripping away distractions to focus on the interplay of colour, form, and emotion. So, the paintings become not merely personal reflections of Kate’s new surroundings but invite viewers to pause, immerse themselves, and discover their own moments ‘beyond the surface’.