My work-in-progress series “Underwater Illusions” consists of oil paintings of underwater space –
exploring and emphasizing its depth, light effects, color scheme and vegetation. At the same time, it
is also a visual story of a garden located both above and below the water’s surface. In some of my
paintings I present the surface of the lake and the nature growing in the water realistically, but in
some of my works I let the vegetation above and below the water merge together, creating the
illusion of an imaginary garden, because water as an element is necessary for all plants regardless of
their growing environment and thus acts as a uniting factor.
The “Underwater Illusions” series of works is also a visual attempt to express the three-dimensional
underwater world and its elements on a two-dimensional canvas to the extent it is possible
technically, expressing its material essence with brushstrokes.
My hope for the series is that when looking at my work, viewers could feel that they can “dive in”
to the depths of the lake and experience the expanse and silence that opens up under the water.
The “Underwater Illusions” -painting series will be exhibited in its entirety in Gallery 2 from 17
August to 11 September 2023 at Suupantori 2, 33960 Pirkkala. Welcome to visit!
Painting: Ligita Purina, Garden of Light, oil on canvas, 140 x 100 cm, 2022