Viky Garden is an Auckland based multi-disciplined artist. Her work explores themes of impermanence, self-image, introspection and the female experience.
During a year’s hiatus from painting (2024-25), Garden created two series of sculptures, each utilising materials appropriate to the subject. 'The Agony of Flowers', a metaphor for a moment caught in time, considers the experiences women grapple with when confronted with the inevitability of change. Utilising mesh, barbed wire, and dried peppercorns, these papier-mâché sculptures contrast the life affirming grace of flowers to accentuate what is unavoidable decay. 'Crucibles' is a stoic representation of the ongoing fight for women’s rights, issues which are under renewed threat today. Like entombed, mummified modern-day relics, these seemingly mute artefacts speak loudly to the historical straitjacketing of women by imposed notions of identity rather than as fully realised, autonomous individuals. Vintage sewing patterns (used as the “skin”), are visually striking and rich in historical and cultural significance. Thematic implications related to gender politics, ageing, body dysmorphia, and the ongoing struggle for equal rights are alluded to by subtle, often cryptic references.
'Mugshots', a series of small paintings on unstretched canvas, represents a continuation of Garden’s 'Crucibles'. Shifting from traditional painting with brushes to using her fingers to create these works, Garden is embracing the raw, tactile nature of artmaking. Completing the exhibition are a small series of framed limited edition prints, featuring her 'Agony of Flowers' works.
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