THE STATE OF ART
By Morten Perregaard
ScandAsia.com, Thailand
Aug. 30, 2006
Danish born artist Elizabeth Romhild living in Bangkok speaks about her
art, and how she got to it. Furthermore, she reveals the interesting
journey she had before ending up in Bangkok
The black Land Rover rushes through the streets of downtown Bangkok.
The driver handles the never-ending rush hour of the Thailand capital
with a familiar steering hand. The all-wheel vehicle matches the
traffic-jungle and the driver perfect. She is dressed casual and
stylish at the same time. And laughter, smile and mildness are the
agenda behind the classy sunglasses.
The Land Rover comes to a halt in the driveway in a quiet neighborhood,
just a walking distance from the busy Sukhumvit Road.
So the silence is noted. Arco, the German Sheppard greets the driver.
The smell of coffee fills the nose in the kitchen, and the home of
the driver and her husband is filled with experiences and icons from
a life abroad.
The native born Danish artist, Elizabeth Romhild, has been living in
Bangkok with her husband, Peter, for 18 years. And it was in Bangkok
her art developed into the personal style that characterizes her
paintings of today.
The roundtrip Born in Denmark in 1960 by a Danish mother and Armenian
father she got her cosmopolitan background with, so to speak, her
mother¡¦s milk.
In 1965 the family moved to Persia, where she met Peter, a Dane,
who was working with East Asiatic Co. then, in 1978.
They married in 1979 and shortly after the Islamic Revolution, which
turned Persia into the country of Iran. Peter and Elizabeth moved to
Saudi Arabia due to her husbands work.
¡§The first two years in Saudi Arabia were tough. As a woman I was not
allowed even to go to the supermarket without my husband,¡¨ Elizabeth
starts telling after serving biscuits and sweets.
But the last two years in Saudi Arabia, she managed to build up a
small business with the cosmetic company, AVON. She became manager
with 30 employees working under her.
¡§It was my luck that the Saudi princesses used AVON. So I managed
to leave a country, where women are not allowed to work, with money
in my pocket,¡¨ Elizabeth continues with another mild laugh.
Peter and she stayed in Saudi Arabia until 1984. They were then
transferred to New York. They boarded Queen Elizabeth II and left ¡§The
Big Apple¡¨ behind after just one year. Only to be on the European
Continent for a couple of month before they were bound for Jakarta,
Indonesia. Again, because of Peter¡¦s work.
Motherhood In Indonesia, her passion for art started to emerge. She
painted her first real picture in aquarelle.
Elizabeth¡¦s earlier paintings were realistic – almost photographic
in style ¡V of slum and people. She earned the flattered title ¡§The
Slum-Painter.¡¨ In Jakarta she managed to get four exhibitions in an
art gallery. The first three were paintings made of watercolor. Her
works changed in style and materials. The motives went from people
and their surroundings to landscape and seascape. She then moved from
watercolor to oil paintings. The last exhibition in Jakarta consisted
of oil paintings.
¡§It was more an evolution than a revolution in my change of style and
materials. I am very powerful in my expression, so oil as a material
came closer to me,¡¨ Elizabeth explains.
In 1988 they settled down in Bangkok and have been here since.
She gave birth to two children, Wenja and Henrik, today aged 16 and
14. The new role as a mother meant a break in Elizabeth¡¦s work as
an artist.
After four years of artistic asylum, she started to paint again.
Having children made a turning point for the artist.
¡§Motherhood gave me a certain feeling. I wanted to keep that feeling,
and needed to transform that feeling onto the canvas. The feeling was
to be expressed through my art.¡¨ The artist of today The female body
became the main target. It started with an orange and a glass bowl.
¡§The shapes of those two objects are closely connected to the breast
and form of a human body – and specific the female body. On the other
hand, I do not have any specific preferences for the female body.
But, as a woman, I believe I can show ¡¥her¡¦ in another way than
a man. The man usually portrays the woman in some way as a sexual
object,¡¨ she continues.
¡§For me it is to capture the positive, not the sexual object. I
capture the beginning of life, and life starts at the breast. For
all people the breast has meant and still means, not only comfort,
but also security, safety and basic survival. But I was and still am
non-political in my art. I do not want to be political in any way. I
am not a part of the Women¡¦s Liberation Movement,¡¨ another smile
from Elizabeth reveals.
By no means is her non-political work an expression for a
non-involvement in the society.
Twice has she organized a charity event, for the ¡§Queen Srikit Breast
Cancer Center¡¨, where she auctioned one original painting together
with numbered wine bottles with her painting on the label.
At her recent event she auctioned ¡§Queen of Hearts¡¨, which was bid
for 750.000 Bath. Together with the wine sale and silent auction of
the special numbered bottles, she managed to raise a total of 1.3
million Bath, all to benefit the Queen Sirikit Breast Cancer Center
at Chulalongkorn Hospital. For her continued support she was recently
honored personally by HM Queen Sirikit.
Inspiration Even though her bookcase in the studio reveals Picasso
among others, it is more of interest rather than a specific source
of inspiration.
On the other hand music plays a role in Elizabeth Romhild¡¦s work.
That is to inspire.
¡§I do not need to leave the house to get inspiration. But I of
course pick up some ideas and get some input when I go out. But I
need music. People often say they can hear the music in my work.¡¨
Her pictures are strong and filled with passion, nothing abstract
or diffuse.
Today she earned the title, ¡§The Passion Specialist.¡¨ ¡§As a woman
it is satisfactory to earn your own money without being depended on
your husband. But I am lucky that I do not have to ¡¥live¡¦ from my
work, and therefore can express true passion, on my canvases,¡¨ says
the charismatic woman as she walks down the driveway after spending
three hours revealing her art and life. Just to see the Land Rover
parked in the garage, ready for the next trip to the gallery.
~CU She has just had a successful exhibition at Galerie Knud Grothe
Charlottenlund, in Copenhagen, last June, where she will exhibit next
in 2008.
~CU In Bangkok her paintings can be seen at The H Gallery, 201 Sathorn
Soi 12, where she exhibits her work every other year.
~CU In Denmark she currently has some work at Galerie Wolfsen, in
Aalborg ~CU In Singapore the well known Opera Gallery in 391 Orchard
Road, Ngee Ann City, represent her work all the time together with
their other artists.
To be able to follow her future exhibitions you may visit her website
asia.com/viewNews.php?news_id=2665&coun_code=t h
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
