Clifford Charles
1992
Painting is an uninhabited space of not being - yet being. A contradictory and ironical motive: for the action of painting becomes an act of nothingness. Unbundled by the known. Active meditation and contemplation, not to defy or define - just being. Moving to a thoughtless moment of listening (to oneself) till one exhausts words.
Clifford Charles first set foot in Europe nearly a decade ago at the invitation of the Thami Mnyele Foundation. Since then, he has maintained close ties with the Netherlands. Last summer, he exhibited at the 50th Biennale in Venice.
In the 90, Clifford Charles made a series of oil paintings depicting human figures as bloody, aggressive beings brandishing whips and sometimes wearing gas masks. The monochrome background, which is usually white or yellow, serves to draw more attention to the figures. The paintings were titled Metamorphoses.
Presently, his artistic practice is focused on expressions of contemplation. Working within the foundation of contemporary paintings and drawings, Charles challenges the notions of reception and the appreciation of art.
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