by David Zimmerman
The paintings by a French artist Sylvie D’Halluin, recently displayed at Artifact Projects, are representations of art focused on exploring the natural world. Through her use of stylistic techniques that present multiple perspectives and a blend of textures and patterns, D’Halluin’s abstractions are both poetically elusive and suggestive. The dynamic visual relationships within each piece are largely driven by their dreamlike quality, enhancing the exhibition’s overall ethereal beauty.
D’Halluin’s work is marked by an elevated sense of otherworldly sequencing and rhythm. With her deft use of color and tonal transitions, she invites the viewer into intimate realms that seem to coexist, almost like parallel universes, within the same canvas. Her world is populated with flowing, naturalistic spaces, creating an atmosphere charged with a sense of simultaneity, energy, and translucence. This evokes a sense of identification with the calligrapher and alchemist—the artist as a transformative figure, reshaping nature’s raw materials into a singular vision, guided by a mystical insight into the underlying unity of all things.
What makes D’Halluin’s work particularly striking is her ability to evoke both metaphysical beauty and a sense of unease. The twilight-like lighting, contrasting scales, and hints of shadowy spaces and haunting marks give her pieces a richly ambivalent quality. They are infused with contradictions and spatial puzzles, creating an atmosphere of tension and mystery that lingers long after viewing.
David Zimmerman is a regular contributor to Artery