Embodying the primal mysteries of life, water holds profound symbolic and literal significance, representing both transcendence and renewal. In Beyond the Surface, Kypriadakis engages water’s material and transcendental qualities in a body of work that reflects her deep connection with this element.

Capturing water’s form and engaging materials as a conduit for meaning that lies beyond the known, the works evoke an aerial perspective of water, built up with multiple thin layers that reveal the conversation between maker and materials. Drawing from Dansaekwha (South Korean Monochrome Movement) and her Celtic heritage, the concept of water as a gateway between worlds is reflected in the human scale of these works.

Looking into them, as if into a pool of water from above, the viewer can bring their own memories, feelings, and connections to the conversation. Their muted palette and absence of mimetic representation establish a strong visual presence, while the multiple glazes provide a burnished glow that offers subtle reflections of the viewer and surrounds, a metaphor for the barely discernible “other” world of the numinous. Engaging the transcendental and material qualities of water, this body of work proposes a calmness that invites contemplation.

Excerpt from exhibition catalogue for contem/ play/ tive, Grad Show (Honours and Masters),
Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University.

BEyond THE SURFACE, 2024