Opening Saturday February 22, between 2pm and 7pm
Raul Lile investigates the familiar scenes of childhood in his second exhibition for Gallery Hioco Delany, titled HOMEBOUND. As in his previous exhibition (House of the Rising Sun), Lile plays with themes of interpersonal relationships. Though similar in that sense, HOMEBOUND is not meant to be read as a continuation of his previous solo.
His own experiences, especially those growing up with his younger brother, are at the core of his creative drive. The Romanian artist draws from personal memories, but transforms them into new narratives. The end result is a collection of cinematic scenes that capture the carefree freedom and uncomplicated fun of being a child. Alongside literal filmic scenes -such as three children sitting in the back seat or two brothers relaxing in a field-, Lile also creates more abstract works of torsos, meant to represent the direct angle from which a child views its surroundings, as well as portraits that portray the awkward poses of children in forced captures.
For Lile, there is power in the truthfulness of a child. This undamaged point of view of our past selves can disarm us as adults, as it rekindles a warm feeling of familiarity that we tend to lose once we grow older. With HOMEBOUND the artist inspires us to use the past as a tool for reflection and connection, building bridges between old and new environments along with their accompanying feelings.
The unique signature eeriness of Lile’s work is ever-present thanks to his washed effects, achieved by using water-based materials. The controlled bleeding of ink and liquid watercolours mimics the vagueness of memories, reinforcing the exhibition’s nostalgic tone. Instead of opting for an exclusive black and white colour palette, the artist explores colour.
By interweaving bolder hues with greys and browns, he emphasises the fun and cheekiness of being a child.
The cinematic undertones in HOMEBOUND are an indirect ode to the recently deceased David Lynch, whom Lile names his ‘main driving force’. Like Lynch, Lile juxtaposes the familiar and the real with a surreal layer. The filmmaker’s fearless approach to his work reminds Lile to let go and not take his own art too seriously. This is why the artist finds it important to give the viewer the power to create a narrative. In HOMEBOUND, you are the storyteller, making the work your own—even when it is a literal representation of a personal story experienced by Raul Lile.
Text by Jens Roothoofd
