Rebecca Harper: Thick Skinned – Quick Finned, Always Turning Tides Tale
February 28th – March 28th, 2025
Opening reception: Friday, February 28th from 5–9 pm
The scenes in her paintings unfold gradually, embedded in a stage-like composition that immediately draws the viewer in. At the center of her work stands a striking blonde woman, lingering alone in her own world—on the edge of a bathtub, a bed, or a soft sofa. This figure often holds a seal, an object that, like all elements in Harper’s art, carries its own meaning.
The poetic titles of the works invite deeper contemplation
Acrylic on cotton duck, 180 x 250 cm, 2023
The spaces in Harper’s paintings tell stories in subtle ways, through carefully arranged objects such as paintings, mirrors, and open windows, along with a recurring motif of water, which symbolizes movement and buoyancy—without ever consuming. The poetic titles of the works invite deeper contemplation and enhance the narrative depth of each composition.
fluid boundaries between body and environment
A recurring theme in Harper’s work is the noticeable absence of male figures, leaving a structural void within the depicted spaces. Instead, fish and birds emerge, taking on their own symbolic dimension—the fish move in endless circles, while the birds appear free and unbound, as if serving as a warning or an echo of something unattainable.
A key element is also the closed hatbox with a red bird on its lid, a metaphor for containing something too powerful or unspoken—something that must not be released. These and other narrative threads invite visitors to reflect on the relationship between presence and absence, movement and stillness, and the fluid boundaries between body and environment.
Acrylic on cotton duck, 130 x 180 cm, 2022
Verena Kerfin Gallery
Köthener Straße 28
Berlin 10963
Germany
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