April 19 – May 13, 2012
Opening: Thursday, April 19, 6 – 8 p.m.
FRAN HILL GALLERY
285 Rushton Road
Toronto, ON, M6C 2X5
Tel: 416.363.1333
E: franhillgallery@bellnet.ca
Hours: Fri–Sun 11–6 p.m or by appointment
Rosalie Lam – Impressions of Sacred Cows: New Paintings
“The acts of travelling and moving to new countries present us with opportunities to explore strange environments, experience foreign cultures and discover ancient traditions. While these discoveries are fascinating, can we fully understand the complexities of these places? Perhaps our creative interpretations are a valid form of knowledge.
While I was living in Vasant Vihar, an upscale district in New Delhi, India, I was fascinated by the cows that visited the neighbourhood daily. Around mid-morning, the herd wandered in front of the gated yards and guardhouses, sharing the right of way with Benzes and Jaguars. As the cows lingered, grazing on stray vegetation and food scraps, house servants in colourful saris offered them buckets of water and chapatti bread. They seemed part of the community.
I enjpoyed the muscular shapes and nonchalant posture of the cows, and was delighted by their inquisitive but calm mood. They let me stand close by and sketch them.
In painting the cows around my neighbourhood, I attempted to capture the mood and movement of these large docile urban beasts, which were surrounded by an element of mystery. in a non-violent manner, the cows assert a strong cultural and religious presence right in the midst of a busy urban life in New Delhi.
In painting urban cows, I am giving them a voice through a foreigners’s eyes.” Rosalie Lam, Toronto, April, 2012