Statement

Anne Grarup bor og arbejder i Silkeborg, og en stor del af hendes grafiske arbejde og malerier, tager udgangspunkt i naturen i skovene i nærområdet, men også fra rejser i nord norge.

Metamorfose er et centralt tema i hendes grafiske arbejder – en kontinuerlig proces af forandring, hvor former og materialer er i bevægelse. Gennem arbejdet med naturens rytmiske strukturer undersøger hun overgange mellem vækst og forfald, mellem det synlige og det skjulte. Metamorfosen bliver et billedligt sprog for det ustabile og det uafsluttede, hvor motivet aldrig fastholdes i én tilstand, men konstant er i forvandling.

Hendes motiver kredser om naturens taktile, rytmiske og strukturelle kvaliteter: barkens overflade, siv i søens randzone og mønstre i visnet plantemateriale. Kontrasten mellem rodens mørke, rå, knudrede æstetik og staudernes lette, farverige fremtoning over jorden.

I malerier såsom Sjælen og I Mørket tager denne udforskning endnu et skridt videre. Titlerne antyder selv en dybere, følelsesmæssig forbindelse med landskaberne. Sjælen er et værk, der taler til den indre essens, den uhåndgribelige ånd i landet, som forsøges at indfange.

Landskabet bliver en spirituel oplevelse, der overskrider det fysiske og fremkalder en følelse af forbindelse med jorden. I I Mørket bliver mørket en metafor for det ukendte, de skyggelagte kroge af både naturen og menneskets psyke, en underlæggende uhygge.

Statement

Anne Grarup's artistic exploration is rooted in the quiet yet profound power of nature.

Her woodcut works often focus on the roots of plants, which she finds in her own garden. These roots, hidden beneath the surface, are a recurring motif in Grarup's art, symbolizing the beginning of all life. While the blossoms and flowers that grow above the soil are often celebrated for their beauty, it is the roots—untamed, raw, and earthy—that Grarup chooses to emphasize in her prints, offering a stark contrast to the more delicate aesthetics of the flowers that bloom above.

She approach each piece with a desire to capture the essence of nature's unspoken rhythms. The woodcut technique, with its layering process and tactile nature, offers her the perfect medium to delve into these structures. Through the physicality of carving and printing, she strive to reveal the unseen patterns that exist beneath the surface of the natural world.

Paintings such as Sjælen (The Soul) and I Mørket (In the Darkness) take this exploration even further. The titles themselves hint at a deeper, emotional engagement with the landscapes. Sjælen is a work that speaks to the inner essence, the intangible spirit of the land that Grarup seeks to capture. Here, the forms are blurred, colors bleed into one another, and the landscape becomes a spiritual transcending the physical to evoke a feeling of connection with the earth. In Mørket, the darkness becomes a metaphor for the unknown, the shadowy corners of both the natural world and the human psyche. The play of light and dark, the use of intense color contrasts, and the rhythm of the brushstrokes convey a sense of mystery and depth, inviting the viewer to embrace the beauty in the unseen.