FALLEN APRICOTS

“That first day, I picked a fallen apricot.”

If the everyday fallen apricots introduce the cyclical nature of life, in which continuity is reflected in the regular occurrence of this event, they also introduce a moment of change and impermanence. It mirrors the passage of time, the change of season, while daily rituals or routines provide a sense of continuity. The unexpected dropping or loss of the apricots symbolise the fluid and unpredictable nature of existence. 

“Fallen Apricot ｜掉落的青 ” is the inaugural exhibition of Filipa Tojal’s solo presentation in China. After several years of studying and living in Japan, she continues her exchange with the influence of Eastern philosophy through Western abstract artistic expression.

Both continuity and longitude refer to the concept of continuous measurement of the distance from the east to the west around the Earth’s surface. It signifies the unbroken sequence of points along a specific line of longitude, forming a continuum that extends from one pole to the other. While continuity traces the passing of time; longitude marks the physical distance.

Tojal’s intricate sense of time, space and nature has been reflected in her site-inspired process of creating. Entering the exhibition courtyard, a continuous line of green-painted rocks is subtly embedded into the pebble courtyard floor. The site-specific installation titled “10:40am”, a line informed by its time where the daylight and shadow marks the opening phase of the exhibition, also draws the physical connection from the apricot tree outside the gate to the gallery room. In the gallery room, the suspended paintings, side by side, front and back, echo an attentive look at the surrounding landscape of the gallery where the trees and the river flow in green during springtime. The positions of the artworks require discovery and movement through the gallery space with different levels and directions of viewpoints. The senses of unearthing and unbounding reflect the artist’s interaction with nature.   

Mineral pigments on the aged traditional hand-loomed linens from the artist’s family reflect Tojal’s dedication to the medium and tradition of painting as a classic art form. In this exhibition, Tojal explores the theme of continuity within her painting practice, where each painting evolves into the next, informing the extension of thoughts. Line, form, brushstroke, merging with the weaves and seams of the aged linen — continuity expressed through the consistent and uninterrupted progression over time.