Esther Reutens, Artist, b. 1952, Penang.

A self taught Artist (her artistic genes could have been inherited from her Art Teacher Father), she spent the last 25 years in creative exile. A 10-month art course in USM in 1980 could have spurred her to continue working. In June, 2007, she had a solo showing followed by a group show, “Deciphering the Body”, at a2 Gallery, Penang.

Being female, and at her peak of creativity, Esther is still very much into experimentation and new subjects, something very few female artists of her genre seek to attempt.

Esther paints with joyful intensity and constant movement. Working around her canvases, she lays down pure colours that merge and separate to generate amazing perspectives. Her forms are strokes of layered colour over a contrasting background, creating depth through colour intensity.

The collection on show aptly highlights this eagerness to experiment and explore.

Mundane organic forms, not worthy of a second glance, take on a new lease of life on Esther's canvases.

Colour, form & texture each vie for attention, bringing the compositions to life with a vibrancy that defies time.

Recognising the subject's origins is irrelevant. Appreciating the life injected into the mundane is inspiration enough!