Above: Michelle Wilkin, Inner Compass, 2024. Acrylic and mixed media, 75 x 75cm. NZ$2950.
COURTESY: THE ARTIST
Auckland-based artist Michelle Wilkin has found herself deeply inspired by the concept of wabi-sabi, a traditional Japanese concept of finding meaning in impermanence and imperfection. “The concept
invites conversation, encourages interpretation, and champions uniqueness,” she extols, and implements
this venerable approach in her attitudes to artmaking.
In Inner Compass, we see a field of subtle modulations of colour, dipping in and out of golden brown hues. Beneath the layers of paint there is the organic texture of raw canvas, which confers upon the work allusions to soft, worn leather or a wellloved wooden panel. This tactility is complemented by a medley of marks and impressions from pencil, graphite and chalk, left for the viewer to slowly discover upon extended contemplation. Inner
Compass is intended to be meditative in this way, a tonic to the ferment of modern life. “Today’s world is loud, and our days are unnecessarily busy,” says Wilkin. “I create art as a form of therapy for both myself and those who view it”.
By recalling faded patinas and the marks of age, Wilkin invites the viewer to share in this love for the imperfect, economy in colour, and joy in simplicity.