i seriously doubt it – A Solo Exhibition by Parra

Over the Influence is pleased to present i seriously doubt it, the first solo exhibition of Dutch artist Parra in Hong Kong. Featuring a series of new works with Parra’s signature curvaceous hybrid characters and highly saturated colors, the show further explores scenes of modern domesticity and the fluctuations of the emotions in association with it. The exhibition will run from 22 November 2019 to 4 January 2020. An opening reception will be held at the gallery from 6 – 8 PM on 21 November 2019 with the presence of the artist.

Characterized by curving lines and bold contrasting colors, Parra’s work over the past decade evokes influences of Tom Wesselmann and Henri Matisse. In a style of simplicity coupled with creative sophistication, his whimsical and frank interpretation of pop culture and contemporary life takes an inventive approach to the quest of self on an endless pilgrimage to some promised land of soulfulness.

For his debut solo show with the gallery, i seriously doubt it explores scenes of domesticity constructed in tightly claustrophobic spaces suggesting its oppressing nature. From eating breakfast alone at the kitchen table, to sharing a glass of wine with a roommate or a lover after a long day at work, each of the scenarios inquiry into the ups and downs of the main character through the lens of her domestic space. Following other bodies of work from recent years, the new paintings eliminate the figures’ faces, focusing further on the formal language and gestures of the female body and her surroundings and reflecting the artist’s commitment to forms and colors.

A mirror to our presence, the playfully titled works also suggest the series as a parody of the modern woman and her experiences in love and friendship. Works like thrown away like your stupid ball and the sad breakfast toy with the shallow suffering of contemporary life, while the privileged and the poisonous drink mock the superficiality of modern friendships. i can’t leave yet is the only work with multiple figures that seems to express a genuine intimacy. Perhaps here is Parra’s take on the universal feelings in the modern age – that for all our loneliness we can’t do it alone.