The Provenance Art Gallery in Rockwell is showcasing “Into the Unseen Garden,” a new body of work by Solenn Heussaff that explores the emotional terrain of caregiving and personal transition.
Through dense botanical compositions, Heussaff uses foliage as both subject and language, allowing the external landscape to mirror inner feelings of tension, growth, and quiet chaos.
Previously recognized for socially driven murals and a career in entertainment, the artist now presents textured paintings layered with lush leaves, blooming flowers, and intricate natural surfaces.
Entering her forties, Heussaff balances the joy of achievement with the anxiety of aging parents and growing children, a duality she seeks to convey through each canvas.
The seven pieces on display evolve in intensity, with vibrant blooms erupting against shadowed backgrounds to embody distinct emotional energies.
Heussaff describes painting as a means of processing constant change, allowing unplanned moments to surface on the canvas without predetermined direction.
A centerpiece titled “Where the Hortensias Sing” reflects her father’s dementia diagnosis; the shifting forms and bright flowers symbolize life’s perpetual motion and the lingering connection despite fading recognition.
Colors often recede into darkness, creating a visual ecosystem where recognizable petals and stems intertwine with abstract shadows, emphasizing flux and regeneration.
Her process begins with selecting a palette, then applying successive layers, flipping the canvas to build texture, and finishing with fingertip details for added intensity.
Although the gallery initially requested three works for its “Bridging the Gap” show, Heussaff’s creative momentum resulted in seven pieces presented to the venue.
European travel informs her practice, providing exposure to diverse exhibitions and opportunities to acquire materials; she will create two new works for a Paris group show slated for October.
Heussaff cites Hilma af Klint, a pioneering abstract artist, as a major influence, admiring the way the Swedish visionary transformed darkness into vivid, spiritual color narratives.
“Into the Unseen Garden” runs through August 30 at the Provenance Art Gallery, South Wing, R2 Level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Drive, Makati City.
