Emerging artist Natasha Verbeke presents an ensemble of abstract oil paintings in her exhibition Jumping with a Foot on the Ground. Verbeke’s recent work embodies a sense of being thrown into newness and growth, yet caught by a heavy, small point. These vibrant paintings embrace energy, movement, and gesture through thin washes of paint and thick impasto application, and through figurative moments which melt into abstraction.  See Jumping with a Foot on the Ground in the Corridor February 2 – 28. Can’t make it to the Corridor in person? Check out the video tour of the exhibition on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ExvqaxeOC_A

Of this work, Verbeke writes:
Inspired by the history of painting, I lean into elements such as Baroque art to examine composition, colour, and the new narratives which develop in my paintings. The incorporation of figurative elements amongst abstracted landscapes allows ideas around movement to take precedence. I was considering questions like: does the weight keep you grounded? Connected? Or does it hold you back? Is it unresolved? This work explores the conflicting push and pull of up and down, of right and wrong, of familiar and new, of heaven and hell, of safe and unstable, while slipping along past questions like how are you? and how do you feel? …and giving little time to sit with your answer.

Natasha Verbeke is a Canadian artist currently based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, NS). She received a BFA from NSCAD University (2020). Verbeke offers abstracted landscapes and spaces which explore energy, movement, and gesture. The work plays between light washes and thick, attentive, impastoed paint application. Her paintings often provide elements of drama found in the historical paintings she references. These paintings were made possible with the generous support of Canada Council for the Arts.

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Located inside the Visual Arts Nova Scotia office at the Halifax Seaport since 2000, the Corridor Gallery is complemented by simple yet modern architectural elements and an array of current cultural activity in the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia office. The Corridor Gallery is located at 1113 Marginal Road, Kjipuktuk/ Halifax, NS, situated on unceded Mi’kmaq territory.

The VANS office will be open by appointment only during this exhibition, so we recommend calling or emailing in advance to ensure that the Corridor is staffed. All visitors to the office must wear a mask, practice distancing, and sanitize hands upon arrival. In consideration of the size of the office and the Corridor Gallery, only two visitors are permitted at a time.

Visual Arts Nova Scotia advances the visual arts through leadership, education, and communication.

High resolution image for press available via Dropbox. See more of Natasha Verbeke’s work on her website: natashaverbeke.com and Instagram @nverbeke.

For further information or to make an appointment to view the exhibition please contact:
Carri MacKay
Programming Coordinator, Visual Arts Nova Scotia
communicate@visualarts.ns.ca | www.visualarts.ns.ca