Saren Dobkins -
'Who's Driving You'
Oil on Canvas
76 x 100cm
$3,500.00
Who’s Driving You’ asks about the inner impulses that unconsciously drive us. The need for something more, which can feel impossibly out of reach, yet compels us to keep searching. Shown as a cross section of a woman that displays the internal and the external world she inhabits, this work explores who is really at the wheel when we make choices.
Saren Dobkins
'The Thirsty Dove'
Oil on Canvas
89 x 89cm
$3,200.00
I came across a newspaper article about a man whose dwelling had been deemed illegal, so his home was destroyed. The photograph showed him offering a thirsty dove a drink of water; an act of great compassion amidst such personal tragedy. I felt this to be a metaphor for the current conflict over land and our most valuable resource, water. I referenced the story of the dove that returned with an olive branch as evidence of land, but now we need fresh water. But how does a bird bring back evidence she has found water? It falls upon rational, compassionate humans to cooperate and help our fellow creatures instead. The dove is a symbol for peace, and I placed a soldier and an ordinary man/woman with a dove between them. Together they offer the dove water as a way of uniting the commonality of us all. Our basic human needs of shelter, water and kindness.
Saren Dobkins
‘The Other Side of Paradise’
Oil on canvas
90cm x 90cm
$3,200.00
‘The Other Side of Paradise’, an expressionist oil painting, places the figure in an environment which reflects our natural coastal surroundings of bright sunshine and waterways. It explores the societal angst many people experience, despite living in a ‘perfect and beautiful place’ on the coast. The ubiquitous smiley emoji, conveys all is well, while behind the smile, we struggle with more complex situations and emotions. A distorted mirror, as the body of water upon which he gazes, reflects the disconnect with how we feel and what we ‘post’ to the world. The porous surface evokes the fluid world we inhabit as we search for a sense of place, often unable to gain a solid ‘grip’.
Saren Dobkins
‘Staying Afloat in Turbulent Times’
Oil on canvas
91cm x 91cm
$3,500.00
This work expresses how it feels to be a woman navigating the world alone, traversing the juncture between longing and belonging. Her awareness of our current challenging times which include climate, economics, politics and relationships that she has to navigate, offers hope in how resourceful we are.
Saren Dobkins
Saren Dobkins currently working from her studio in Tewantin, is originally from Africa. As a contemporary oil painter, Saren speaks to a deeper aspect of our human experiences in a subtle, yet meaningful way. Integrating the influence of figurative abstraction of African sculpture, the tonal, surface expressionism of modernist art, the immersive experience of cinema and the literary metaphor of literature, Saren sensitively explores the complexities of identity, while being responsive to contemporary issues.
Her distinctive expressionist, narrative work accomplished in the use of colour and underlying geometry; is both symbolic and poetic. Her work expresses how it feels to be a woman navigating the world alone, traversing the juncture between longing and belonging, courage and desire. Although her work, often described as ‘deep’ addresses her awareness of our current challenging times which include climate, economics, politics and relationships that she has to navigate, also offers hope. Her works asks us questions, and in doing so stimulates a dialogue. She has exhibited in over 35 group and solo exhibitions nationally and internationally.