Reunite- verb “come together, or cause to come together after a period of separation or disunity.”

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It is more than two decades since I first met Irene Clark, when I interviewed her for a Business Review Weekly feature article entitled, ‘The Artist’s Eye as a Camera’. During this time, her genre paintings portrayed notable subjects from Australian, corporate and academic life andshe told me, “The work I do is not about capturing the exact image, it is about capturing the spirit.”

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In her latest exhibition, Reunited, Clark has now sought to turn the camera on herself. She first commenced exploring her identity and sense of belonging in her 1998 exhibition,Place and Identity. Clark has lived most of her life in Australia but her identity has long felt the pull of Europe with its deep cultural and artistic heritage and where she was born. Her continued introspection though her painting, eventually returned her to her native Germany in 2011. She now lives and works in Berlin for part of the year and these new works have been inspired by her time spent in the city.

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There has been a noticeable shift in palette from her last exhibition die Reise in 2013, where the darker, more dramatic tones drew inspiration from the 19th century German Romantic Movement. These latest works reflect not only the influence of the softer, European light but also have a sense of emotional ease. Consequently, her paintings have a lyrical, unrestrained quality with a new sense of freedom. They reflect Clark’s acknowledgement ofbelonging to both cultures.

Perhaps ‘eine Wiedervereinigung’ (reunion) between theartist and the soul?

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Narelle Hooper, Editor-in-ChiefCompany Director magazine 2018