Entertainment Reporter
BELLHAUS Atelier & Galerie will be launching the Alchemy of the Abyss, an evocative exhibition exploring the profound depths of the ocean and its creatures, featuring Namibian artists Bernette Louw and Sascha Olivier-Sampson.
Through the transformation of paper mâché (Louw) and acrylic on canvas (Olivier-Sampson) into profound statements, Alchemy of the Abyss invites viewer to explore the very nature of existence itself: to seek, to question, and to revel in the beauty of what we do not, and perhaps cannot, fully understand.
Sascha’s abstract canvases transform under layers of heat, gravity, and alchemy, evoking the ever-changing seascape with its contrasts between light and darkness.
PICTURED: Some of the art works which can be expected to be seen at the Alchemy of the Abyss exhibiton. Photos: Bellhaus Atelier & Galerie. 
PICTURED: Some of the art works which can be expected to be seen at the Alchemy of the Abyss exhibiton. Photos: Bellhaus Atelier & Galerie. 
PICTURED: Some of the art works which can be expected to be seen at the Alchemy of the Abyss exhibiton. Photos: Bellhaus Atelier & Galerie.
It’s a call for the viewer to look closer, to find those depictions within the abstract — a face, a shape, an emotion that resonates and reflects something personal.
Meanwhile, Bernette’s intricate paper mâché sculptures capture the essence of life in inhospitable environments, bringing to life alien-like creatures from the deep sea. From shells to anemones to schools of fish, her works evoke the strange beauty of life in the abyss.
Whether it’s the shifting blue depths of Sascha’s canvases or the creatures in Bernette’s sculptures, these modern-day alchemists invite viewers to delve beneath the surface and explore the unknown of the sea. Curator Andrea Behnsen hopes the exhibition will inspire reflection on our relationship with the ocean, urging us to protect its delicate mysteries.
Alchemy of the Abyss opens on Thursday 10 October at 18:00 for 18:30 and runs until Saturday 2 November 2024. The Art Supper Club in conversation with the exhibiting artists takes place on Thursday 24 October at 18:00, RSVP by Monday 21 October at 17:00. To book your seat contact hello@bellhaus.art.
