Behind Your Eyes - Solo Presentation from Teresa Zerafa Byrne

This new showcase brings together a broad range of abstract works exploring memory - the elements of our personal experiences which resonate most, and how our minds choose to iterate those memories. Teresa is fascinated by the mind’s eye, the relationships between between sensory perception, awareness and memory. Working across multiple media and processes, she abstracts recalled details to create bold compositions which capture an emotional response to each subject. Teresa says: “Memory is an act of creation, a creative process in itself. Our memories are our personality - the culmination of our past experiences that affect how we live in the future. If we don’t have those, who are we? My practice is a personal exploration which extends out to each viewer, giving them a chance to think about their own lives as well as how memory loss can affect us.” Curator and Founder of BobCat Gallery, Catherine Sweet, says: “I’m truly excited to bring this collection together. Teresa’s approach to colour and composition feels fresh and vibrant, and her work draws you closer to catch at the subtle details incorporated in each - from a small red dot, to the fine line of embroidery through a canvas, layers of delicate collage or a familiar shape that you can’t quite place. Each piece is a multi-layered journey that rewards slow looking, and Teresa manages to balance poignancy with a gloriously uplifting energy.” Teresa will be showcasing several bodies of work, including pieces from her ‘Memory Skeletons’ series, incorporating painting, collage and embroidery. She says: “We can't remember everything, but the heart of it is what's important to us. Each time we recall something, we flesh out different details; it’s a fluid and non-linear process that emphasises something depending on our current circumstances. But the repetition of a memory reinforces it, and when you have found the ‘bare bones’ of a memory, that’s what I call a ‘memory skeleton’.” The gallery is located upstairs at Putney Exchange and open Tuesday - Saturday each week between 10.30am - 6pm, (Mondays by appointment). Teresa’s collection will be the spotlight presentation alongside a wider group of artists displaying their work for the month of November. A Private View will be held on Tuesday 3rd November, 6pm - 8pm, with free tickets available via www.ticketsource.co.uk/bobcat-gallery