“The Pink Thread” by Aurovilian Claire, alias Iono, is an exhibition that can be seen in Pitanga until the 13th of January. It aspires to be as crystalline as the name of its creator… Claire.

Not only does the title evokes a link, it is also one of the most touching storytelling ever painted for one simple reason: through the inner journey of the artist, we see a reflection of the story of Auroville in its ultimate form.

What makes this story great? It is its inspiration. And for whoever is caught in desert land and had to learn to disbelieve, the ending will give them the faith that all is still possible.

Because she had the grace to be trained in the south of France with what could be called a “Zen Bauhaus master”, Claire got used to working with only the finest of materials. Her art has a lot of Japanese influence in its form and style, combined with rigor, details and minimalism.

As the title suggests, most of the colors of the 12 paintings revolve around the tones of pink, orange, and red. Only the last two ones and a couple more are in the blues or greens. They are all set on Plexiglas bin squares of one or two, sometimes three per sheet.

All the squares have a title, some in French “ les Ames errantes, Ici, Le portail”, some in English “Deep Wheezing, the Thread”… and unfold like the chapters of a book. One of them, called “Là-bas”, is the most striking one with its delicate and warm mixture of pink and orange. It shows happy shores unfolding themselves, dazzling in the flames of an unchanging sun, like in the famous poem “Parfum exotique” by Beaudelaire.

The end of the tale is a square of a diffused pastel blue color. It represents what could be the world and an embryo and its title has one of the most beautiful sentences that has ever been put into words and will resonate for the seeker as the ultimate truth.

“ Un monde nouveau c’est possible, parce ce que ça n’a jamais été” Mère.
“ A new world is possible because it has never yet existed” The Mother.

Almost like in a narrative, we see the artist’s inner journey unfolding, and somehow it is more than that: it is actually the personal odyssey we are all longing for.

Everything in this “ Pink Thread” painted storytelling has the texture of limpidity: the choice of delicate paper, the pastel colors, the purity of the inner journey, the beginner Zen mind influence and the sensitivity of the protagonist. It will win your mind and heart, not only because it has the power to inspire, motivate and involve through its sincerity, but also because it is the dream of Auroville… your dream… completely transparent and unclouded.

Chana Corinne Devor for AVartservice

THE PINK THREAD
Exhibition by Iono at Pitanga
December 30th until January 13th 2018
8am – 12pm and 2pm – 6pm (Sunday closed)
at Pitanga Cultural Centre, Auroville
0413-2622403