Larks’s debut solo show, “APERTURE” , revolves around light. In photography, aperture controls the physical opening of the camera lens to allow light in. Here, the word not only represents the physical meaning, but the feeling of it- what it feels like to let light in. The show features nine paintings, including one diptych, that process the heaviness of grief while finding grounding in sources of light.
“APERTURE” functions as a space to meditate in the softer moments- the morning sun speckled through tree branches, family days at home, a butterfly overhead. Hazy textures mix to create a surreal, almost transcendental atmosphere seen through a fairy-core lens. For Larks, the fragile-ness and sacredness of life is experienced in the magic of a spiderweb and distant galaxy sharing the same ashes. She narrates something vast; something cosmic, biological, and ethereal through these works.
In June 2022, Larks’s life partner contracted Covid-19 which developed into Long Covid, a chronic and debilitating condition, that quickly uprooted their lives as they knew it. The isolation and grief that followed were both core-rattling and eye opening, permanently shifting her perspective. This led Larks to immerse herself in public health organizing and long covid advocacy circles, where she connected with an immense community of people around the world going through similar struggles.
“APERTURE” functioned as a visual diary reflection of Larks’s experience the past three years and the happiness she found while navigating change. While painting, she was drawn towards macro nature photography and bokeh, a photographic aesthetic commonly associated with out-of-focus lights, both of which are created using wide apertures. With each painting, she magnifies her observations and highlights their resonance within herself. “APERTURE” was an opportunity to paint the world how she wants to see it, and what she believes it has the potential to be.
Amber Larks (b. 1994 Los Angeles) is a Los Angeles-based oil painter whose work blends thematic influences from the natural world, science, and the human condition. The imagery in her work often stems from hypnagogia- the transitional state of consciousness between wake and sleep. Her paintings are soft and colorful, often melancholic, but always full of hope.
Amber holds a B.A. from Washington State University and is self-taught in oil painting. She has exhibited across the US and internationally including Hong Kong, Switzerland, and the UK. Her work has also gained recognition through notable art publications including ArtMaze Magazine and Friend of The Artist. In March 2024, she completed the Moosey Residency in Norwich, England and was included in ‘MORE THAN NOW’ curated by Lisa Boudet at Moosey’s London Hoxton location.
