YANN HOURI
It was a cold Tuesday night. London still in winter mood. I’d call it a ‘I don’t want to go out, I really don’t like this weather, when is this depressive time finally over?’ type of mood. You know what I mean, right?
I wasn’t feeling well because I could feel a cold coming, leaving me with less energy than I usually have. I wasn’t feeling well also because the world around me seemed to struggle too much with quite some heavy challenges. (No, it’s not only Brexit.) The winter blues slowly got to me. I can resist it perfectly until the end of February but then??? When it keeps being cold like winter in March and Aprils, phew! Here comes a challenge!
BUT WAIT! What’s the best thing to do in order to get out of that mood and positively entertain yourself with? (Let me know what works best for you and leave a comment!) Sex? Hm… Chocolate? Hm…. A huuuuuggge yummy pizza with a large glass of red wine? Hm… Netflix? Well, I hope it’s not that bad my dears (referring to Netflix, not sex he, he).
Here’s what works best for me! Spending quality time with one of my most positive friends at a fancy London city gallery with an Old Fashioned in our hands flirting with the staff and the guys who asked us: Are you Italians? We laugh, and we exchange our opinions on the very different looking artwork by Johann Van Mullem.
You know, it’s an art itself to take a moment and stop time in this fast paced and really stressful city. Though, it’s so important. For your mental health, for your brain to relax and experience something else and new than your notebook and office desk. It’s also essential to your ‘creative survival’. Disrupt your evening workout routine at least once every week or twice a month. It’s worth it!
Alright, enough of rolling the advertising drums here, let’s get to the point of this blog. That evening, I discovered 5 great things I want to share with you.
1) Keep that positive friend: those friends are simply invaluable and we all need at least one of them in the city or area we live in. The feeling they leave when you spent time with them is like life found its way back to you in its most beautiful and intense way. You feel good, optimistic and in a ‘I can do it’ mood. You also feel great with them because they don’t judge you for feeling low. They know exactly how to lift you up without forcing you to anything. They are the true diamonds in this world!
2) Don’t go to previews by yourself: I think when you go alone and you find yourself surrounded by all these art student cliques and gallery group people it costs you an extra effort to get out of that comfort zone and connect with strangers.
3) Go later than everyone else to previews: because the fun starts after everybody had his/her first drink, admired the artwork, said “great work” to the artist, and finally turned his/her attention to world gossip and self-curation.
4) You meet new people who you can meet later again, therefore, expand your network: you can flirt at previews, you can ask provocative questions or (that’s what I love in particular) you can interview people and learn a lot through them whilst making new connections.
5) Last but not least, you learn something new, you learn about a new inspiring artist at previews: and that’s also invaluable. It’s great to be able to discover a new artist and learn about his/her personality through the art. You can discover really great human strengths in those artists who often turn tough life situations and human pain into beautiful art.
Surprisingly, the artist who was shown downstairs at the gallery, who was not the main attraction made me feel the most excited. These colours and the texture! I thought wow, what a ‘waste’ of colour. Fascinating! I’ve never seen someone painting like Yann Houri. I was very impressed and surprised by the pieces of this not even 30 years old Parisian artist. PS: Can we meet when I’m in Paris please :-)? Looking at the paintings in that room downstairs made me feel alive and carefree. That’s exactly what I needed. Thank you!
Pictures below are from Yann Houri here at The Unit Gallery in London, UK.
