Asta Rode

In her work, Asta Rode achieves the feat of accentuating the motion in stillness and the noise in silence. Her drawings are done in acrylic marker on canvas, and at first glance might be mistaken for paintings. A closer look, however, reveals the linework that makes up the images; her palette contains over 300 markers, and she is continually adding more. Taking inspiration from real places such as the Iguazú Falls and Kew Gardens, Rode captures the essence of nature in lines that are as fluid as they are energetic. Gentle strokes speak of earthly harmony and balance; threatening storms of drawn lines warn of dramatically deteriorating conditions and of the chaos that could be unleashed at any moment. Her art depicts a fragile world ever more at risk of spinning out of control in the face of ecological, social, and political dangers.