Curatorial notes
Soey Milk's 'Rose Quartz Hellebore' presents us with a captivating portrait amidst a flurry of floral motifs. Here, we observe a symphony of symbols, the most prominent being the hellebore flowers, historically associated with protection and even banishment of evil spirits. In antiquity, similar blossoms adorned grave sites, believed to ward off malevolent forces. Juxtapose this with the rose quartz, a stone synonymous with love and healing, and the composition reveals a tension between protection and vulnerability. Such emblems, far from static, morph across epochs, resurfacing in varied contexts; recall the protective amulets of ancient Egypt that also served as symbols of power and healing. The subconscious yearns for symbols of protection, and in this tableau, Milk taps into that collective memory, evoking a sense of safety and emotional catharsis. The viewer is drawn into this age-old dance between perceived dangers and the innate human quest for solace, a testament to the cyclical nature of symbols that transcend time and culture.
