Daphne Zepos: (Courtesy of Daphne Zepos)

It was in New Delhi at the sweltering height of summer, a few years ago. Sweat trickled down my back and legs as I walked, hassled on every side by bajaj drivers and beggars. Then I noticed the National Gallery of Modern Art building and in a flash I dived for cover, like a rabbit pursued by a fox, darting for its life into a hole in the ground.

In an instant, I entered another world. Engulfed in an oasis of peace, calm, coolness, I could breathe again and be human. And it wasn’t just the air-conditioning: The paintings – abstract and with a universal quality about them – also transported me to another sphere.

Anyone who lives in Jakarta will know the often desperate need to escape, and if you’re lucky, you might be close to the Elcanna Gallery in South Jakarta. Daphne Zepos, a French artist living in Bali since 2002, is holding an exhibition of paintings and jewelry there from Feb. 6-20. Go and escape!

Daphne’s work will give you the same feeling of peace, calm and coolness I experienced that day in Delhi.

With a background as a Chinese acupuncturist, Daphne’s “Forgotten Beauty” exhibition comprises 25 paintings, six small sculptures and 45 pieces of jewelry that share a water theme, part of a series of exhibitions on the five elements: water, wood, fire, earth and metal.

Born by the sea in Brittany, once an independent kingdom, Daphne was surrounded by water and steeped in Celtic myths and legends, and in Indonesia she was immediately attracted to the legend of Nyai Roro Kidul, Queen of the South Seas.

The story goes that she was once Kadita, a beautiful Sundanese princess of the Pajajaran kingdom, banished when a curse cast by her evil and jealous stepmother turned her into a leper.

Heartbroken, she wandered for seven days and nights until she came to the south coast. Like a seductive lover, the pristine blue-green waters lured her into its enveloping embrace.Spellbound by its power (some versions say in desperation) she jumped in, and lo and behold! Her disease vanished magically, and she became more beautiful than ever… and was transformed into a supernatural being, with powers to match.

Seeking to avenge herself, she became the mystic bride of the kings of Mataram, the dynastic enemies of the Pajajaran. As a Sundanese myself, the story resonates.

Indonesian contemporary art is thriving in the international markets, because it appeals to the intellect and to our social conscience, and that’s because it so often addresses worldly matters.

Daphne’s work, however, offers us another dimension – the spiritual, apparent in her subjects as well as her style. Perspectives aren’t clear, and images blur into one another. Her style has become increasingly lyrical-abstract, with brushstrokes that emerge from meditation rather than rational thought.

The result is a series of paintings that induce feelings of peace, calm and serenity, akin to the refuge I found in that New Delhi gallery. The energy is feminine in all its manifestations: forceful and gentle, concrete and solid (as ice), and adaptable, like, well, water.

Water is common, true, but no form of life can exist without it. Women are common, true, but none of us would exist without a mother. No wonder Daphne chose water for the first theme in her series on the elements.

While Daphne’s paintings are fascinating, it is her sculptures and jewelry that I find breathtakingly beautiful. Her jewelry has always really been simply mini, wearable works of art inspired by nature – can you imagine wearing a landscape?

Using both cut and uncut stones from all around the world, Daphne works silver to her will to form the structure and outline of the work.

In one, she uses a piece of  glass from ancient Greece, but miniature faces carved from bone by skilled Balinese artists appear in them all, forming the focal point of her mini-sculptures, also made with semiprecious stones and coral. These are her “Queen of the South Sea” series.

And there’s one more aspect to the sculptures that is unique: You can remove the top part and wear it as a piece of jewelry. That should appeal to women art lovers!

So dare to plunge into the cool, peaceful and mystic waters at Elcanna Gallery, and see if you can go with the flow!

"FORGOTTEN BEAUTY"

by Daphne Zepos

Running from Feb. 6-20

At Elcanna Gallery

Jl. Pakubuwono VI/35, South Jakarta

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