Gal Schindler: Between Two Waters
In Between Two Waters, Gal Schindler reminds us that beauty does not deny chaos, but it exists alongside it.
The exhibition title draws inspiration from Entre dos Aguas (1976), a Spanish guitar composition by Paco de Luci虂a (1947鈥�2014), a musician beloved by the artist鈥檚 mother. Although between two waters, the artist and her family remain spiritually intertwined beyond the distance that separates them. Enduring love, especially shared by women across time and space, is a recurrent theme in Schindler鈥檚 work. Although sharing physical attributes, each of her female figures possess a distinct essence that is entirely their own. In Schindler鈥檚 world, memory is not fixed but moves like water, carrying the emotional weight of those we love and the traces they leave behind.
Schindler evokes the Mediterranean in the warmth of her colour palette. With golden hues, yellows, whites, and pastels, her paintings can illuminate the darkest rooms. With the intention to holding on to beauty in times of uncertainty and collective grief, each work manifests a sense of healing and optimism. Indeed, Schindler鈥檚 paintings envelop the viewer with their calm, light-hearted presence, inviting the viewer to slow down and find comfort beyond the realm of contemporary life. Water runs through her practice as a constant presence, in both metaphor and matter. In psychoanalytic terms, the ocean also evokes the unknown as to many it is seen as vast and terrifying. Yet, it is also a source of peace, serenity and silence. This duality, explored by Schindler, is central to this new body of work. Furthermore, Schindler鈥檚 painted stripes recall the nautical, sailor's clothing, and the histories of those who live by or cross water. The poplar tree, with 鈥榟eart shape鈥� leaves, is used as a symbol of resilience and tenderness, often growing near rivers and fresh waters.
Inspired by 16th and 17th century still lifes, the artist uses familiar objects of the everyday to portray grounding environments. In the sometimes disorienting landscape of London, a chair in her studio, a pair of shoes, a notebook, a shell... all become companions to navigate troubled waters. These paintings evoke a sense of acceptance towards things that seem at times uncontrollable or unanswerable, and meditate on what it means to be present. They stand as testaments of resilience and inner strength, suggesting that healing might begin in the simple little things of daily life.
One might also recognise Pierre Puvis de Chavannes鈥檚 Espe虂rance (1871) in Schindler鈥檚 Hope (2025). A contemporary interpretation of the symbolist painting, Hope preserves the quiet solemnity and allegorical essence of de Chavannes鈥� original. Created in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War (1870) and the Paris Commune (1871), Espe虂rance presents an allegory of resilience in the face of chaos. Schindler鈥檚 Hope offers a similar vision of optimism, as it responds to similarly turbulent times. A careful observer, Schindler has spoken of her 鈥榞lass paintings鈥� and admiration for the painting鈥檚 thin, translucent layers, a formal quality she recreates in her own work. Through this lightness, she retains not only the aesthetic tone but also key poetic symbols from de Chavannes, notably the olive or oak branch. In Schindler鈥檚 version, the transparency of paint becomes a metaphor for vulnerability and clarity. Youth and femininity emerge as quiet agents of resistance. Her work suggests that art can help us hold onto what is luminous and life affirming, without sinking into decay.
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In Between Two Waters, Gal Schindler reminds us that beauty does not deny chaos, but it exists alongside it.
The exhibition title draws inspiration from Entre dos Aguas (1976), a Spanish guitar composition by Paco de Luci虂a (1947鈥�2014), a musician beloved by the artist鈥檚 mother. Although between two waters, the artist and her family remain spiritually intertwined beyond the distance that separates them. Enduring love, especially shared by women across time and space, is a recurrent theme in Schindler鈥檚 work. Although sharing physical attributes, each of her female figures possess a distinct essence that is entirely their own. In Schindler鈥檚 world, memory is not fixed but moves like water, carrying the emotional weight of those we love and the traces they leave behind.
Schindler evokes the Mediterranean in the warmth of her colour palette. With golden hues, yellows, whites, and pastels, her paintings can illuminate the darkest rooms. With the intention to holding on to beauty in times of uncertainty and collective grief, each work manifests a sense of healing and optimism. Indeed, Schindler鈥檚 paintings envelop the viewer with their calm, light-hearted presence, inviting the viewer to slow down and find comfort beyond the realm of contemporary life. Water runs through her practice as a constant presence, in both metaphor and matter. In psychoanalytic terms, the ocean also evokes the unknown as to many it is seen as vast and terrifying. Yet, it is also a source of peace, serenity and silence. This duality, explored by Schindler, is central to this new body of work. Furthermore, Schindler鈥檚 painted stripes recall the nautical, sailor's clothing, and the histories of those who live by or cross water. The poplar tree, with 鈥榟eart shape鈥� leaves, is used as a symbol of resilience and tenderness, often growing near rivers and fresh waters.
Inspired by 16th and 17th century still lifes, the artist uses familiar objects of the everyday to portray grounding environments. In the sometimes disorienting landscape of London, a chair in her studio, a pair of shoes, a notebook, a shell... all become companions to navigate troubled waters. These paintings evoke a sense of acceptance towards things that seem at times uncontrollable or unanswerable, and meditate on what it means to be present. They stand as testaments of resilience and inner strength, suggesting that healing might begin in the simple little things of daily life.
One might also recognise Pierre Puvis de Chavannes鈥檚 Espe虂rance (1871) in Schindler鈥檚 Hope (2025). A contemporary interpretation of the symbolist painting, Hope preserves the quiet solemnity and allegorical essence of de Chavannes鈥� original. Created in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War (1870) and the Paris Commune (1871), Espe虂rance presents an allegory of resilience in the face of chaos. Schindler鈥檚 Hope offers a similar vision of optimism, as it responds to similarly turbulent times. A careful observer, Schindler has spoken of her 鈥榞lass paintings鈥� and admiration for the painting鈥檚 thin, translucent layers, a formal quality she recreates in her own work. Through this lightness, she retains not only the aesthetic tone but also key poetic symbols from de Chavannes, notably the olive or oak branch. In Schindler鈥檚 version, the transparency of paint becomes a metaphor for vulnerability and clarity. Youth and femininity emerge as quiet agents of resistance. Her work suggests that art can help us hold onto what is luminous and life affirming, without sinking into decay.
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