Ay Tjoe Christine

The work is in good condition overall, as is the canvas. There is minor wear and handling to the edges, but the paint layers are well preserved and stable. Under ultraviolet light inspection there is no evidence of restoration. The colors and texture of the work are more prominent in reality than illustrated in the catalogue. Unframed, on stretcher.
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Transporting the viewers’ imagination into a world hitherto unknown is one of Ay Tjoe Christine’s strengths. Since coming into maturity with her Layer series in 2009, she has imbued her subsequent works with escalating vigour, effortlessly creating a new way of perceiving abstract-figurative paintings, expressing the complexities of human emotions and ideals into two dimensional forms.

An unmistakably unique element in this painting is its bold use of blue, which the artist used in a major way in only two other known works, both in 2012. However, the present painting is the only known piece that was executed using this palette in this style. Its use lends the atmosphere is magical, otherworldly effect.

The First Type of Stairs belongs to the same series as that Ay Tjoe executed for her group exhibition at OTA Fine Arts in Japan, entitled Talking About the Stairs (2010) and can be perceived stylistically as a part of the more all-encompassing Layer series. As is common in Ay Tjoe’s practice, only fragments of the subject matter manifest visually. Hints of oblong-shaped items are organized in succession in several scattered areas, communicating the form of the staircase as subtle nuances instead of literal expressions, which makes the work more powerful. The painting is anchored in the centre of the picture plane by a turquoise-colored fragment with a ladder-like pattern that’s framed by two bolts of vermillion. The “stairs” coil, twirl, and intertwine in all directions, bursting into a phantasmagoria of blue - cerulean, Prussian blue, cobalt, azure, and teal  - almost like a magnificent castle floating in the sky, as if it is a stairway to heaven.

Ay Tjoe perceives staircases as a metaphor of humanity’s calling to ascend, to grow and to constantly improve, both spiritually and physically. It is a way to reach a higher ideal, to bring a belief into fruition. Stairs are used to escalate, and as each step is repeated, so does our conviction strengthens, finally transforming what is impossible to become possible. It is Ay Tjoe’s belief that the power of conviction lies in this tireless repetition. As the legendary Muhammad Ali conveys most eloquently, “Intensity is conveyed by repetition. It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” The First Type of Stairs is one of the artist’s most powerful works, not only because of its strong virtual aesthetic but also because it serves as a reminder that the true value of art does not stop at the surface; rather, it reaches far beyond transient physical beauty by evoking deep emotional resonance and enduring inspiration.