Artist Statement
I create art based on my environment I’m living in for a period of time. Thus my paintings explore influences, differences, beauty and experiences from the outside world that resonates within me. My artwork can be separated into series of paintings that are devoted to different environments or thoughts. I may spend a year working on one theme and then, switch to something unexpected if I encounter fresh content or strong influence upon me. However, my artwork follows several constants: vivid color, representational style and surreal content. I find it refreshing to have just a hint of surrealism in my painting that is not obvious at first and can still attract viewers instantly with the multitude of colors and balanced composition. Sometimes, I create artwork that is purely decorative and intended for wide audience of viewers.
Luscious textures of fruit, gleaming transparent glass, and the almost tangible fragrance of delicate flowers emerge on paper in realistic colored pencil drawings. Variously shaped vases are often juxtaposed with colorful marbles and translucent flowers. I enjoy building elegant compositions
around simple but beautiful household décor objects –vases and plates become visual anchors on paper. For me, flowers have ephemeral beauty, whereas marbles represent circles of life. Marbles’ semi-transparent appearance is just as complex and intriguing as the crystal surface of vases. Marking the seasons, cut flowers evoke sensual, delicate and fleeting human emotions that become drawings of sophisticate precision.Simple, but orderly compositions reflect the quiet balance and meditative peace of my artistic soul. Contemplative quietness is constantly assaulted by the demands of the outside world. The
continuous clash creates tension that channels through my creative process and explodes in my surreal imagery. Ethereal human form is intertwined with memories of places, floral arrangements and historic and architectural shapes ("God Ra," "Amun," "Venetian Mystery," "Summer Melody in Pink"). The compositions express a new spiritual balance. Less traditional, these drawings are a tangible statement of my artistic vision.Trees were the first plants to be worshipped by man. In his mind, trees of great lifespan emerged as symbols of strength and eternity. The Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge, the Yggdrasill ash Tree (that overshadows the whole universe) and the Bo Tree are the oldest examples of spiritual plants for mankind. In my mind I see a strong connection between man and the everlasting tree that identifies with birth and death, happiness and sorrow, good and evil.
Using traditional methods and materials of the old masters like Rembrandt van Rijn and Jean Vermeer, I glaze many layers of paint to achieve the richness of color and compositional unity. Interested in abstractly painted realism, I often create smooth passages of form mixed with textures of palette knife applications, influenced by my love of the brushwork of John Singer Sargent and Edouard Manet.
Jackson Pollock said, “Every good painter paints what he is.”
I paint my own unsettling, often misinterpreted world. I have taken the colors from the Impressionists, the sensibilities of beauty from the Greco-Roman era, the hidden meaning from Dali and Magritte and added personal sensibilities to my images. Realistic or not, I believe art exists to make a connection or discover a hidden stance that goes beyond the obvious visual impact.