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Issue #8 Fall 2020

Jonas Ng Cher Pruys Joseph Urie Zso a Otvos Kenan K. Yaroslava Liseeva Taylor Slingerland Innocence | W:26.00 H:26.00 cm | by Cher Pruys | AW354163681

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OBSERVICA M a g a z i n e

Issue #8 Fall 2020 November - 2020

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Date:

15-Nov-2020

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Discover the Artist

Observica is a Canadian contemporary art magazine published by "Discover the Artist� media holding. It focuses on telling the compelling story of signi cant arts created by brilliant artists from all around the world. Our publications are available to millions of art lovers, experts, collectors and enthusiasts in both digital and print format and reaches readers in over 100 countries.

Observica is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from the publishers. The magazine can assume no responsibilities for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.


Jonas Ng Cher Pruys Sherri Kruger-Kukowski Chan Suk On Joseph Urie Greta Schnall Donelli DiMaria Michael Goulding Zso a Otvos Christina Mitterhuber


Kenan K. Dq Nguyen Gyuhye Yeon Anastasiia Kruglova Hector Briet Haimeng Cao Jiawei Fu Ana Junko Linda Lasson Yaroslava Liseeva


Nikan Nejat Claracarat Maria Isabel De Lince Nelina Trubach-Moshnikova Taylor Slingerland Yolanda Win eld Aline Pouget Mohsen Modiri Gabriel Lavoie


Art Connects Us All We are nally here, working on the last issue of Observica in 2020. This year has been eventful and hectic to some extent. We all have been a ected by the spread of the COVID-19 virus, cancellation of exhibitions, fairs, and art gatherings. It was not just a health crisis, COVID-19 altered our experience,and as time has passed, we found ourselves in unprecedented economic, political, and social circumstances. Moreover, as the pandemic situation unfolded, the social distancing appeared to be much more challenging than we thought, even in a digital era. Not being able to spend care free time with friends and family has shown us the importance of togetherness. Meanwhile, artists' brilliant minds created unique ways to address this issue and gave us an artistic passage to absorb and reconnect. This issue is a testimony of how artists have captured all that happened in 2020. While going through artworks and reading interviews, remember that we are still here, we are still breathing, and we still care. Together, we will rise again.

Maryam A. Mardani Chief Editor OBSERVICA observica.com


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I may survive Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:102 H:76 D:2 cm 2020 J ona s Ng

AW127919356

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Jonas Ng Painting

I am Jonas, a freelance make up artist. I was born in Hong Kong. Art is always something I long for but I can only treat it as weekend hobby. A one month wheel throwing ceramics course turned out to a seven years’ practice and creation. I was drawn to Art books accidentally in bookshop and fascinated by famous paintings, masters and art movements. This was the time I obtained Diploma in Drawing and Painting and Advance Diploma in Fine Arts (Merit) at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong. Then I was attracted to make up and achieved Diploma in Photographic and Fashion Make up in CIBTAC, UK. Hoping perseverance and crafted hands could bring me to make up career, I quit my full time job as O ce Manager. A set back in make up career in 2019 turned to a calling to painting again. My work “Shall we talk later” and “I don’t care” were juried as a nalist in Art Next Expo 2019 and exhibited in PMQ in Hong Kong. “A working day in the airport” and four artwork in coronavirus series were selected as a nalist in Arts Dot 2020 in Karlskrona, Sweden. Moreover, eight artworks in big portrait series and coronavirus series were chosen as a nalist in ve editions of Prisma Art Prize 2019 in Rome, Italy. “Waiting for a cure” has won Biafarin prize in fourth edition of Prisma Art Prize 2019. "Silence in the dark" is selected for an Honorable Mention Award in Art in the Time of Coronavirus & Social Distancing from Circle Foundation for the Arts in France. "When will coronavirus end" has won top 60 works in Covid Dreams from Artavita in USA. "You are not alone" and three other artworks are selected in +VE/-VE Exhibition (Art in Time of Pandemic) in Hong Kong 2020. Four artworks are selected in Exhibizone - Summer 2020 (online exhibition) in Canada. In November 2020, I have my rst Solo Exhibition - Walking Through Colors (online exhibition) and my rst picture book "Sketching Dreams" exhibited in Hong Kong. Furthermore, my winning work will be displayed in Covid Dreams virtual exhibition in December 2020.

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Waiting for a cure | Painting, Oil Color on Canvas | W:102 H:76 D:2 cm | 2020 | AW127615320

Jonas Ng. Fading Emotions Andrea Guerrer Art Critic

In the work of the freelance makeup artist Jonas Ng two universes typically considered separate meet: the realm of the ephemeral and the appearance, to which the professionals who work in the eld of fashion usually tend to be connected, and the history of art, in particular Fauvism and Expressionism, movements that at the beginning of the twentieth century helped to free painting from the constraint of the representation of objective reality to inaugurate a new idea of guration intended as a sounding board for human emotions. These two, only apparently contradictory, nd an exciting symbiosis in the artist's new series of paintings, almost all made as an existential re ection and reaction to the profound discomfort shared by people worldwide due to the dramatic pandemic we are going through. What has been lived, perceived, felt, and experienced by the artist, in her paintings dominates and overcomes the nite dimensions of subjective time and space to express the universal breath of a humanity that, never before, is (or should be) united in the ght against a common invisible enemy. Jonas Ng paints large-scale female portraits using a vibrant palette of oil paints. Human faces fascinate her for their complexity, which derives from the multiple stories hidden in a wrinkle or facial expression. Originally from Hong Kong, a frenetic and hyper-contemporary city in which people often feel alone and alienated in a continuous race for e ciency, the artist exercises her sensitivity by observing with empathic attitude the hundreds of anonymous faces she meets on the street or the other means of transport. Her precise goal is to tear apart this patina of anonymity, to penetrate beyond the curtain of indi erence that makes them all similar and to give them back not physiognomic but emotional characterization, capturing the moment in which the defenses are lowered, and the face lets the person's inner ame leak out. Beauty is a form of capture, and the artist transforms the moments of abandonment of passers-by she observes into powerful archetypes of the human condition. The symbolic, the real, and the imaginary interpenetrate in a visual and emotional continuum that explores the di erent gradations of the person's moods as if the human being's true identity matrix resided in them, more stringent than any physiognomic characterization.


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The female faces of Jonas Ng appear modeled by the color and in the wisdom that artist identi es the facets, the shadow areas and the points of light we nd familiarity to her profession as a makeup artist with the real faces that she is accustomed to "shaping" and "painting". Even the preciousness of the chromatic range used in painting is reminiscent of the re nement of cosmetic colors: translucent purples, iridescent greens, milky blues, shades usually associated with eye makeup, are used here to impress on the canvas the delicacy of a suspended thought or a light blush of the soul, while the reddish depth of the earth brings to the surface more painful and visceral sensations. The artist says she was amazed when she began to paint unconventionally, realizing how emotions are spontaneously expressed by colors, without the need for further formal or conceptual mediation. Jonas Ng's interest in capturing expressions and emotions has deepened further during the pandemic, under the in uence of which he introduced a much more stringent relationship in her paintings between the subject and the subject's background. Like every one of us in these di cult times, she feels that she is swallowed by a drama of global proportions that has a decisive in uence on our private existence, the impossibility of separating the individual's individuality from the environmental circumstances in which we live. So, Jonas Ng's portraits are also ones with the pictorial back layer from which they seem to be generated, but at the same time also swallowed up. The abstract backdrop, in which reminiscences of rocks, water, leaves, or ower petals can be recognized from time to time, is the expression of a new interdependence bond between ideas, things, and people and manifests a mastery not yet fully explored by the artist in the domain of the space. These passages of abstract painting, for the artist, seem to take on a truer consistency than reality because they are the direct emanation of an inner condition that nds consonance and origin in the world in which it dissolves. It is impossible to lie and or escape from an emotion which, stirred and reverberated in intimacy, imprints the surrounding pictorial space. The artist's gestural brushstrokes are not detached from nature but, on the contrary, draw strength from the comparison with it: in accordance with Aristotelian aesthetics, the imitation of the trend of natural forms [mimesis] here acquires the meaning of imitation of the ideal form of reality, by which the artist's work is assimilated to the work of nature. Therefore, Jonas Ng's painting is inspired by organic perfection to translate in the most harmonious and spontaneous way possible the kaleidoscopic shades of an emotion that ows from the gure to its environment in an in nite circular exchange. The artist is in tune with the emotional sphere of the subjects she observes and the public who in turn looks at the painting through the seductive use of colors: the works do not attack the gaze with violence but attract it gently through the harmony of tones, the transparencies of the glazes, the tonal chiaroscuro, the colored shadows, the fading of one color into another. Painting triggers a continuous process of crossing limits as if there was a constant exchange between inside and outside in a caressing environment where feelings are translated into pure light, and the anguish of the unknown can nally nd rest. In 2020 the artworks "A working day in the airport", "Can you hear me", "Waiting for a cure", "Please come quickly" and "You are not alone" by Jonas Ng were selected as nalists in Arts Dot 2020 in Karlskrona, Sweden, while "You are not alone", and three other artworks have been included in the + VE / -VE (Art in Time of Pandemic) exhibition in Hong Kong.

Jonas Ng


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What can I do Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:76 H:102 D:2 cm 2020 J ona s Ng

When coronavirus still not going away and the road ahead is di cult, my hopeless thought has brought me to the rocky seashore. The protagonist is being washed away by the sea water.

AW127204736

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When will coronavirus end Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:76 H:102 D:2 cm 2020 J ona s Ng

The coronavirus has lasted for months and extended around the world. Still puzzling when will the virus end and the helpless thought is enforced by the imposition of withered leaves.

AW127207166

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Angelic Painting, Acrylic Paint on Paper - Cotton W:23 H:30 cm 2020 Cher Pruys

AW878525103

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Cher Pruys Photography, Painting, Drawing

Cher Pruys, ASAA SCA, IGOR, AAPL, CSAA, AMS, LMS, OSA, MAA, CFA. "To take my inner visions with my hands and create a work of art for you the viewer .... That is the ultimate in self expression." Cher Pruys was born in Regina. Over the years she lived in many places including Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Fort Frances, settling into her present home in Devlin, on the banks of the Rainy River with her husband Mark, 4 dogs and 2 cats. By age three, Cher was seldom found without a drawing tool in hand. She worked in pencil, charcoal and ink over the years, until, she picked up a paintbrush at the age of 35. Beginning with oil paints, she found her chosen mediums in acrylic, water color and gouache. Although self taught, her dedication and talent has seen her work juried into 118 International exhibits, as well as exhibits in numerous non juried shows. She has won 103 awards for her work at the International Juried Exhibits. Included in these awards, the rst recipient of a major Canadian National Award, The Mary Pratt Crystal Award of Excellence at the 2014 SCA Open Juried Exhibition, The SCA 1st place award of distinction twice respectively, 2016, and 2017 at The Canada’s 150 show. The Gold Medal recipient for Figurative Painting in The Mondial Art Academia’s International 2018 Competition. The Aviation Week & Space Technology Award Best of the Best, and the ASAA Award of Distinction for the best painting in the ASAA International Space & Technology Exhibit & Competition, consecutively for 2 years. She has had 14 solo exhibits. Cher is also an avid fused glass artist, and a certi ed teacher of piano and guitar. Her painting "The Bubble" had the honour of being part of the Masterworks from The International Guild of Realism Tour. She Was Elected to the American Society of Aviation Artists as an artist member in 1996, and eventually was elected as a Foreign A liate Artist Fellow, one of only two Canadians receive this honour. Her work has graced the covers of 3 books, 21 magazines, and has-been featured in over 78 international publications. Cher's works have found a permanent home in private and public collections worldwide. Cher's artistic style can be described as Realism with a hint of Abstract in her latest works.

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A Captured Moment Painting, Acrylic Paint on Paper - Cotton W:38 H:38 cm 2020 Cher Pruys

What a wonderful captured moment on a Canadian Northern Expedition! AW025041137

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Awesome Sloan Painting, Acrylic Paint on Paper - Cotton W:31 H:43 cm 2019 Cher Pruys

Young Sloan feels the warmth of the sunlight on her face as she perches on the back of a motorcycle in Mexico!

AW626083813

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Entranced Painting, Acrylic Paint on Paper - Cotton W:53 H:50 cm 2018 Cher Pruys

These 3 future ballerinas are entranced by the class they are watching, and are anxiously awaiting their turn!

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Girlfriends Painting, Acrylic Paint on Paper - Cotton W:33 H:30 cm 2020 Cher Pruys

The absolute joy between these wee girlfriends is more than apparent in their facial expressions and one can imagine the delightful sounds of laughter.

AW278930090

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Moose Mosaic Art, Mosaic Work on Shell W:76.20 H:86.90 D:57 cm 2019 Sherri K rugerK ukowski

AW941771725

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Sherri Kruger-Kukowski Sculpture, Mixed Media

Sherri Kruger of Badger, MN has been working in Stained Glass for the past 20 years. Over these years her art has grown from Stained glass stepping stones, to mosaic on found objects, to public art pieces. Art has been a part of her life from high school to the present day. During Sherri’s high school years, Mrs. Sandy Flagstad, of Roseau Minnesota, opened many doors for her with the ability to encourage, challenge, and train students to use their talents to strive for success in the arts. After High School she continued to investigate di erent mediums, textiles, sculpture, and acrylics. Sherri nally chose to work with stained glass, cement, and grout. Francis Karlsson, a local artist, was also a great source of inspiration and mentorship during the growth of her artistic work. In 2012, Sherri had the honor of building a large stained glass mosaic and cherry co ee table for the Roseau Library in honor of one of their volunteers. This was exciting challenge for her, and one of her largest pieces. Another commissioned piece was a cement garden bench with the likeness of a Soo Line Train traveling across its surface. This was commissioned for a railroad engineer’s retirement. In 2013 she participated in the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council's second Community Supported Art program by creating thirty- ve mosaic stepping stones for the CSA shares. Each stone contained an iconic Minnesota image of either a loon or a lady-slipper the Minnesota state bird and ower. In 2014, Sherri received best in show for the Moose mosaic, which is similar to the one that is on display here on the hearth at Tettgouche State Park. In 2015 she traveled to Philadelphia and studied with Bonnie Fitzgerald, a renowned mosaic artist and has transitioned her art toward public art installations. She is presently working on a 24 X 12 foot stained glass mosaic Heritage Wall for the city of Badger, Minnesota. This opportunity has allowed her to give back to a community that has become her home and where she has taught Mathematics for the past 18 years. Sherri has completed mosaic titled Evening Vespers in a poetry interpretation collaboration. This piece was inspired by the rural setting of the poem, and was framed in barn board and corrugated steel. Her latest sculpture was a male and female crow nesting. This piece was on display in Fargo, North Dakota. Presently she is continuing her work on the Public Art Wall in her home town and designing a sculpture for a public art walk.

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Heritage Wall Mosaic Art, Mosaic Work on Glass W:731.52 H:304.80 cm 2019 Sherri K rugerK ukowski

Stained Glass Mosaic featuring the heritage of the Badger, MN Community. It will be permanently installed as public art summer of 2021

AW915687599

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Rocks and Fire Mosaic Art, Mosaic Work on Stone W:45.72 H:60.96 cm 2016 Sherri K rugerK ukowski

Rocks and Driftwood were mosaiced using, glass placed on edge, Smalti, Rocks, and Stained glass, thinset, epoxy and grout. The Pieces are 3 dimensional.

AW107603690

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Evening Vespers Mosaic Art, Mosaic Work on Polyurethane Foam W:85 H:58 cm 2020 Sherri K rugerK ukowski

Evening Vespers was created in collaboration with a poem tilted Vespers. The substrate is Wedi Board, which is a light weight cement Backer board, with a foam core center. The imagery is created with stain glass, thinset, and mortar. A lone sherman is shing as the evening light is fading, he can hear the evening milking taking place of the near by farm as he kneels to hide his shadow from the sh.

AW526278557

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Shiny Thing Sculpture, Mosaic Work on Polyurethane Foam W:92 H:100 D:90 cm 2020 Sherri K rugerK ukowski

Shiny Thing features a pair of nesting crows. The female sits on her clutch of eggs waiting for the hatch, as her mate brings a shiny gift to honor her devotion. The birds are sculpted from styrene foam and expanding foam. Covered in thinset and glass. The nest and tree are found objects in our woods. with the nest being hand built and paper ber work done to create the soft home for the eggs.

AW440729445

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New Arrival Gloves Sculpture, Digital Photography on Photo Paper W:50 H:70 cm 2020 Cha n Suk O n

AW329484068

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Chan Suk On Photography

Chan Suk On was born and lives in Hong Kong. She graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Photographic Design. She gained her Masters of Arts in Fine Arts at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. On is an editor, photographer and artist. She is inspired by everyday life experiences. Her journey is going from documentary photography to conceptual art. She has participated in expos in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, China and United States.

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I Like Alcohol Sculpture, Digital Photography on Photo Paper W:50 H:70 cm 2020 Cha n Suk O n

I keep the packages and box of surgical face masks which comes from United States, Japan, Korean, United Kingdom to do the artwork. I don’t know the Japanese and Korea language. So, I use the translator apps to understand what it said. In Hong Kong, I can buy some alcohol swab come from Indonesia. The 75% alcohol swab is essential to my life to kill the virus. There are my experiences in this strange times. In the global world, the surgical face masks are out of stock. Many people are worry all the times. The supply and demand is unbalanced. So, I try to develop the sculpture which is mixed by the packages to give me a peace of mind.

AW243386752

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New Arrival Socks Sculpture, Digital Photography on Photo Paper W:50 H:70 cm 2020 Cha n Suk O n

I keep the packages and box of surgical face masks which comes from United States, Japan, Korean, United Kingdom to do the artwork. I don’t know the Japanese and Korea language. So, I use the translator apps to understand what it said. In Hong Kong, I can buy some alcohol swab come from Indonesia. The 75% alcohol swab is essential to my life to kill the virus. There are my experiences in this strange times. In the global world, the surgical face masks are out of stock. Many people are worry all the times. The supply and demand is unbalanced. So, I try to develop the sculpture which is mixed by the packages to give me a peace of mind.

AW754959800

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ARTIST at his EASEL Painting, Oil Color on Paper W:60 H:56 D:1 cm 2020 J oseph Urie

AW127252774

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Joseph Urie Drawing, Graphics, Painting, Printmaking

Joseph Urie Born in Glasgow, Scotland Art Category: Drawing, Painting, Graphics Artistic Career since 1970 Education 1977-1981: Graduate studies in Dundee College of Art 1981-1984: Post Graduate studies in Royal Academy Schools, London Achievements and Exhibitions - Received several prizes and awards, travelling scholarships, ... - Exhibited in many Open, Group and Solo shows in UK and abroad since early 1970 - Has works in various private and public collections in UK and abroad

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BRIDGES of LIFE | Painting, Oil Color on Paper | W:79 H:59 D:1 cm | 2020 | AW127045784

Joseph Urie: Drama and Beauty Marian White Interviewer

Hi Joseph, thank you for participating in this interview . P lease tell our readers about your artistic background story and if there w as a pivotal moment w hen you decided to follow your path as a visual artist? I was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1947. I knew from an early age that I was an artist: from my early , rst visits to the Cinema and viewing a wide variety of genres, from western, wildlife, science ction, and adventure lms, I would start to draw at home and on the walls and streets the imagery I saw in full technicolor, collecting comics and copying the graphic imagery also was helpful in learning how to draw.At primary and secondary school, my teachers would hang my work in the corridors, was a good ego boost for me, as I was not very good at playing football! I was also interested in music, and at that time Rock & Roll came on the scene. So, I learnt to play the guitar, felt I had everything one needed in life: Art and Music, both are still my main passions, from classical music to pop. My childhood memories have never left me and in an ironic way, have crept there way into my paintings, from portraying street art, street games, visits to explore local and national parks to learn about nature and see new animals, real ones, not on a large lm screen. Recently I've produced a series, based on all of this, its been exciting to go back, but in a way: I've gone forward more in a visual sense. W as there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely? Coming from a working class background, I knew it would be di cult surviving, in those days, from being / having aspirations of earning a living from painting. I did, for a few years, do seasonal jobs, and I studied and painted on an independent basis. I did produce a fairly large body of work. I then decided to apply to art college in Dundee to study further the main rudiments of drawing and painting. From 1977 to 1981 I studied in Dundee and post graduate studies 1981 to 1984 at RA schools, London. I was fortunate enough to win various awards, prizes and travelling scholarships, which enabled me to travel to Paris and Florence.


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I love visiting galleries and looking at paintings, this goes back to my early days of rst visits to large public galleries to see Rembrandt, Goya, Rubens, which made me more determined to pursue this for the rest of my life. As artists we all have to experience the ups and downs of the art world. All of this has not deterred me, I pursue it on a daily basis, with great vigor. W hat is your daily routine w hen w orking in your studio? Over the years I've got into a regular routine of starting around 10 am and very often, painting into the early hours. Between the early 80s and mid 00s I worked in artists studios, and produced large scale canvases, several purchased by public and private collectors in and abroad. I now work at home studio, on modest scale canvases, drawings and prints. I took up printmaking in 1972 and studied lithography and I enjoy exploring this graphic side of art, and use it in an integral part in the development of my painting: in imagery and composition. I don't do colored prints, only black and white.Woodcuts, monotypes dry-points are all exciting to explore and I feel help the development of my painting progress. From 2014 to 2017 I concentrated more on my graphic art, its impact can have real powerful e ect on ones painting. How do you select your artw orks subjects? W here do they come from? I feel my work, in essence, is autobiographical. I've traveled most of my life and I've used many facets of this, mainly from the early 80s period. I've explored many themes, like in my love of music, and did a series on the music of Bob Dylan, Hank Williams and the black Blues singers from deep south in USA. John Lee Hooker and Lighting Hopkins. In the 90s I produced a musical series and endeavored to convey the struggles in life they sang about from deep within their souls. I've expressed my inner feelings of a personal nature: love found and lost, hopes and dreams, fears superstitions, seek contentment and happiness. I've used ambiguous symbolism to explore this to create visual interest. Childhood Imagery has in a strange way made its way into my compositions, in a sort of subconscious manner. Like toys, trains, boats, and planes. In the mid 70s I was very in uenced by the surrealists. I do, since an early age, discovered I have quite a fruitful imagination. So I enjoy creating mystery and drama. In my travels I've seen so much beauty, as an artist my main goal is to create many aspects of this even though certain areas in a work may seem quite hard to view. And take in beauty will win in the end! W hat are your art influences? W ho are your favorite contemporary or historical artists and w hy? Many schools of painting in the history of art have in uenced me. As a gurative painter I've studied them in their use of color, themes, and composition. Initially the Venetian school: Titian, Giorgione and Tintoretto, who created drama and mystery led me to working in a mid to dark color palette, which is my natural way of painting. While studying at the RA in London, I would visit the National Gallery, where I saw Titians Death of Actaeon. Its limited Palette in a near monochromatic look, inspired me to do several works in this manner. His series of mythological themes, revealed his unique way of representing ,for the rst time the female reclining nude, in a realistic way. As also seen in his Venus of Urbino. I also admire Lovis Corinth, Monticelli, German Expressionists: Max Beckmann, Ludwig Kirchner, Otto Dix. printmakers: Ensor, Roualt, and Paul Delvaux. The symbolism, paintings and prints of Odilon Redon. I found various interesting things in the way these artists expressed themselves, which is a way I like to approach art and create it. How have you been affected by the current lockdow n, social distancing and all limitations and cancellations in artistic w orld?Travel is important to me, short and long trips, so I can view life, land and sea. This year I had to cancel my cycling/sketching trip to Cherbourg in Northern France, Normandy. I also had to cancel my solo show in a gallery in Ayrshire, Scotland, until next year! I did exhibit on 2 online shows, group exhibitions, in August/September. I go out on my local, short cycles to keep my mind and body t and alert.


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In an ironic way, self isolation has not really upset me: its provided me with many ideas to use in my work, I'm used to working, as a practicing painter, for long days of isolation. Sadly, many can't cope with this, the most vulnerable, leading to anxiety and feeling like a prisoner in ones own home! I can work in a small space and create a new world, many unfortunately can't do so! I also enjoy writing long, long letters to friends and family, who only write emails and succinct text messages. I feel the areas involving the arts now have an abundance of material to use for many, many years to come and something we will all never ever forget! Y ou have presented a series of highly colorful artw orks for this interview . I t seems that these artw orks come from different years and series. W ould you please name the series that these artw orks belong to, for our readers? I thought Id submit a small cross section of works from 2017 to 2020. The works: Cowboys and Engines 2017: King Red Pouters Vision 2019; Last Balloon Seller 2018 and Images from the Past 2018 are all works from my childhood series. I started this theme in 2015.The 2 works: Bridges of Life 2020 and Man in Lights 2019, are from my Travel series. Artist at His Easel 2020, is from my recent series on the COVID-19 pandemic. I feel artists should chronicle this crisis that's e ected all our lives ,on a daily basis. Ironically ,self isolation and lockdown, has provided everyone in society, to be more creative. And a multitude of ideas and imagery is available to explore and develop. A ll your presented artw orks seem to be heavily textured and developed purposefully. Of course trained eyes are needed to dig deep and extract valuable meanings from such pieces. W as it one of your fundamental intentions to invite the audience to get closer and explore mysterious concepts? I never set out to speci cally ,with the intention of producing heavy Impasto work. I have followed Rembrandt's dictum: Start Lean Finish Fat. I feel my approach of applying a thicker application does complement ,and is innkeeping with my imagery and the mystery and drama I seek to increase a visual impact. Artist at His Easel 2020 is a good example of lean to fat  process. I like to paint areas thinly ,and leave them ,and in other areas build it up by using various markmaking methods. I do push it to a certain limit and attempt to nd another visual dimension ,in which I might not have achieved in the thinly painted areas. Its a challenging process that I enjoy exploring. It has taken me a lifetimes practice to achieve and develop. Many viewers have commented to me on my use of color, imagery and thick impasto and said it does draw them in to scrutinize In 1987, I had a one man show in Glasgow Arts Centre, a group of schoolchildren visited it. Later on the manager told me many of the pupils went straight up closely to my paintings to touch them. A very natural, human thing to do. !. Developing simple ideas into creative and touching compositions is not an easy process. Y ou mentioned that your childhood has affected your art during your artistic career. Give our readers 3 of your presented artw orks for this interview that project such a footprint the most. Iv mentioned my early visits to the cinema, in the 50s, inspired me to draw. Scenes from wild west, wildlife, adventure and sci- lms,provided me with a varied array to explore in drawing. The children at that time/era used white chalk to draw on the streets and walls. So, in a sense I started o as a young street artist!, I've introduced this in my Childhood series of these white chalk drawings, which I've depicted on a wall image. These can be seen in my 3 submitted selections: 1: COWBOYS and ENGINES 2017; 2: IMAGES from the PAST 2018; 3: THE LAST BALLOON SELLER 2018.


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Throughout my career,I have introduced various imagery from the past: toys, animals, characters from american comics, all relating to the process of growing up and looking at the world we live in ,and through the inquisitive eyes of a child. A s an artist w ho traveled most of his life, specially being a cyclist and multidiscipline artist, w hat approach do you suggest to our readers to follow w hile looking at your artw orks and facing the creative visual challenges full of mystery and drama? As my art in essence is autobiographical, I have endeavored to tell stories of my life, in a visual format. The in uence also of music and literature led me to try and convey this in a poetic and lyrical way, hence my use of contrasting imagery and symbolism. This is of course my personal vision of life: people/friends I'v met our fears, hopes and desires; Places I've traveled to; Personal Relationships. I'v tried to avoid it as confessional art, and strived to create a poetic beauty, using a wide variety of mediums, in paintings, drawings and print. I do know that I do make people stop, look and think ,and that there is a magical element in the creation of a piece of art. And this can help draw them further in, and go away ,stimulated and enriched. I would invite the viewer closer to join me in the exciting visual road I've gone down from my street art days to the present day. If they can take something positive from this,then,maybe, by a little bit of magic, I'v achieved something. A ny upcoming w orks or future projects that you w ould like to share w ith our readers? 2021 Teeside Print Open Show February, Middleborough, England 2021 solo show, The Art Gallery, Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, Scotland

Joseph Urie


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IMAGES from the PAST Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:75 H:105 D:2 cm 2018 J oseph Urie

In 2016 I started a series of paintings on my childhood memories and experiences, from early visits to the cinema, street games and street art. It provided me with an abundant of material to explore and develop, in going back, in an ironic way, means I can go forward in many visual, creative ways.

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KING RED POUTERS VISION Painting, Oil Color on Board W:91 H:112 D:3 cm 2018 - 2019 J oseph Urie

I use symbols and metaphors to create mystery and drama: my rst visits to the cinema were very dramatic. So, I felt I'd like to create this when I get a little older, more experienced with life and it has provided me with many visual challenges to explore and develop.

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Greta Schnall Graphics, Painting

Greta Schnall, born 1964 in Simbach on the Inn in Germany, Bavaria. In 1984 she graduated from high school. 1989 exam of nursing. In 1989 she moved to Chiemgau, where she later joined the "Laufener Kunstverein". In the 2000s, she began digitally rediscovering the photography that she had previously inspired by analogy. In 2006 she started specializing in nature photography, especially macrophotography. In 2008 she begann with digital image processing. Around 2010 she started working on architectural photography and she continues expanding her digital editing methods to this day. In addition to 1st place at the Docma Award trainee in 2013, she was several times nalist at other awards. The latest awards is the WAA Women's Art Award, named MUSA International Art Space 2019 in Venice, 2019 Finalist Certi cation Spectrum Miami Art Fair Competition with Circle Foundation for the Arts and 2019 Finalist Certi cation for Competing for Exhibition at Art Expo New York April 2020, with Artavita. She is constantly exhibiting her early works in medical practices and clinics in Chiemgau. In addition to a previous exhibition in Switzerland, Greta Schnall then exhibited solo or in groups in various cities in Germany. Her latest participations in group exhibitions were in 2019 and 2020. These took place twice in Venice at the 2019 Biennale, in London at the London Contemporary International Art Fair 2019, "The Line Contemporary Art Space" and in Prague at "We Contemporary Art Show 2019", in Topic Salon. In summer 2020 she participate in the exhibition with the title: „Befreite Kunst“ at the „Marziart“ Gallery in Hamburg.

biafarin.com/artist?name=greta-schnall


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White Village Digital Art, Manipulated Photography on Plexiglas W:70 H:60 cm 2014 Gret a Sc hna ll

The original photo shows the facade of a chapel. My main focus is photography with extreme digital editing processing. This means that I am creating pictures and graphics from architectural, natural and abstract subjects with often surreal components. My favourite themes are front facades of buildings or parts of them, which I'm digitally editing and nally changing it into an abstract digital creation.

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Desert Rose Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:76 H:102 D:2.50 cm 2010 D onelli D iMa ria

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Donelli DiMaria Painting, Drawing

Dr. Donelli J. DiMaria has been involved in art for almost 70 years with artistic training from Lehigh University and many other professionals. After working for IBM Research as a physicist for 28 years, he became a full time artist after moving to Santa Fe, NM with his wife Diane who he has used as a model for many of his pieces. While still working at IBM, he studied classical painting and drawing based on the Reilly technique under Cesare Borgia at the Reilly League of Artists in White Plains, NY for 12 years. Donelli has participated in galleries and invited/juried art shows across the US for the past 30 years and has been in 14 museum shows over the last 12 years. His work has been published in art books, magazines, and newspapers garnering many awards along the way. Over the past 12 years, he has taught painting and drawing out of his Santa Fe studio, online, and through other venues while also running gure drawing groups. His current work bridges the contemporary and classical art markets covering a wide range of subject matter although he is mostly recognized for his gurative work.

biafarin.com/artist?name=donelli-dimaria


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Dia de los Muertos Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:61 H:122 D:4 cm 2020 D onelli D iMa ria

Oil Painting honoring the Mexican celebration of "The Day of the Dead" using a skeleton dressed in bright clothes surrounded by two moths representing death.

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Friends #3 - Bedtime Stories Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:76 H:76 D:2.50 cm 2020 D onelli D iMa ria

Satirical oil painting in a still life format of Pinocchio puppet telling stories of famous artists of the past to rubber ducks and a Stimpy doll.

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Generations #2 Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:102 H:76 D:2.50 cm 2017 D onelli D iMa ria

Satirical oil painting representing three generations of one family. AW208210977

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Generations #3 Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:61 H:122 D:4 cm 2017 D onelli D iMa ria

Satirical oil painting of mother and daughter where the daughter is now dominating the mother in life.

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Aileen I Photography, Digital Photography on Photo Paper W:27.94 H:35.56 cm 2018 Mic ha el Goulding

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Michael Goulding Photography

I have been engaged in art for nearly my entire life. I have worked in a variety of media and focused on a number of subjects, all with the purpose of creating something beautiful. Ultimately that journey led me to focus on the beauty of the female form as viewed through black and white photography. My work celebrates the beauty of the female form and spirit. I strive for my art to uplift the spirit and inspire an appreciation for the beauty of life. My aesthetic sense springs from wonder at the variety and mystery of the body’s physical reality as well as its ability to be transformed into abstractions. I think the world would be a better place if we all focused more of our attention on creating and appreciating beauty. Although I greatly enjoy exhibiting my artwork, over the last several years, I have focused my attention on publishing my artwork in order to reach a wider audience with whom to share it. My studio is located in the United States, in Takoma Park, which is within the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. I have exhibited my artwork in venues across North America, Europe, and Asia. I have received multiple awards and have had my artwork published in numerous publications on art or featuring art photography. My work has also been licensed for use by musical artists for compact disc covers and related promotional materials. I am an artist certi ed by the Museum of the Americas, United States, and am an A liate Artist of the Circle Foundation for the Arts, France. I am currently represented by FotoNostrum, Mediterranean House of Photography, Spain.

biafarin.com/artist?name=michael-goulding


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Aileen CXXI Photography, Digital Photography on Photo Paper W:27.94 H:35.56 cm 2019 Mic ha el Goulding

Price includes the photo matted, unframed. I strive for my art to uplift the spirit and inspire appreciation for the beauty of life.

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Aileen CXXII Photography, Digital Photography on Photo Paper W:27.94 H:35.56 cm 2019 Mic ha el Goulding

Price includes the photo matted, unframed. I strive for my art to uplift the spirit and inspire appreciation for the beauty of life.

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Aileen CXI Photography, Digital Photography on Photo Paper W:35.56 H:27.94 cm 2019 Mic ha el Goulding

Price includes the photo matted, unframed. I strive for my art to uplift the spirit and inspire appreciation for the beauty of life.

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Julie XLIX Photography, Digital Photography on Photo Paper W:35.56 H:27.94 cm 2017 Mic ha el Goulding

Price includes the photo matted, unframed. I strive for my art to uplift the spirit and inspire appreciation for the beauty of life.

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Times of Reverie Drawing, Graphite Drawing on Paper W:142 H:190 cm 2018 Zso a O t vos

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Zso a Otvos Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media

Zso a Otvos has been a practicing artist for 20 years. Her work has been exhibited nationally at the Zhou Brother’s Center, Merchandise Mart, Woman Made Gallery at the Betty Rhymer Gallery, in Chicago, and at the Chelsea Art Museum, New York, NY. Internationally at the Fortessa de Basso in Florence, at Koller Gallery in Budapest, and as a youth at the Centre Pompidue, in Paris. Zso a is a 4 times recipient of the Chicago Arts Assistant Program Grant, she was one of 12 featured artist during the Chicago Artist Month in 2008 and twice at the Illinois Artisan’s Program. She has been reviewed in print as at the Chicago Tribune, at the Chicago Suntimes and at Artscope and paste magazines online. Zso a gained her studio training in Budapest, at Studio 91, earned her BA degree in Art and Theater at North Central College, while taking classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Zso a’s grew up next to her mother’s tapestry loom, that became the base to her art. Currently Zso a is based in Chicago, but also resides in Atlanta and Budapest. Besides her ne art studio practice Zso a is an accomplished makeup artist for lm and television.

biafarin.com/artist?name=zso a-otvos


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Irma at her third martini | Drawing, Graphite Drawing on Paper | W:83 H:96 cm | 2013 | AW400939559

Zso a Otvos: Humanity and Emotions Monica Davidson Interviewer

Hi Zsofia, thank you for participating in our interview . P lease let our readers know about your artistic background story and if there w as a pivotal moment w hen you decided to follow your path as a visual artist? I am originally from Hungary, where I grew up next to my mother's tapestry weaving loom, generally speaking arts were always present around me in ways of uncles as sculptors and graphic artists as well as opera singers and composers. Instead of a pivotal moment for me it was a natural progression to nd my storytelling needs expressed in visual medium. I spent several years at Studio 91, led by Hungarian painter Rita Kopek where I studied gure drawing and sculpting. My relationship and understanding of colors are based in learning gobelin tapestry weaving from my mother. W hat is your daily routine w hen w orking in your studio? I go through phases in di erent periods of time. Instead of a daily practice I have longer time frames depending on what I am working on. My practice includes developing an idea through sketches, doing research online for my themes and actual execution of art. I mostly work during the day between 10-4 pm and sometimes from 7pm - midnight. Take us through your process of making your artw orks. How do you move from an idea to an artw ork? My works are based on what I nd interesting or surprising in life, as well as an outlet for processing internal emotions. When I experience any of these moments I create sketches and write notes of details that I might nd signi cant later on.


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W here does an artw ork begin for you? The inspiration happens at a moment of life. The physical work starts once I start to develop my sketches I earlier recorded. I s there a central concept connecting all your w orks together or each series or artw ork is unique? I am singularly interested in the human experience, typically through the experience of one individual. My paintings are focusing on either of the one person or are identifying one human relationship. My expression often uses theatrical elements of dramatic lighting, attitudes and body postures. W ould you like to give a particular interpretation of your w ork to your view ers or you prefer to leave the w hole interpretation to your audience? I create visual art to tell short stories I nd important. I nd a particular success when the audience nds enrichment as they view my work, whether their interpretation align with my intentions are insigni cant to me, as long as they are touched in a positive and contemplative way. How do you seek and use inspiration for your w orks? I walk with an open heart and open eyes, because I paint what surrounds me. I need to be sensitive to my environment at any time. I do nd it interesting that at times of internal peace I feel everything around me has great signi cance, whereas at times when I feel overwhelmed my senses seem to be very muted and selective. How do you select your artw orks subjects? W here do they come from? My subjects are often of strangers that seem to stand out, friends that I deeply respect. I am a long time member at Chicago's Trap Door's theater. I just completed a series of 8 paintings based on the play Monsieur D'Eon is a woman where I painted the actors in character celebrating the ensemble. My biographical series is unique in a way of medium and source of inspiration. In this series, I create large-scale detailed drawings of the ctional character Irma May who serves as a vessel to tell most intimate personal experiences. I s there an artw ork or series that you w ould like to be remembered for? A nd if yes, w hat is it? The closest series to me emotionally is the Irma May series, I feel while I tell my very personal experiences they are also very relatable and universal. W hat are your art influences? W ho are your favorite contemporary or historical artists and w hy? My lifetime in uences of artists are Goya, Shielle, Gross, and Otto Dix, If I had to pick one piece of art I most admire the Portrait of Sylvia Von Harden. I love the use of grotesque and satirical exaggeration while staying true. I f you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, w ho w ould it be and w hat w ill you ask about? I think I would be happy to meet anybody, maybe someone unknown from the past, more often I am inspired by the mundane. I would like to see how they live, what their daily choirs are, how their clothing is sawn, how they cook their meals, how they sleep, what they are laughing about with their friends. How have you been affected by the current lockdow n, social distancing and all limitations and cancellations in artistic w orld? I was planning to take time o this year starting in March to devote my attention to my art. When the lock-down happened it coincided with my personal plan of chosen isolation and focus on my art.


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While I felt the weight of hardship of others I remained focused in isolation and have been able to complete a number of paintings and series. One of them is called Witch Hunt that I started in 2004 and is addressing the inability of humankind to learn from the past's mistakes. I felt I was able to project the current state of the world in nishing this theme. Starting during the rise of the Black Lives Matter riots I had to let my deep feelings of displacement, injustice and uncertainties be expressed on canvas. These works are currently in progress and they have invited a new technique of layering paint I am developing. For me, the lockdown brought the opportunity of artistic growth, participation in lectures and networking. Discovering Biafarin is also the result of this focused time of creation and free ow of discovery. I am a union makeup artist for lm and Television, a kind of work I really enjoy and nd a great deal of inspiration from being part of the production. It is also an all encompassing experience that when engaged in, it leaves no room for my art. Both my makeup and ne art pursuits are motivated by creating characters to tell human stories. (On a side note I mentioned, the release of "Utopia" created by Gillian Flynn on Sept 25th on Amazon prime, where I was assistant makeup department head under the legendary Ken Diaz, department head) Some of our readers mentioned that they have some kind of impression of telling stories about the past from your artw orks in I rma series. Y ou, on the other hand, mentioned that I rma M ay series somehow projects your personal experiences. Some of the pieces in the series are surreal for instance in " I rma On A Silver P latter" . P lease tell us a summary about the story I rma is telling in this series. Irma was rst “born” in response to an Artist’s-Calendar call. Allowing myself to lean into illustration, I allowed some tightly guarded internal chambers to be released. Irma wasn’t purposefully created as a vessel of my personal experiences; instead, my subconscious rose to the surface through her. “On a silver platter” is from her origin story, how she became the person we got to know. I very much experienced the 3 life stages represented here: devastation and hopelessness, resolution, and nally acceptance with the con dence of taking on the world. The surreal representation of o ering her organs is quite literally how I felt. I believed the world had claimed all I had, but now I actually can o er myself to the world. As a survivor, I rebuilt, now I make the choice of o ering all of me and one can take as much as good taste allows. Y ou have rarely used colored elements in some of the w orks in I rma M ay series such as the table surface in " Times Of R everie" . I t looks that such coloring highlighted the papers that are placed on the table. W hat w as your purpose and w hat are you emphasizing by that minimal coloring in this series? Drawings for me are an intimate form of expression well-suited to sharing my personal journey of coping and overcoming. The use of color highlights what literally supports the growth of Irma’s emotional journey. The rst piece of the origin story is a painting followed by two drawings. In “Times of Reverie” she is in a transitioning stage. The table-top holds, keeps and represents her memories. She has become airier and the memories more solid; a part of the past. On the nal drawing “On a Silver Platter” Irma is standing on a colorful carpet barefoot. With her sandals kicked o she removes imposed conventions and stands strong on solid ground as a whole person. It is a strong, self-assured, content place to be.


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This fictional character w ith a long neck seems lovely and at the same time, emotionally alive, considering her various facial reactions. Such detailed paintings and draw ings are very time consuming to create. I t seems that you intentionally w anted to encourage the visitors to come closer and get engage w ith. M ost of our readers w ere fascinated about facial figures too. I am a story-teller who creates visual images. I use theatrical exaggerations, pushing the expression toward the grotesque. The long necks are often the result of giving separate space for the facial expressions, body postures and hand gestures. These three elements are my major tools to establish characters and their stories, so to be able to experience them individually I sometimes have to keep them further apart resulting in longer limbs and necks. I like to o er a sense of discovery of details to the viewers. I use hard pencils to ensure the lines are preserved the way I laid them, so the viewer desires to closer to the art --eventually breaking the line of privacy. That closeness is symbolically revealing me. How many pieces does the I rma M ay series consist of? I s each of them a piece of puzzle and complete a full picture? W hat combines all the artw orks in this series? The Irma series started in 2008 and is currently at about 20 artworks. The series mostly consist of snapshots of her life and more recently I have been creating new characters from her world. The Irma body of works is ever-growing, we can think of them as pieces of puzzles, but one that can take pieces from di erent games as well. The subject matter and the technique together make the series. The Irma May identi ers are representations of my emotional experiences I tell through her, the exaggerated character presented in her daily life and the multi-media technique of graphite drawings with acrylic on paper. P lease describe for your audience how much and in w hich w ays being a union makeup artist for film and television has inspired your I rma M ay series from the creation moment and process? My work as a makeup artist means being up close to hundreds of actors. Our work happens within the intimate sphere where we can experience each-others’ energy. This closeness helped me to be sensitive to other’s needs, helped me get to know the human within a publicly known person. This duality of perceptions often translates into representing an outside “shield” that one might choose when leaving their house to safely harbor the human who lives within that con ne. In my art I am drawn to this kind of exchange between the public and private personas and the choice of which versions one allows to be in the spotlight. A ny upcoming w orks or future projects that you w ould like to share w ith our readers? The Covid-19 is determining the possibilities of live presentations. I am working with Trap Door theater to hold a walk-through presentation of the Actor's on Stage.

Zso a Otvos


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Irma in her boudoir Multimedia Art, Mixed Media on Paper W:86 H:106 cm 2016 Zso a O t vos

A stolen moment from everyday life, one needs to groom and upkeep, one need not be disturbed or interrupted in such moments‌ sais she.

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On a Silver Platter Drawing, Graphite Drawing on Paper W:142 H:208 cm 2018 Zso a O t vos

On a silver platter, the nal pencil drawing of the mini series, where Irma is willingly surrenders herself but not without a serious dare. This mini series re ects my own triumph over hardship with strength and peace. Here I draw the viewer’s attention to the table and the silver tray of o er.

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Christina Mitterhuber Painting

Christina Mitterhuber, self-taught Austrian painter and mixed media artist, was born in Dec. 29, 1975 in Wels. She has self-studies at galleries around the world in United States, Canada, Australia and many countries in Europe. She is also a Professional Makeup Artist since 2001 and have received certi cates in rst, advanced and pro ciency in English native speaker from Cambridge University. Berlitz foreign languages Travel companion degree, Vienna Franz Schubert Conservatory/study branch of acting and Vienna Professional breath, voice and talk studies for the stage are among other degrees that she has received. She currently lives and works in Vienna. During 2018 t0 2021, Her works have been showcased in galleries and Art centers in various art scenes including: Austria: Kreativraum gallery, Gallery Steiner, Gallery Kunstraum and Galerie Artinnovation Italy: Gallery Rossocinabro, Merlino Botegga d' Arte, The room contemporary art space, Galleria La Principina and Galleria Mistral Germany: Gallery Artinnovation in Berlin United States: Las Laguna Gallery, Contemporary Art Gallery Online Her art has been displayed in known contemporary art fairs such as: United Kingdom: International Art Fair London, Canvas, The Line Gallery London Switzerland: Swiss Art Expo, The Art Box Project Spain: International Art fair Luxembourg in Van Gogh Art Gallery France: On tours Cannes in Galerie d' Art Cecchin, Stretti Germany: Discovery Frankfurt Art Fair in Frankfurt, Germany Austria: Art Innsbruck - International Art Fair, Vienna, Austria Italy: Venice International Art fair 2020, 12th edition, The room contemporary art space Contemporary Venice, International Art fair, Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello, ACIT Biennale di Versilia, Artexpertise Firenze, Tuscany Biennale Internazionale di Roma, Rome Borders, International Art and Architecture Festival, Venice United States: Art Expo New York City, International Art fair NY Red Dot Miami Art Fair 2021

biafarin.com/artist?name=christina-mitterhuber


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WE in RED VI Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:30 H:30 D:3 cm 2018 Christ ina Mit t erhuber

"WE in RED VI" is one of the painting from "WE in RED" series, 2018, 2019, 2020 consists of 60 oil paintings in various sizes up to date. It was inspired by a nocturne by Frederic Chopin. It also includes a video and a book. Book: ISBN 978-3-03899-515-9 Video: https://youtu.be/Jn4aoAgCymM

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A Critical Approach Digital Art, Digital Photography on Paper - Cotton W:100 H:70 cm 2020 K ena n K .

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Kenan K. Painting

I was born on August 11, 1956, in Çorum, Turkey and started oil painting in June 2006. I worked in Hızır Teppeev’s atelier in Ankara, Turkey for two years during the weekends. Now I work as a freelance artist in an old house (Built in 1926) in Edremit- Balikesir, Turkey that was restored as an atelier in September 2010.

biafarin.com/artist?name=kenan-kocak


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Animus II Mixed Media, Acrylic on Board - Wood W:40 H:60 D:13 cm 2020 K ena n K .

This work has been inspired by Carl Jung's school of analytical psychology as part of his theory of the collective unconscious. Jung described the animus as the unconscious masculine side of a woman.

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Dream Carrier (Yakur) Mixed Media, Acrylic on Board - Wood W:39 H:85 D:9 cm 2020 K ena n K .

She/he is one of the personas (Persues) who carries the dreams produced by the Dream Maker.

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Guilt and the Sanctuary Assemblage, Mixed Media on Wood W:20 H:25 D:15 cm 2018 K ena n K .

The light (energy/hope) in You, may be helpful to tackle the issues. Keep it alive... AW845922830

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Orukk Mythology Mixed Media, Acrylic on Board - Wood W:60 H:85 D:11 cm 2020 K ena n K .

The work represents the Orukk Mythology ( ctituous) itself, dedicated to Common People living in the Lillies World. (orukk.com)

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Self Portrait Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:91 H:106 D:5 cm 2019 D q Nguyen

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Dq Nguyen Painting

Born in Vietnam during 1975 my family was forced to take refuge due to the war. As a war baby I lived 7 days in my native country. Basically my mother was waiting for me to be born. By good fortune we were able to escape and eventually sponsored by a family in America. As a child I began to be inspired by creating. This was through copying and trying to replicate comic book gures, the scenes, and exaggerated expressiveness. From schooling I was always taking art classes every year and eventually became serious about the arts and studying past painters. Attending Virgiana Commonwealth University is where I have a degree in the ne arts in painting and printmaking. Through life's trials and tribulations I continued to paint or draw. By misfortune almost all my past works we lost. But even from incarcerations to homelessness I found creative arts was a gift that would keep me motivated to explore creating art. During these times I still continued to draw and paint. From over decades of painting in oil I feel that it is the most unique medium of choice. Past exhibitions around 14 years were mainly in the east coast of the united states. Currently I have numerous group exhibitions, from the United States to Europe, works published and awards merited. I have been paintings as a working artist again for over a year now.

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Fields of Rice Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:78 H:116 D:5 cm 2020 D q Nguyen

This is composed by using di erent images and creating a landscape view of rice elds. Using textural marks a and various greens and yellows to give you a mixed perspective view. Using a semi impressionistic style focusing on di erent directional marks layered.

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Motherhood Hue Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:86 H:106 D:5 cm 2020 D q Nguyen

This is a rendering of a photo of my mother in memory of her. Using classical and tradition techniques along with abstracted mark-making it is a central portrait. Inspired by great 18th century portraits I explore the elements of gurative positioning, glazing, and facial representations.

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Atlanta Rise Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:111 H:139 D:5 cm 2020 D q Nguyen

Composed images and subjects dealing with current cultural movements, justice, unity and part of Atlanta, Georgia's history. Using elds of colors combined to form images and a transitional play with color and form in an expressive and shifting of colors.

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Vietnam's Fields of Rice Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:249 H:124 D:10 cm 2020 D q Nguyen

Composed images of gures, di erent landscapes of rice elds, combining them to create a tranquil feel. Using aggressive mark making, broken overlapping colors focusing on depth of space.

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Dandy grandfather Painting, Acrylic on Canvas W:80 H:116 D:3 cm 2020 Gyuhye Yeon

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Gyuhye Yeon Photography, Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media

I paint spring, summer, autumn and winter in Korea. I paint Korean landscape series, portrait series, and ower series. I love to paint and have fun. Painting is a pleasure of immersion. No worries and no anxiety. I try to draw with a bright feeling. Just as my painting comforts me, I hope it comforts you too. Yeon/ Hongik University (Fine Art) Born 1967 Korea Currently lives in Daejeon, Republic of Korea Selected Solo Exhibition 2018 villa des arts, Paris, France 2016 "Spring, Summer, Fall and Fall" Gallery M ,Daejeon, korea 2016 World Watercolor Triennale, Gyeonghuigung art museum, seoul, korea Display Selected Groups (2020) 2020 Woman Essence, Rome, Italy 2020 Busan International Arts Market (BAMA), Busan BEXCO, Korea 2020 ASYAAF /Seoul , Korea 2020 LA ART SHOW, LA , USA 2020 Seoul ART SHOW, COEX korea. 2020 BUSAN ANNUAL MARKET OF ART Awards 2020 Artists of the Future 2020 2020 Online Exhibition I New Horizons/Contemporary Art Curator 2020.9 Wonen's Essence2020 2020 "100 Artists of the Future Book" /Contemporary Art Curator 2020 Runners-up: To Exhibit free at spectrum-Reddot Miami 2020 Circle Quarterly Art Review Contest Finalist 2020 winner 38th Selected for puplication in the issue of wold wide art magazine 2020 List of notable contemporary artists in the rst art book in Berlin in 2020. 2019 List of notable contemporary artists in the rst art book in Berlin in 2019. 2019 Paris Awards Winners' Exhibitions, Paris, France in 2019 2019 Honorable Mention :artist of the year competition

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The Korean Holiday "Chuseok" | Painting, Acrylic on Paper - Cotton | W:130 H:100 D:3 cm | 2019 | AW127418950

Gyuhye Yeon: Nature and Figures Monica Davidson Interviewer

Hi Gyuhye, thanks for the opportunity to talk. P lease tell us about your artistic background story and if there w as a pivotal moment w hen you decided to follow your path as a visual artist? I think I drew well since I was young. I got a lot of compliments. Despite the nancial di culties, I entered the art college, and was a student who only painted like a fool. That's what it is now. Around the third year of college, I had a lot of worries about life and painting. Then I got married and almost never painted. The paintings were abstract art. I got to teach painting professionally to students who wanted to go to art college, practiced a lot of realistic painting to teach, aimed at professional painting, aimed at professional writers, and came all the way here. Take us through your process of making your artw orks. How do you move from an idea to an artw ork? W here does an artw ork begin for you? How do you seek and use inspiration for your w orks? I choose the subject I want to draw, then explore the eld and take a lot of photographs, carefully select photos, sketch in detail, color. I draw the scenery, owers, and people I saw on a trip. It's all nature. I usually take a lot of pictures. I go on a trip to take pictures. Then, I choose the pictures I like and work on them, and the ones I like are like inspiration to me. In addition, I think I have a lot of a ection for Korea, which I was born in my old age. I like all kinds of Korean things, so I draw Korean landscapes, people, and stills. I s there an artw ork or series that you w ould like to be remembered for? A nd if yes, w hat is it? I have a lot of interest in the "Character Series." Life is tough. So am I. There are "Japanese military sexual slavery victims" of a painting by my grandmother. As such, there seems to be a ection for human beings, such as those who need consolation, attention, parents, me, those who give strength, and those we know.


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Y ou have presented a set of figurative, landscape and nature (flow ers) artw orks for our readers. This set show s your w ide interest and ability w hich our readers admire. W ould you please name the series that these artw orks belong to, for our readers? Initially, it was not divided into series. But there were more works, so each series became. However, "Mother, Rose, Tulip" was planned as a series from the beginning. The series are: Landscape painting series, Rose series, Tulip series, Portrait (including mother series) series, Street ower series, etc. I t seems that you choose your subjects mainly from the real w orld by taking photos. Y ou have presented figurative artw orks, for instance " Dandy grandfather" w hich is large and tall. P lease explain for our readers that how such process enhances your creative process. "Grandpa"'s model is someone who happened to meet at an exhibition When I meet someone I want to draw like this by chance, I ask a model to take pictures and draw. Most are drawn like this. It is drawn quickly to the desire to draw. " N ameless Flow er" is a unique piece w ith a prominent coloring. A nd you have a R ose series. W hat kind of flow ers do you usually choose to paint? W hen choosing flow ers for your model, w hat are the important factors you seek in a particular flow er? It's mostly a feeling. "Ah! I want to draw this ower." The rose and tulip series went to the festival and planned to draw it as a series. Aiming for 20 works. I like to draw a ower in detail. Like drawing only one person. Also a lot of owers to describe (slightly withered owers) and unusual composition. Something that feels like a story (e.g. rose family, mother and baby, etc.) Y ou made a very realistic visual reproduction of Korean culture and nature. The trees seem very real and alive. Our readers love to know more about these reproduction artw orks. P lease explain further. That tree is my favorite "Korean Yew Tree". I love it very much, very very, I draw, redraw and redraw the picture until I like it. I am 55 years old. This age seems to be the age to love the culture of my country. I like landscape paintings with Korean traditional houses,'Hanok'. So I draw often. I think I like Korean culture a lot. W hy do some of your presented paintings take so long according to their duration like Landscape Series: Korea's UN ESCO Heritage Site " Gongsanseng" . I s there any research or study involved? This is w hy some of the photos you presented take a long time depending on the times, like the landscape series. Korea's UN ESCO heritage " communist" ? Do you have any research or research related? I want to keep drawing, but I have a break in the middle because my skills are insu cient. Then take a break and draw again and again. So it took a long time. After all, because painting is di cult. There is no other reason. So I usually draw three or so together.

Gyuhye Yeon


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Mother Series: K.M Painting, Mixed Media W:54 H:74 D:5 cm 2015 - 2018 Gyuhye Yeon

She is the mother of my husband. She didn't like to be photographed, so I secretly took it and drew it. My mother barks at farming, but she doesn't like drawing very much. You seem to be ashamed of your real appearance without makeup.

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My favorite ower, picture Painting, Mixed Media on Paper - Cotton W:54 H:74 cm Gyuhye Yeon

The picture is not pretty. It's simple. I met someone who likes this simple painting in a colorful and pretty ower painting. It was good. There's someone who likes this, too.

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Music Night Drum Solo Painting, Oil Color on Cardboard W:60 H:80 cm 2018 Ana st a siia K ruglova

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Anastasiia Kruglova Painting, Mixed Media

Anastasiia Kruglova is an artist from Russia, Moscow. Art education received in the creative workshop Kovalik O.A., honorable member of Moscow Union of Artists. Anastasiia tries to communicate with the audience by giving a feeling of immersion in the artist's richly emotionally colored world. The in nite universe, with its unique palette, appeals to the viewer from canvases. Her manner of mastering color, brush, and shapes, understanding the structure and structure of the graphic plane conquers, fascinates, and is remembered. One of her favorite media is oil painting, but the artist has also explored acrylic and mixed media.

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Code of the City Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:60 H:80 cm 2017 Ana st a siia K ruglova

Being alone with yourself in an overcrowded city or be alone with the world. AW127762192

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District Industrial Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:80 H:60 cm 2019 Ana st a siia K ruglova

Industrial motive – motion, power, steam, energy, big city life pace. AW127723712

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Doors: Finding a Solution Painting, Oil Color on Cardboard W:90 H:70 cm 2018 Ana st a siia K ruglova

Even if you think there's no way out, think twice. There are many solution doors all around you.

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Fences and Ladders Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:70 H:60 cm 2019 Ana st a siia K ruglova

I believe we should appreciate life with all its ups and downs. So even if we face an endless fence in front of our eyes, even if there is an obstacle on our path, we always should try harder and nd a ladder to overcome it.

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Hector Briet Drawing, Painting

Brazilian writer and artist and I'm 17 years old. As a visual artist, I gained international recognition when I was invited to exhibit the work "I am gay who su ers from homophobia" from the I Am the Pain collection at the 10th Art Shopping Paris - Carrousel do Louvre - 2017, during the Contemporary Art Week of Paris in October 2017, the following year, was included in the ranking of the 50 Most In uential Artists in the World by 2018 by The Best Modern and Contemporary Artists curated by Italians Salvatore Russo and Francesco Saverio. At the age of 7 he published his rst book, "The Gira e Who went to Space", since then dedicates his life between literature and the ne arts.As a writer, at the age of 10, he was selected at the INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN CONTEST FOR PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE AUTHORS: “AMAZED with his third book“ The Transformation of Joca ”. best graphic design - Brazilian Literature Award 2017 sponsored by ZL Editora Social artist: in all his works he deals with diversity, inclusion and combating any form of discrimination and prejudice, he managed to bring my protest art to the Louvre Museum and My illustrations in honor of the drags and transsexual divas printed the collection of designer Mileide Lopes, which was the rst brand from Goiás to be selected by the curator of São Paulo Fashion Week to exhibit at the event's concept store.

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Next Victim Drawing, Aquatint on Paper W:42 H:59 cm 2019 Hec t or B riet

The work Proxima Vítima is part of the collection Visibilidade Trans that was presented at the DIGO INTERNATIONAL CINEMA FESTIVAL OF SEXUAL DIVERSITY AND GENDER OF GOIÁS. The collection tells the life story of a Transsexual person. As Brazil is unfortunately the country that kills the most LGBTQIA + people in the world, so, violence is part of the life of many trans Brazilians and was portrayed in this collection. The work is a protest and also a tribute to some transgender people cruelly killed because of intolerance and prejudice.

AW021364919

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OBSERVICA Issue #8 - Fall 2020 biafarin.com/observica2020fall

Artist Website vs. Social Media As an artist, you need a credible place to create a long-term portfolio of your art to not only showcase your works but to allow people to keep in touch with you as well as having insight over your art market. Online Presence is the key An artist website plays a great role in elevating your online presence and enhancing the perception of your art history and your past and present activities. On the other hand, a good website helps you to keep your art data categorized and updated and it also enables your audience to access your art through text, photos, and videos. Is social media enough? Some artists may argue there is no need for a website when they have an active social media presence like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page. Your social media presence improves your pro le visibility and eases your communication with your audience. Yet, it only shows the current status of your art and cannot open a unique gate to your art world. Besides, your website can attract all your potential audience on the net, including the ones with no active social media accounts. Website + Social Media Having a website, along with social media pages, can be the winning combination. This way, you protect your artistic legacy, share your recent activities and take your creative journey to the next level. How to build a website then? As an artist, you have several options to build your website. Biafarin platform provides an all-in-one artist development package that includes an easy-to-use dynamic multi-lingual artist website builder.


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Haimeng Cao Painting

Haimeng Cao is a freelance artist in Los Angeles. He graduated in ArtCenter College of Design, illustration major. His skills focus on concept design and visual development. He worked in Blizzard Entertainment in 2018 as a contract concept artist and 3D modeler to work with creative director and lead artist for their upcoming game. He was also a cinematic concept artist and storyboard artist of Framestore in 2017 who worked for upcoming lm Dune directed by Denis Villeneuve.

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A Dystopia City Digital Art, Digital Painting on Photo Paper W:210 H:90 D:5 cm 2018 Ha imeng Ca o

My works focus on environment design, especially science ctional city landscape with highly details. 3D modeling and rendering and 2D adjustment is the overall work ow. Every piece of work has unique camera angle and displays spectacular panorama of the city. Each city has di erent architecture styles and atmospheres. The story is established within those techniques.

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Another Zoom Day Painting on Canvas W:60 H:60 cm 2020 J ia wei Fu

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Jiawei Fu Painting

I'm an international student from China who currently studying at Pratt Institute under Interior Design (BFA). Having strong interest in balancing community & communication, I dedicates my spatial designs & paintings to combine the idea of inclusive/exclusive, provide/contain by working with light & shadow through di erent materials & structures. Space will become a dual-experience instead of singular.

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Cat #1 | Painting on Fabric | W:55.88 H:60.96 cm | 2020 | AW996213040

Jiawei Fu: Mundane and Humor Monica Davidson Interviewer

Hi Jiaw ei, w e are very glad to have you here for this interview . P lease go through your artistic story and let our readers know if there w as a pivotal moment w hen you decided to follow your path as a visual artist? Currently, I am still a student studying at Pratt Institute in New York. Started to paint when I was around 7 years old but only painted occasionally since that was not my major. But the COVID-19 this year kind of pushed me to pick up my painting again. W as there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely? Yes of course. I'm from China where family more wanted their children to become a doctor or lawyer. I spent a long time to persuade my family letting me to go to a design school. But the questioning from others in my culture have slapped me over and over. Take us through your process of making your artw orks. How do you move from an idea to an artw ork? W here does an artw ork begin for you? All my ideas come from my daily life. Some conversation, some ashback, some expression, even some movement. It's not that hard to move from one idea to next, but hard to make the idea into something special and meaningful. The artwork begins whenever experience exists. A s you mentioned in your first set of questions, the presented series is about COVI D-19 quarantine still life. P lease describe the main message of the w hole set of your presented artw orks for our readers.


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We slowly become the unnoticeable "object" in daily life, and yet no one notice this yet. I invite the spectator to immerse themselves into each painting, see themselves as the character in each setting, bring their emotions during quarantine and relate it to each scenario. Although it is an endless loop of hopeless life, we haven't give up yet. Grasp the tail of the hope, bury it into the earth, and grow it back up again for the end of the loop. Mundane but inspiring. I n some of your presented artw orks, like A nother Zoom Day, it seems that being a cat is a dominant concept. Our readers w ere excited about the cats in your artw orks. For instance in numbness, they seem to be the symbol of laziness or boredom. Have you selected cats because most of us live w ith our pets 24 hours in the age of COVI D-19? Yes, it re ects not only myself but also all other people who at the same situation as me. I live with my cat 24 hours under the quarantine period, and I noticed that I pretty much is a cat. Lay on the bed, and the only reason to get up is for food, toilet, and class, which is the laziness and boredom that reveal in the painting. Everyday is like a loop, repeat itself endlessly. But at the same time, I never feel into myself ever before. Y ou have also presented your portrait in Self P ortrait dedicated to " Golden M arilyn M onroe" by A ndy W arhol. Using the color set that emphasizes coldness on your face seems to be interesting. W as it meant to present some kind of hopelessness or referring to the uncertain future? It is more like an uncertain for myself and uncertain how people look at me. This painting was completed during a period when I was trying to reassure myself that people who like me is actually liking me. I want to put myself as "marilyn monroe" who everybody like. But once I start to paint, I realize, it's not that people don't like me, but it's the uncertainty from myself. So I try to paint out the emotionless feeling through contrast color W hy applying collage technique for some of the pieces in this collection? Do you think that this technique supports your idea better? The collage pieces is during the period when everything just shut down. There's no place to buy any materials. I found those left over fabric from my previous work, and collage them together. Because I really want to paint at that moment, even on di erent materials Some of our readers w anted to know w hy in some artw orks, such as Tedious or R elentless, the human figures are faceless. P lease describe your purpose a bit. During the lock down, people not seeing each other any more. We slowly forget what other's look like. Even we have "zoom" "facetime" etc. The screen is making everyone so ambiguous. I feel like, at that period of time, we just know that there are someone on the other side of the screen or the other side of the wall. But we don't know their appearance, and they can be anyone. And we don't really need to present out face out there to someone because of the restriction of in person interaction. A ny upcoming w orks or future projects that you w ould like to share w ith our readers? Yes, I'm working on a collage painting which will be painted over the beer cap. Texture and pattern will be the main things that I will work on.

Jiawei Fu


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Finding Fish Painting on Canvas W:40.64 H:60.96 cm 2020 J ia wei Fu

This series of works reveal and was inspired by the daily life of myself and the majority population under the Covid-19 quarantine. This is two canvas combine together. Illustration our fashion trend turn to mask wearing. And our life turn into a process like completing the puzzle. It's long, and painful sometimes. It's confuse and lost. But we still need to nd "Joy" within it.

AW896933533

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Numbness Painting on Paper W:15.24 H:25.40 cm 2020 J ia wei Fu

This series of works reveal and was inspired by the daily life of myself and the majority population under the Covid-19 quarantine. This one is about the numbness of cats life and how that re ect our life under the quarantine.

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Ana Junko Photography

My beginnings in photography continue to have a powerful in uence on my images. It was during my studies at the art school in Oviedo city, where I started in artistic photography (black and white), using pinhole cameras and revealing with chemicals in the dark room, that fascinated me. All of this determined my concept of the photographic image. I currently work with digital media. I have had photo exhibitions in Spain, Lisbon, London and Rome.

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Robayera Photography, Black & White on Photo Paper W:50 H:22 D:1 cm 2020 Ana J unko

black and white photo AW242009695

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Bear land Embroidery, Acrylic Paint on Paper W:55 H:67 cm 2020 Linda La sson

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Linda Lasson Painting, Mixed Media

Hello . My name is Linda Lasson and I work as a textile artist in the north of Sweden. I work with black thread on di erent materials such as tarp and lining paper. I get my inspiration from the surrounding nature.

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Krepije Embroidery, Acrylic Paint on Paper W:57 H:75 cm 2020 Linda La sson

Hand embroidery on lining paper AW394286031

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Ängesvallen Embroidery, Acrylic Paint on Paper W:55 H:67 cm 2020 Linda La sson

Hand embroidery on lining paper AW955675512

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Catching the Flow Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:80 H:110 D:2 cm 2019 Ya rosla va Liseeva

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Yaroslava Liseeva Painting

Yaroslava Liseeva was born in Moscow in 1969. Graduated from Moscow State University - Geography Faculty - in 1993. Learned drawing and painting at V.Akulinin school of art and creativity in 1996-2003. In 2003 participated in her rst group exhibition “Cross and Sun” with V.Akulinin and his other students. Then there was a break in painting – 2011-2016 – the period of professional lampworking and designing glass jewelry. Studied coaching and psychology in 2016-2018. In 2016 resumed painting and now is fully engaged in it. Yaroslava is actively exhibiting in Russia and worldwide. Using traditional ne art media like oil paints and focusing on classical landscape images she creates bright dynamic, voluminous and owing world. Her works always drag attention because of their positive energy, metaphorical depth and visual pleasure.

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Coming Home Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:100 H:70 D:2 cm 2017 Ya rosla va Liseeva

The work is about Coming Back to Ourselves. The boats every day are coming back from the the sea bringing the shermen home. And the Home is not far, somewhere over the horizon. The home is where We are. The Home is always inside us.

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The Flow of Life. The Beginning Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:70 H:90 D:4 cm 2020 Ya rosla va Liseeva

When we observe the nature carefully and with all our senses it opens to us the metaphorical, universal essence of its objects. This is about what is my new Series of works “The Flow of Life”.

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Napoleon's Carousel Painting, Acrylic Paint on Canvas W:70 H:70 cm 2020 Nika n Neja t

AW127323900

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Nikan Nejat Painting

Nikan Nejat was born in 1993. Art Category: Painting, Interior Design Education Master Of Genetics from Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch Bachelor of Molecular Cell from Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch Exhibitions 2020- Group Exhibition in Sakoo Art School 2020- Group Exhibition in Shokouh Art Gallery

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Lost | Painting, Acrylic on Canvas | W:50 H:70 cm | 2019 | AW127834526

Nikan Nejat: Narration of Destiny Monica Davidson Interviewer

Hi N ikan, it's great to have this talk w ith you on behalf of our readers. P lease tell us about your artistic background story and if there w as a pivotal moment w hen you decided to follow your path as a visual artist? I didn’t study art at the university. I studied genetics, that's why I always start my story like this: My mother is an artist, but not professionally, and I think I kind of inherited the art from my mother. My story starts in kindergarten. There, my paintings have always been one of the best ones. For me, the most popular classes were painting and English. Maybe this encouragement and interest made me paint all my life. That was what made me feel happy and con dent. Honestly, I still enjoy seeing the paintings I did when I was 4 or 5years old. The subject of one of my paintings in the kindergarten was Jack and Rose on the Titanic deck. I’ve been working in the eld of visual arts for a few years. I remember one day I was in the painting class, and I really didn’t know what to add to my work, then my teacher told me to paint the most irrelevant thing that comes to my mind. At that moment, I saw the di erent colors of the world. That was it. A world whose law I legislate myself. Here, I was able to do anything that should not be done in the real world. The visual arts were the world where I wanted to live in. W as there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely? During these several years that I have decided to pursue art professionally, I have often had lots of doubts and questions, especially when I see the other artists’ artworks in various exhibitions. Sometimes I ask myself where in the world you are supposed to be. After that, every time I hold the paintbrush in my hand, I remember all the colors, techniques, and drawings of those painters, and then I start painting my own world. I always tell myself that the great painters are my inspirations, and I should only do my best.


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W hat is your daily routine w hen w orking in your studio? I need a regular program to paint. I could never put my brush on a canvas before knowing what I was looking for. When I start working in my studio, I always know what image I want to paint at that moment and what I am looking for. I may sit in front of the canvas and paint for hours without even a cup of co ee. I may listen to a piece of music for hours and not change it because I don't notice its repetition, and nally, that music becomes a bridge for me. In general, my studio is probably the time machine where time stops for me, and I am the only living thing in that environment. Take us through your process of making your artw orks. How do you move from an idea to an artw ork? W here does an artw ork begin for you? I love books very much. It is one of my most exciting pastimes and after that, watching movies and traveling. Well, due to time constraints and because my personal and art career is separate from each other, I naturally have less information about the art and art subject that attracts me. But I am totally sociable and try to interact with my friends in the workplace and have a lot of discussions with them. While sleeping, I come to a conclusion by reviewing the information. For me, it sometimes becomes a clue, a lesson, and a pattern in life and sometimes an artwork. How do I turn it into a work of art? Well, I start looking at the paintings on di erent websites of any style and context. I just watch, and suddenly I see the image I have in my mind, and my work begins. How do you seek and use inspiration for your w orks? For me, the source of inspiration is the daily events of my life. By an event, reading a book, or watching a movie during the day, a spark lights up for me, and as the days go by, that spark starts to ignite and become meaningful in my mind. When it turns into a ame, I picture it in my mind. Sometimes I don’t get any responses at all, and it will be limited to a simple spark and may become the next artwork in the future. How do you select your artw orks subjects? W here they come from? To answer this question, I should brie y say that the questions and social problems that I encounter in my daily life are the main subjects of my artworks. So, it is better to say that my personal life can be considered as the main subject. W hat are your art influences? W ho are your favorite contemporary or historical artists and w hy? Art, in my opinion, gives man the courage to be himself and not to fear to shout. Art breaks down stereotyped social frameworks. Art is considered either important or limited in many countries. Society and social life are like a blindfolded man in a wagon moving on a rail and going back and forth in a controlled and exact way. Yet, art is exactly the opposite of this. It resembles open eyes. Rushing towards nowhere, it rides a horse instead of sitting in a wagon and moving on a rail. There are many artists whom I appreciate, both in the past and in the present, so I can't say that I follow a speci c pattern of a particular artist. The truth is that artists are originally human beings, and each human has unique characteristics and traits by himself. It's praiseworthy as it's unique. I try to see these qualities in every artist. I f you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, w ho w ould it be and w hat w ill you ask about? I believe Da Vinci had a very mysterious personality because he was at his highest level in all branches of science and carried out all these sciences together. My question is that: what was he looking for in all these sciences? What solution did he need in all these sciences to reach? I think Da Vinci loved to play a trick with his audience. On the one hand, when he talked about himself, he introduced himself as an intelligent and mysterious character. On the other hand, with his intentional silence, he wants to engage the minds of his audience. While there may be no engaging game.


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Of course, the challenging criticisms of the critics have a ected the complexity of his character. It is interesting to me that the critics have chosen this character for such criticism. How have you been affected by the current lockdow n, social distancing and all limitations and cancellations in artistic w orld? Corona may be a unique limitation for us, but there were so many events in history that could never in uence art. For me, this was an opportunity to think and act more thoughtfully on the work processes, both in art and in life. At the same time, I don’t have to wait so long for doing the things I want to do because tomorrow is a mystery to me. The common belief in the world is "Live in the present, not in the past and the future." Corona challenged the de nition of social life for all of us and taught us to be apart but to care for each other. “To be and not to be” it depends on the other. I think the Corona era has had a huge impact not only on my path but on the most artists’ activities. In this way, it reduced the number of artworks and increases their quality, as well. Some of your presented artw orks seem to benefit from collage technique, For instance " Des tiny life" . I s that right? Maybe for two reasons: One is that creating a dimension on the canvas surface, without using colors, is an attractive technique for me. And I use it in my artwork. Collage is one of the techniques that a ects the audience visually. I also seek to capture the audience's visual power just at the moment they are looking at my artwork. The second reason is that in most of my works, I've used very simple and abstract atmosphere. My art space is not an anarchic one. So, instead of lling one dimension with a chaotic sketch, I prefer to have a multidimensional but secluded spaces. In this artwork, by depicting the collage technique and creating arti cial dimension, I not only attempted to attract the vision of the audience, but I wanted to show the segregation of the woman and child's space and world. I t's a pity that some of your w orks don't have a description. I t w ould enhance the visitors experience. For instance, some of our readers have found " Lost" very meaningful, and they w ould like to know more about the concept behind it to know you better. Can you give us a short description for that? I created this artwork at a stage in my life that I can call the spiritual maturity period of my life. This period was accompanied by my entering into society, both in the span of my career and in the scope of my social relations. All the rules I had learned during my childhood became faded in my mind, and many of my beliefs, I lived freely with, confronted an obstacle called the rules of social life. It was as if my world had nothing to do with the world I lived in, and my information and method could not get me through this barrier. Children live in a completely free world, and because this world is being created by themselves, it is white in my opinion. Children also do not lose their identity in their world. And that’s why they have a determined face of a human being. An unknown character is a character whose identity is not distinctive. It is even ambiguous whether he is a human or a virtual creature drawn by regular lines. Although the lines formed on the body of the unidenti ed person look beautiful like the governing social rules, the rootlessness and baselessness only cause a pattern that takes the person's identity and only gives it a justi able appearance. The type of embracing the anonymous personality and the child conveys a feeling of familiarity and intimacy. The unidenti ed character is merging his body lines with the child, and the child has a frightened face while trusting the person. The same pattern of training according to which the parents teach their child to help him have a better life. The result of this trust and role modeling for survival is fading the white world and turning it into the gray. A world where adults seek to balance the good and the bad.


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There is a strange style of naming for some of your artw orks such as " Des tiny life" or " The hu m?nkey" . I t feels meaningful and effective. W hat do you w ant to imply by such naming? To name my artworks, I use words that are very familiar and de ned to my audience and are often associated with them in their daily lives. Such a challenge in the word that they think they know perfectly well leaves their minds with a kind of ambiguity and full of questions. As a result, the mind begins to clear up and solve the ambiguity. The rst thing I consider is a mind game. My artworks, like their names, are simple yet challenging. Problems that we face many times in our lives, but we cannot have a real understanding of them so that we can reach the main concept of each and relate to them. When my audience can understand the name of my artwork, their questions will be answered, and they will be able to understand what I mean by creating this artwork and what I was trying to express. For example, “DES tiny life” is a word that the audience comprehend as “Destiny Life”, but I separated it from the rest of the word using capital letters, and the part of “tiny life” is the secret hidden in the word, in which there is no capital letter. The name of “The hu m?nkey” is based on the fact that the meaning of the phrase changes completely with O or A. “The hu mOnkey” or “The hu mAnkey”? So, it is not clear which word it is. Are we really originated from monkeys’ generation? Or haven’t we known the true secret of human existence, yet? This great fact can be changed with just two letters, as more than 98% of the DNA and 99% of the genes of humans and monkeys are the same and di er in only one gene. Do these presented w orks belong to a series or collection? A re they separated? I s there any political (N apoleon's Carousel) or social (Des tiny life) purpose involved in these artw orks? The existence of a human being, including woman, child and man, is the common subject of the collection I have presented. And this turns my artworks into such collection. By creating new artworks from a collection I may be able to reach several collections. In order to answer the question whether my goal is political or social, I can answer that all the branches and issues that overshadow my life as a 21st century human being, are my subjects. I do not agree with focusing on one particular branch because I believe that science in one branch connects us to science in another. Therefore, I think it is better for the audience to take a general and accurate look at the world around them before analyzing my works, and then they can understand them.

Nikan Nejat


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Persian Cat Painting, Acrylic on Canvas W:60 H:60 cm 2020 Nika n Neja t

The Persian cat is considered as a symbol of Iran in this work (also considering the shape of this country in the geographical map). Mice and sh both could be as the cat's food, but mice not only save their lives by baiting sh for cats, but also sometimes even dominate the cat instead of the sh (humiliating the master). The cat is stuck out in this mouse hook game.

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Des tiny Painting, Acrylic on Canvas W:70 H:100 cm 2019 Nika n Neja t

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Captive lives in a Blue world Painting, Acrylic Paint on Carton W:71 H:100 D:1 cm 2020 Cla ra c a ra t

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Claracarat Painting

Early on I discovered my passion for art and music. It became a most important part of my life, which I still cherish. I discovered my ability to transfer my thoughts and sensitivity in paintings, and started to focus on abstract work. This journey of discovery was most exciting to me. After years of successful, international work throughout interface and surface design, together with my husband, I longed to draw again and returned to dive into my own creativity. Through my experience in design in those extensive prior years, I learned to incorporate many speci c elements and ideas in my paintings, which, for that reason, illustrate a novel form of traditional painting. My paintings are created spontaneously; my expression of personal interpretation of those structures, such as wood, stone, metal, concrete and most important: “Freedom�, are incorporated in my work in a liberated manner, free from conventional norms. When I paint, I am accompanied by my second big passion, music. I presented my paintings in a lot of locations in New York, Rome, Zurich, Lausanne, Paris, Ghent, Kronstadt, London, Luxembourg. Currently, I live in Germany.

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Diva Painting, Acrylic Paint on Carton W:70 H:90 D:1 cm 2019 Cla ra c a ra t

Portrait in fauve manner AW010845846

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Space density Painting, Acrylic on Canvas W:120 H:90 D:1 cm 2020 Cla ra c a ra t

A vision about space and color AW508222617

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The secret behind the secret Painting, Acrylic on Carton W:70 H:100 D:1 cm 2018 Cla ra c a ra t

A combination between acrylic and copper AW786928425

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Waving memories behind the walls Painting, Acrylic Paint on Carton W:100 H:132 D:1 cm 2020 Cla ra c a ra t

It's about the walls built around our memories. AW980728169

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Horses in the sky Painting, Oil Color on Linen W:90 H:80 cm 2020 Ma ria Isa bel D e Linc e

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Maria Isabel De Lince Painting

Maria Isabel Salazar de Lince, is a colombian artist. Studied Art & Arquitecture Design and Psychology, Javeriana University, Bogotá Colombia. Drawing and painting in Cooperartes Workshop, and with Masters David Manzur, Fernando Dávila, and Miguel Moyano. Has participated in several exhibitions, here are some of them: Museum of Hispanic and Latin American Art. Florida - USA, Euroamerica Galleries. New York - USA, Beijing Art Fair - China, Carousel of Louvre. Paris - France, 1st International Modern Art Austria Biennale. Viena - Austria, International Fine Art Masters. Viena - Austria, International Prize Colosseo. Brancaccio Palace. Rome - Italy, Attimi di Luce. MXM Arte. Pietrasanta - Italy, Leonardo Da Vinci Award. Galleria La Pigna. Rome - Italy, Casanova Award. Flangini Palace. Venice - Italy, The best modern and contemporary artists. Palais Sternberg. Viena - Austria, I Segnalati. InArte Werkkunst Gallery. Berlin - Germany, Small is beautiful II. Alliance Francaise. Dubai - United Arab Emirates, International Biennal of Flanders. Bruges - Belgium, International Prize Velásquez. MEAM Museum. Barcelona - Spain y III Bienal de Arte de Barcelona. MEAM Museum. Barcelona - Spain. Has obtained several awards like: Honorable mention Women in the Arts. Museum of the Americas. USA, Honorable mention Rotary Club. Bogotá - Colombia, Honorable mention International Print Festival. Bergamo - Italy, First Prize Homage to Xavier Carbonell. Museum of the Americas. Houston USA, Honarable mention Women in the Arts. Museum of the Americas - USA, International Prize Colosseo. Brancaccio Palace. Rome - Italy, Prize Shakespeare in Art. Palaexpo. Verona - Italy, Casanova Award. Flangini Palace. Venice - Italy, Premio Contemporanei nella Cittá degli U zi. Florence - Italy, Stylistic value. The best modern and contemporary artists. Palais Sternberg. Viena - Austria, Prize Internazionale Arte Milano. Teatro dal Verme. Milan - Italy, Biennale Internzionale d’Arte Contemporanea. Museo Gonzaga. Mantova - Italy, International Prize Andrea Mantegna. Teatro Sociale of Mantova - Italy, The Best Modern and Contemporary Artists 2017 - Italy, I Segnalati Berlin. InArte Werkkunst. Berlin - Germany, 2º. International Prize Leonardo Da Vinci. Borghese Palace. Florence Italy, Honarable mention. Women in the Arts. Museum of the Americas. Impulse Art Gallery. Houston USA, and International Prize Artist of the year 2019. E etto Arte. Roma - Italia. In 2014 she was awarded the Moments Lifetime Award. She currently lives and works in Bogotá.

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In nity Painting, Oil Color on Linen W:140 H:95 cm 2020 Ma ria Isa bel D e Linc e

Painting about galaxies AW365996621

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Light Painting, Oil Color on Linen W:150 H:100 cm 2020 Ma ria Isa bel D e Linc e

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Nelina Trubach-Moshnikova Painting, Drawing, Graphics, Mixed Media

Nelina Trubach-Moshnikova was born in Belorus in 1960. She graduated from the Art College named after A.K. Glebova in Minsk. Now she lives and works between Poland (Warsaw) and Ukraine. Works in the category: painting, graphics and mixed media. “The main thing which I try to do the needful my works is to convey through the line, light and color my sensations of the object: whether it's a gure, a landscape or an abstraction. I'm trying to nd a drama, a real "face." My works are always very sensual, many of them "touch" the body, but the naked body itself is not only erotic here, but it also shows the intimacy of the soul and its psychology. My works are about the external and internal, about the ambivalence of the world and about the world of the super cial and the world of the soul and these di erent worlds I try to knock together in my works through the openness of the body and its merge with the environment. A person here can become visually part of an object, wall, furniture or clothes and only his soul will be clearly delineated through the layers of the painting.�

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To a party Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:60 H:90 D:2 cm 2019 Nelina Truba c h Moshnikova

The artwork presented here "To a party" refers us to American cinema, to the images that still shape our way and style of life.

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Brita Pitcher Photography, Black & White on Photo W:20 H:16 in 2020 Ta ylor Slingerla nd

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Taylor Slingerland Painting, Graphics, Photography

Taylor James Slingerland is an artist living and working in Los Angeles, California. The reality of the world we live in sometimes frightens him, so he’s driven to craft and explore di erent worlds via various artistic outlets. Ever since his father taught him how to use the dusty SLR cameras in their attic, Taylor has been primarily focused on telling stories through the still image. Beyond photography and painting, Taylor also enjoys designing sets for music videos, television and lm. He enjoys utilizing his detail oriented brain to support the craft of storytelling, whether it be for an individual or a collective e ort of expression. When he’s o the clock, Taylor is probably still combing through his various to-do lists, tending to his indoor garden, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen alongside his husband. He’s a father of two kittens, Jimbo and Charli.

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Fly Swatter 1 | Photography, Black & White on Photo | W:18 H:12 in | 2020 | AW180424702

Taylor Slingerland: Instinctive Marian White Interviewer

Hi Taylor, nice of you to join us in this cordial talk. W ould you please be so kind to tell us about your artistic background story and if there w as a pivotal moment w hen you decided to follow your path as a visual artist? I was born and raised in South Florida by very creative parents. My mother had a career as a photo stylist before eventually moving into work with special needs children, and my late father did a little bit of everything - drawing, photography, construction, corporate trade show exhibit sales. They fostered creativity and inspired me to pursue art myself. As far as a pivotal moment is concerned, there was a day my dad was cleaning out the garage and discovered his old cameras he hadn’t touched in years. I remember him teaching me how to look through the view nder, change lenses, meter the light. It was a whole new way of seeing, and I felt the need to explore my surroundings with the camera. I still use his camera today. W as there ever a moment of doubt to question your art career entirely? I doubt my art career often, but I know that I need to make art, even if I don’t have the time or inspiration to create art every day. When the inspiration isn’t there, it is easy to doubt myself and feel like a fraud. But I think maybe that this is a part of being an artist people don’t always discuss. I’m young and am still discovering my voice and what it is I have to say about the world that hasn’t been said before, or trying to express it in a new way. W hat is your daily routine w hen w orking in your studio? I enjoy being awake early. I make my co ee, imagine the kinds of photos I’m interested in taking that day, and then I load my camera and shoot in the morning light before the spark of inspiration is gone. It feels both very thought out and very spontaneous in ways.


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Take us through your process of making your artw orks. How do you move from an idea to an artw ork? W here does an artw ork begin for you? I try to think of my art in terms of series. In the past, I’ve taken photos and then looked back on them to try to extrapolate the meaning, but more recently I have been thinking about the theme rst. I even write a bit down about my intentions for the series and then will use that to guide me along. I’m not referencing it constantly, but I will go back and forth between the words and the photos and see how they inspire each other, how it evolves. W ould you like to give a particular interpretation of your w ork to your view ers or you prefer to leave the w hole interpretation to your audience? I prefer for the viewer to interpret the work. While I’d certainly engage in a discussion on interpretation, it almost feels like it would be unfair for me to tell someone how they ought to see it. I like the viewer to have a clean slate. Sometimes it allows them to discover elements of the work that you didn’t see yourself. How do you seek and use inspiration for your w orks? My subjects come from my life. Whether they be people, places, or things, it’s all stu I relate to. The inspiration has to be organic. I never know when or where I’ll nd it, and if I speci cally try to look for an inspiration, it usually feels hollow. So I suppose I just live life and make note when I notice something interesting I’d like to further explore. I have a running list in my phone where I keep all of my ideas. I do hope I am remembered for having a voice. W hat are your art influences? W ho are your favorite contemporary or historical artists and w hy? I feel very in uenced by abstract art as well as works that explore the human gure. Edward Weston and Ruth Bernhard were early favorites. I also constantly look to Man Ray, Diane Arbus, and Robert Mapplethorpe. I appreciate artists that evoke an emotion or a mood quickly and clearly, whether it be something very formal like Ruth Bernhard, or something more o -kilter like Diane Arbus. Susan Burnstine is another great example - I love how she explores places I’m so familiar with in such a surreal way. I f you could meet one of your ideal artists from the past, w ho w ould it be and w hat w ill you ask about? I’d love to meet Vivian Maier and discuss her in uences. She was so proli c yet so unknown until after death, so I guess as sometime who feels very driven to be remembered myself, I’d like to know how she thought of her own work and how she’d feel about all the posthumous attention. How have you been affected by the current lockdow n, social distancing and all limitations and cancellations in artistic w orld? The lockdown has obviously created new limitations for us all, but it also opened a door for me in giving me the luxury of time to create. I was laid o from my day job for several months, so it gave me the space to get back into photography after some busy years in which life seemed to interfere. Sure, I’d love to be interfacing with the art world in person, but in a way this has created a new means of interaction out of necessity. Y ou have presented a set of photo collection named " Safer at Home" . Some of our readers w ere excited about this macro models of ordinary objects in our daily life. How did you choose those objects? w hy this set? The subject selection was an organic process for me. Items that I used either daily or infrequently were all there for the taking, and I realized early on that if I were to examine these objects with a macro lens, interesting landscapes I hadn’t noticed in the day to day could be explored.


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I’m very type A personality, so I’m constantly making lists. I created a very lengthy list of possible items, and then would reference the list when I felt inspired to shoot. I ultimately chose this set of images because I felt there was a sort of poetic balance in the progression of lines, shapes, shadows and textures. Emphasizing on something that w e see everyday can upgrade our vision about details, specially in simple objects. W hat w as your intention to choose simple objects? My intention in choosing simple objects was to underscore the concept that there is so much that we as humans are immersed in, yet we are usually only able to skim the surface and not stop to smell the roses. I’m a very anxious person, but I was able to nd some sort of comfort in looking for the art behind the garlic press, the y swatter, the hair in the shower drain. A compelling image can be made out of the most mundane things, and I wanted to challenge myself to be simple but not simplistic. A ll photos are sepia or black and w hite. How have you chosen to release the photos in such coloring? I have always been a fan of monochrome images. I think it is really interesting to view something without the full color spectrum, manipulated in a way my eyes can’t readily see. It puts more emphasis on composition in a way. That being said, there were also logistical reasons. I wanted this project to be fully self-contained in my apartment, and black and white processing is something I learned in my high school photography class. I know it’s a scienti c process, but it feels like more than that to me. It makes me think about having faith in things, that the lm was exposed correctly, that I mixed the chemicals properly, that the images will magically appear if I follow the recipe. Also, it was an interesting way for me to experiment with techniques like stand development which I hadn’t tried before. Some of our readers w ere w ondering about the photography timing for such a collection. How long does it take to prepare your scene and how many photos you take to get satisfied about w hat you look for? I shot about 6 rolls of lm for this series over about a month. It was something I didn’t work on every day, but rather in binges. Sometimes it would take me a week to shoot a roll, and sometimes I’d shoot multiple rolls in an hour. I like to work quickly when I feel inspired or when the light feels right, so I generally wouldn’t spend more than 10 minus per photo. Sometimes I’d spend a lot of time ne tuning the composition, making sure the lines and shadows intersected the edges of the frame very speci cally, but I also would sometimes shoot more hastily and then would do reshoots if I liked the rst draft but thought of a way I could push the visual impact further. There’s no set number, but I like to revisit a scene if I feel like I missed an opportunity. A ny upcoming w orks or future projects that you w ould like to share w ith our readers? I am planning to do a series of self-portraits. I have seen how pointing a camera at someone can make them feel uncomfortable, and I think it is only fair that I learn from that discomfort myself.


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Garlic Press Photography, Black & White on Photo W:12 H:8 in 2020 Ta ylor Slingerla nd

SAFER AT HOME is a series of macro images that Taylor Slingerland created in order to tell the story of a life slowed down amid a pandemic. With a narrow depth of eld, Taylor crafts dreamy textural landscapes as he utilizes estranged everyday items from around his apartment, and places them under the microscope for us to scrutinize collectively. This closeness not only demands us to take a second glance into the mundane, but also allows our minds to gently drift away into a world of dusty whimsy, devoid of problems and chaos.

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Gel Ball Photography, Black & White on Photo W:24 H:16 cm 2020 Ta ylor Slingerla nd

SAFER AT HOME is a series of macro images that Taylor Slingerland created in order to tell the story of a life slowed down amid a pandemic. With a narrow depth of eld, Taylor crafts dreamy textural landscapes as he utilizes estranged everyday items from around his apartment, and places them under the microscope for us to scrutinize collectively. This closeness not only demands us to take a second glance into the mundane, but also allows our minds to gently drift away into a world of dusty whimsy, devoid of problems and chaos.

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Kindness Sculpture, Construction Sculpture Technique on Steel W:50 H:180 D:60 cm 2016 Yola nda W in eld

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Yolanda Win eld Sculpture

South Africa artist. Self taught sculptor of metal. My rst introduction to steel work was in England, 2002. I found employment at a ship yard, and over a period of 10 years working within the boat building industry, I acquired many engineering skills that form the foundation of my artworks today. My passion is working with steel and with a background in steel construction I can't nd work as a women within the industry. Instead I turned my hand to making steel sculptures. Steel is an alloy of Iron and Carbon and highly versatile. Low Carbon (soft) steel bends and deforms when put under stress. Almost as pliable as hot glass, and yet it can withstand many hammer blows without shattering. This unique property allows the artist to interact with the medium, manipulating the steel into the desired shapes and forms. The beauty and the richness of the medium has a very special vibrant energy that gives the art works a mesmerizing presence.

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Mzuri Maria Sculpture, Construction Sculpture Technique on Steel W:30 H:50 D:20 cm 2020 Yola nda W in eld

The devastating e ects of the 2020 Corona Virus pandemic inspired the creation of the art work titled Mzuri Maria The sculpture is a celebration of all the Frontline workers ghting this debilitating disease. I can only hope that my work re ects their worth.

AW062087981

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Kudu Bull Sculpture, Construction Sculpture Technique on Steel W:60 H:120 D:30 cm 2018 Yola nda W in eld

Welding and fabrication, Constructed using 4mm mild steel round bar. The Kudu Bull is one of the largest antelope in Southern Africa. They symbolize strength, power and energy. The Kudu teaches us that we should be persistent in whatever we do and never give up on our dreams or goals.

AW127504056

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Contrastes Lumineux dans le Cosmos Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:73 H:54 cm 2019 Aline Pouget

AW219681357

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Aline Pouget Painting

Fluidly intermingling into expressive canvases, Aline Pouget is inspired by nature and her masterful works are a visual syntax ranging from abstract compositions which re ect an organic universe. Through amorphous shapes and a windstorm of color and texture, the pictorial world is the major important element of her multitudinous universe. Focused on the natural frenzies of the world, Aline Pouget’s nature tableaux are a fantasia of hues made visible through luminous color and rippling motion of brushstrokes. Articulating perceptual color theories into abstracted impressions, they re ect an illuminated sensorial caldron of hues. The artist states: "My happiness and my ful llment are to share my passion, my love of life, the universe, the colors, the light and my multiple emotions with others through my work.” Revelatory and re ective, the vortex of her compositions serves to underscore a love of nature and interpretations can vary from palliative and pristine to deeply immersive and profound. In layers, hues and form, the artist unveils the many gifts nature has bestowed upon us. Illuminating the sensorial and juxtaposing them into vividly tangible scenes, she bridges the worlds of realism and abstraction, as her paintings detail her visceral responses to the universe. By turning those elements into dreamlike natural reveries, the spectator is drawn into the centrifugal force of these dreamscapes. With a rainbow of colors, the artist employs a palette of bright and monochromatic shades which provide each painting a vibrant sense of life and is enhanced by her dynamic style of composition and energetic brushstrokes. A powerful sense of motion and emotion reverberate in her oeuvre, along with a unique sense of perspective and scale. Brilliantly translating onto canvas with a syncopated beat the magni cence of nature, international award-winning painter Aline Pouget has participated in a lifetime of immersion in the arts, culminating in a wonderful body of work and has embarked on a painting career which has catapulted her to a meaningful position in the contemporary art arena. This masterful artist has enjoyed numerous successful exhibitions throughout Europe, including London, Paris, Vienna and Italy and the U.S., and the presence of her works in prestigious collections across the world, is a rmation of her continually expanding reputation.

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Funny Town Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:65 H:54 cm 2016 Aline Pouget

Artistic view of a city in its colors and its movement AW411408316

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Vagues Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:73 H:54 cm 2020 Aline Pouget

Walk by the sea on a windy day. AW562273335

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Dancers Painting, Acrylic on Canvas W:130 H:95 cm 2020 Mohsen Modiri

AW127625816

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Mohsen Modiri Painting, Drawing, Caricature, Digital Art, Mixed Media, Video

Mohsen Modiri was born in 1950 in Tehran, Iran Art Categories: Being involved in visual arts, music, and literature since adolescence Education Bachelor of Biology from Tehran University, Iran Art Activities Spending over 35 years in visual arts Attending in some domestic and international group exhibitions from 1971 to 2000 Exhibitions and Achievements - Selected, Exhibited and Sold in Italy, Belgium, France, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Iran and United States Further Information - Organizer of Drawing and Photo Exhibitions for Artists in the University - Professional Graphic Designer for almost 10 years - Caricaturist for almost 22 years (1978-2000) Other Skills and Past Professions - Music Center Management and Familiarity with Musical Instruments - Contributing to Music Therapy Association - Publishing short stories and articles in Professional Editing Publications - Publishing the Collection of Poems called "unity", Fall 2015 Returning to Visual Arts After a gap of 12 years in visual art, Starting to Work on Visual Arts (Post Modern Abstract) since 2012

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Florist Girl Painting, Acrylic on Canvas W:130 H:95 cm 2020 Mohsen Modiri

not for sale AW127882710

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Mother and Child Painting, Acrylic on Paper W:70 H:100 cm 2020 Mohsen Modiri

AW127045494

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Bubbles of happiness Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:76 H:102 cm 2019 Ga briel La voie

AW724757271

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Gabriel Lavoie Painting

SYMBOLIC, VISIONARY AND PORTRAITIST Gabriel Lavoie, born March 22nd 1956 in Temiscouata (Quebec, Canada), is a self-taught artist. Always given to raise its art to more the high summit, Gabriell reinvents it continuously while inspiring the other artists to be made in the same way. Its multiple artistic experiments open the paths of the revival to him. Moreover, something of timeless emanates from its works. With such a predestined name and a visionary, spiritual approach, the artist Gabriell is, without a doubt, a new reference in the world of symbolic painting. From one canvas to another, his works re ect his spiritual journey. For him, everything we paint expresses what we are. Gabriell uses art (painting) to manifest and communicate the Light that is in him. He sincerely believes that art allows human beings to manifest the qualities of their soul. Living modestly and humbly in Quebec, Gabriell grew up in the Lanaudière region. From his infancy, his drawing talents surprised everyone with their quality which seemed to come so naturally to him. Later, over the years, his love for drawing led to a reputation for excellence in portraiture. In spite of this recognition and success, he felt a great emptiness within and several personal changes set o deep questioning as to the meaning of his life. During this period, not only did he call into question his need for success and acknowledgement, but also his talent. It became a watershed in his artistic career; a new path opened and new creativity emerged. It was the beginning of his life as an initiatic artist. Guided by greater con dence in his talent and a more present spirituality, he sketched landscapes and portraits inspired by the world of fairies, re ecting his new aspirations. This experience lasted a few months and proved to be very revealing. Then, oils and acrylics became his new choice of expression. The symbiosis between his personal soul-seeking and his painting gave rise to works of great depth, which allow him to express his immense potential. With all his heart and soul, he wanted to be able to express who he really was. That was his dream, his dearest wish. Then one day, an unexpected change turned up in his life. A new association gave him access to an artistic milieu and allowed him to leave his janitor job. This new partnership was short-lived but it served as a springboard to his future career as a teacher and professional artist. Gabriell considers this synchronicity as a wonderful gift from Heaven, the unhoped for, dream opportunity he’d been waiting for years. This new motivation engenders magical inspiration, never before experienced, which has a direct, exceptional impact on his life and art. Today, Gabriell continues his path in his own workshop where, not only does he turn his talent and creative inspiration into magni cent portraits. But he also nds a new emotional way, which enables him to rede ne his vision of art. His works travel throughout the world and inspire the souls of new generations to discover inner beauty through art. gabriellavoie.ca Contact Gabriell

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All for one...One for all Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:91 H:61 cm 2020 Ga briel La voie

AW082406533

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Albert Einstein Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:61 H:61 cm 2020 Ga briel La voie

This painting is titled ALBERT (EINSTEIN) Since a very young age that the portrait fascinates me and that the great characters serve me as models. But for this time around, let's say the script and the outcome of the work were unpredictable. Sometimes it happens that among the shapes and colors of an intuitive painting, there are abstract clues that guide us towards the concrete.

AW762587609

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The last touch Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:61 H:122 cm 2020 Ga briel La voie

On a trip to India a friend was taking pictures of young children and he had the idea to send them to me. Among these photos, a young man playing with a Bengali re really struck me. After watching the visual a few times, “Eureka” the idea sprang up and suddenly a deep feeling took hold of me. I had a vision of a pure consciousness like that of a child rising above a planet, with the intention of cleansing it with an essence of light.

AW454082409

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Reborn from the ashes Painting, Oil Color on Canvas W:91 H:76 cm 2020 Ga briel La voie

We were in the middle of a pandemic, in con nement, and I was questioning what we were going through. During one of my many meditations, trying to visualize the positive, I began to introduce colors on a black background, while making sure that my intellect did not interfere as much as possible in this initial concept. Very quickly, through uid and multicolored movements, the bird entered the scene to reveal the script of the work to me. At that point I began to analyze and see in it all the symbolism of the Phoenix rising from its ashes and, the earth regenerating itself during its fall.

AW098902628

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