Spring Issue : simplebooklet.com

MODERN R AISSANCE CREATE AL A NOTE FROM AND APAR THE EDITORS MODERNR Culturally Arts Collective is a community for arts advocacy we aim to increase accessibility and inclusivity in the art world As two young artists we are excited to be a part of Culturally s monthly art magazine Modern Renaissance In this publication we feature creatives of all ages and nationalities exploring aspects of writing design and visual art Tucked away in a tiny high school in California lies a door to an arts and multimedia classroom with a stop sign on it The sign invites all who pass to place a sticker of their choice on the sign Less than a week after the project began the stop sign was nearly covered in stickers From pride flags to signs proclaiming Stay Hydrated Don t Be Racist community members have made the project their own exactly what teacher Chris Johnson intended when he started the initiative At its core art is community From sticker stop signs to graffitied highway walls to kindergarten drawings hanging on refrigerators the global community is drawn together by the power of art Modern Renaissance is evidence of the power of the community that art fosters Every interviewee featured artist community submitter journalist designer and reader is an integral part of our art community Thank you to every community member who makes Modern Renaissance possible Alison Chen Art Director Aparna Prabhakar Editor in Chief

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07 MAKING ART WITH ARTIFICAL INTELLIENCE IS IT ETHICAL A Artificial intelligence AI has been on the hotspot for some time now and the debate whether it s ethical or not especially in regards to making art has been met with very passionate and opposing arguments While I think making art with AI takes away from what makes art well art which to me is the human connection and very human traces that the artist conveys artificial intelligence can prove to be beneficial if it s allocated in the right direction For context artificial intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence via machines AI machines or robots can be programmed or created to perform tasks that can be done by humans they learn imitate and perform like us The development of this technology can sound futuristic and movie like but it s happening in real time and creators have the opportunity to make an impact in art and culture Recently the evolution of AI has led it to the creation of articles essays music and even actual art Accessing this technology can be as easy as downloading an app or entering a webpage or it can be a little bit more inaccessible with users having to pay for it Regardless it has raised some concern among artists about how these machines could eventually end up leaving them with less opportunities in the coming years Although I still have my reservations of the use of machines imitating what humans do I ve recently come across a very important way of AI being used as a tool that will help a lot of cultures and communities moving forward preserving indigenous languages According to UNESCO s Atlas of the World s Languages in Danger there are about 6 000 languages spoken in the world out of which 43 are in danger of becoming extinct Why is not losing them so important Because languages are a foundation for cultures they are vital in preserving communities and creating collective memory and history Without indigenous languages we could lose roots traditions and history of our land The urge to save indigenous languages like Maya and Te reo M ori among many others comes from the declining percentage of people who speak it This mainly happens because younger generations have left them behind for languages that can be seen as more modern and globalized like English and Spanish While translation combined with artificial intelligence isn t new the recent and constant uproar against AI has left me to question the actual good it can do for us which lead me to Woolaroo an experiment project being developed by Google that will help people learn about indigenous languages by letting you take pictures of your surroundings and receiving real time translations of what you have in your photo My discovery of Woolaroo steered me into wanting to find more projects that have as their mission to do some good with this incredible idea like Te Hiku Media but unfortunately all I could find were proposals and researches that haven t been updated in a few years As I ve said earlier language is the foundation for the many different cultures that we have around the world If we lose access to so much history within a language we also lose our understanding of history and the art within them whereas it be scriptures trustworthy interpretation of them and maybe even of visual art I don t think AI is the enemy every new invention that we as humans create will always be about the intention that is used with Do you want to put out good in the world or cause panic This is all a great example of how we can connect different cultures and communities with technology when you want to lift them up

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09 source for her inspiration something that any and all artists need to do to continue making art This may be more than most people say when asked about what they do and who they are the artist told me But I m learning to introduce myself as more than what I do I am very importantly an artist But who I am goes far beyond the art I create According to Darcie she s never not been an artist She first began doodling as a child before growing into painting in high school and then fully embracing it as her main medium in college Her signature style is what she and her followers know as her series titled Memorialize This is a painted series on 4x4 canvases in which Darcie paints images in a way that makes it look like you re viewing them through a fog a haze of memories At this point in my life I m doing I m doing a lot of reflecting and feeling a lot of nostalgia Darcie said Nostalgia is ultimately the driving force of many of her works including and especially the Memorialize series Her series originally consisted of 78 tiny paintings which were submitted for her BFA senior thesis But since then the theme of Memorialize lives on in her work and she continuously adds more paintings to the series Darcie is not only inspired by her nostalgia but also by nature the originality of human beings her own daydreams and more She finds her inspiration everywhere That being said we can remain excited for her upcoming pieces in the works including a series on digital nostalgia and a potential collaboration with another artist You can stay updated with Darcie s work _thatoneartist_ on Instagram DENTON

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15 T By Paula Macena The phenomenon of watchingnewyork has grasped the attention of the photography and fashion world on the internet and it doesn t seem like it ll be releasing its grip any time soon The photographer behind it all who goes by Johnny is as real as the content he makes I sat down with him over a Zoom call and told him we could jump right into the interview as I didn t want to take up too much of his time and also partially because of nerves I asked him to tell me what he s been up to lately and he immediately turned the tables on me Well what have you been up to lately From there he proceeded to fire a couple of questions at me what I m studying in university the early courses of my new film minor and where I m from I just felt like I had to get to know you a little bit he told me after I d answered all his questions This was the first time I d ever been interviewed in my own interview and it surprisingly put me at ease I felt comfortable around Johnny almost immediately as I could tell that his questions came from a place of genuine curiosity and interest He also had a very nonchalant presence that I think nearly anyone could get comfortable around quickly He finally got around to answering my own question of what he d been up to lately The main thing right now is that I made a film about my family I have a three year old kid and so I made a documentary for him when he gets older Just about his family where he s come from and stories and stuff like that I ve taken a couple weeks off from watchingnewyork he continued just to enjoy my time with my family in the beginning of the New Year I m getting back out there I think this Thursday I ll start hitting the streets again but I took a couple weeks off just to relax and work on this film

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13 17 considered a feature those are just for my own personal enjoyment but watchingnewyork is how I make my money That consumes 90 of my creative energy As we continued our conversation I found out some more of Johnny s life history He grew up all over New York from Queens to Long Island to Brooklyn Long Island was where he got into photography when his mother gave him a camera It wasn t even the photography aspect of it that I was so obsessed with in the beginning he explained Just capturing moments and looking back on them which I loved Taking pictures of friends when I was 14 15 years old Then I had this amazing teacher when I was in tenth or eleventh grade Mr Robert Caskey And that was when I started taking photography I was introduced to the darkroom and film and really dove in Johnny said he wasn t a bad kid but he also wasn t necessarily a good student He went to a lot of detention for being insubordinate and cutting class I was just a nuisance basically But Mr Caskey was like his own Dead Poets Society Mr Keating and saw a potential that Johnny himself couldn t see Hey you re taking some really good photos I think you should take it more seriously Caskey would tell him and further encouraged him to submit a specific photo Johnny had taken to a photography competition Johnny continuously blew this off thinking Caskey was simply patronizing so Caskey did it himself and submitted Johnny s photo without telling him This photo now sits framed in Johnny s home and he refers to it as his rookie card It went on to be a finalist in the competition and was printed in the magazine that was holding the competition After this event he fell head over heels in love with photography That was the first thing I got obsessed with He built his own darkroom in his basement bought his own chemicals to develop film shot photos consistently to the point where he would buy a 200foot roll of film Mr Caskey was the push at the very beginning and after high school I just continued I mention him in every interview Johnny and Mr Caskey lost touch

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18 seeing we were open and practicing installing and performingvery beautiful and different Some p after high school Johnny attempted to find him on social media for years but came up with nothing until one day about a year ago he found another teacher from high school on Facebook He got Mr Caskey s email from them and was lucky enough to reach him and get back in contact To this day Mr Caskey continues to positively critique his work and support him Some of my photos were in the New York Times and I sent it to him to see what he thinks He wrote me back and gave me a full critique Not in a bad way But in a teacher way He told me why he enjoyed the pictures and how they made him feel and it just brought me right back to the 90s Great teachers they re so important watchingnewyork was a personal project he began six years ago Johnny was a fan of the street fashion photographer Bill Cunningham and considered him to be a New York staple On the day of Cunningham s passing Johnny decided to go out and do what he did for the day as a way to honor him and put myself in his shoes for a bit But he admitted that he never imagined that he would do street photography beyond that one day It was a little scary he confessed I was intimidated and it pushed me a little bit But I went home and talked to my wife and she said I should try it again tomorrow So I went back out and I started really enjoying the process after that To truly explain his feelings about watchingnewyork Johnny went on to give me the best and weirdest analogy I d ever heard for photography he compared it to fishing I did a lot of fishing on Long Island he said and watchingnewyork was very much like fishing to me It s difficult to get the really big ones and it happened in such a blink of an eye they re swerving in and out of people It was a game to me You have to be very patient you have to wait around for a long time you have to do it in all conditions whether it s rain or snow Once in a while you get stiffed and don t catch anything and other days you fill up the boat and that s just the way it goes It became a new obsession Johnny said that he initially didn t have any intention of watchingnewyork becoming as big as it has He didn t post any of the pictures keeping it all for himself and then began to use Instagram as an archive for the photos No one saw it for a few years until one day someone did Since then it s never stopped thus snowballing into what it is today My favorite part about it is when I meet somebody special he told me and everybody s special But I mean when I personally consider that somebody is doing something special and good And I talk about them on my page and they get some proper attention That s my favorite part Someone tells me they re a small business owner I ell people about it and I get a message saying that they sold out of their products or they re booked t out or they have a line out the door That s something that became my favorite part over time because in the beginning I didn t have the platform to do it In the beginning it was more about the characters I was capturing the moment and getting the right stride The beginning was more about photography like getting the right angle and the position of the character I fell in love with the photographs I loved catching something unusual or special catching someone dressed in a way I d never seen before Like someone getting their grandma s blanket and turning it into a jacket It s something special

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O MO NEY What started as a means to coexist and create bonds between roommates quickly became a creative outlet that let Marian Za nos go from an artist by hobby to a business owner that lets her explore the lengths of what she could do with her hands and a little bit of clay Amarillo Ceniza Yellow Ash in English was born in January of 2021 in Guadalajara Mexico not even a year into the pandemic where quarantine had loosened up but restrictions were still in place With no previous experience in the art but with a lot of energy and imagination Amarillo Ceniza started molding itself into what it is now a canalization where an artist can transform another person s creative desires into something tangible visual and functional How did Amarillo Ceniza start It started 2 years ago actually in January My roommate and I started molding with clay for fun and gifting it to our closest friends it was all very ugly very beginner because none of us had any prior experience with it So we started questioning if we could actually sell it we had a lot of free time and we were liking it So we started brainstorming names until we landed on the name Amarillo Ceniza That s when our other roommate Bruma joined She had previously donated materials and tools to us but it was until we put a name to this that she became part of the team Since she had worked with ceramics before the team started taking shape we were able to structure our processes we started taking on more orders and getting invited to projects The first one was a bazaar at our university a brunch with a concert where we actually made sales and started seeing this as an actual opportunity to create and have income from it Little by little we started comparing what materials worked best for what we were doing The materials we use then are very different from what we use now So yes Amarillo Ceniza arose from three roommates with a lot of free time and a desire to do things with their hands

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22 And why did you choose to use clay instead of any other medium to make art I think it s because all three of us had previously experimented on our own Paula who was the first one I started this with knits sews has a lot of creative outlets I write and I ve played instruments Bruma paints At that moment it made sense to use clay it was something that the three of us liked and could learn together We were teaching ourselves while also improvising a lot with our tools and with the clay until we found what worked for us Do you see what you do as a form of art Depends on the order I have thought about this before At the beginning we made all the pieces that we wanted each one of us would also make our own individual pieces and that s what we would bring to bazaars and collectives to showcase and sell After that we started taking personalized orders but it depends on how much I connect emotionally with the pieces If I consider it an art process or just a production piece I don t connect with everything I make but there s a part of the process where the creative part is thinking about how you re going to portray what your client is asking for I identify it as art when I connect with it emotionally Staying with that how do you connect with the piece whether it be yours or a client s I guess it depends on the creative freedom I have like Oh I have an idea and you can do it however you want because the times I don t connect it s because I m making logos or very specific things that don t have this freedom where I can pour myself into Coming back around to what you said earlier about how the materials you use have evolved can you tell me a little bit about that Up to a certain point when there were only two of us we had unified our method Our pieces had all the same measurements we used stamps with our logo for the bottom But at the very beginning we used a brand of clay that it s not what we use right now it s good and easy to use but it has paper in the mixture I identify it as art when I connect with it emotionally it s not 100 clay Right now for example when we sand down what we are making we are able to reuse the remaining clay Another thing we now varnish the pieces We did use to varnish them but with a very superficial lacquer which made our work not last long as opposed to now where we use a water and fire resistant varnish that makes them durable What kind of pieces do you make At the beginning we had an abstract for presentations that went along the lines of We are three chicks making clay pieces of celestial and diverse bodies We were more focused on making vulvas breasts We wanted to put the human body out there Then we started adding elements of nature into it like mushrooms plants especially because two of us are cannabis advocates We are conscious about who our target audience is so we started incorporating psychedelic and natural elements into what we were making It evolved when we started getting orders That s when we stopped and asked ourselves if we were gonna accept all kinds of requests or only requests on designs we made We finally agreed on taking any requests but we would also be making our own pieces from our inspiration In what way do you give part of yourself with those orders where you have creative freedom It was literally grabbing a piece of clay and at the beginning just mold We didn t even plan beforehand it was just us seeing where our hands would take us And we tried to keep a little of that feeling and that magic even though we got very specific orders But yes there are pieces of me in what I make

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23 So Amarillo Ceniza started during the pandemic and at the height there was this boom of clay ceramics and just art in general why do you think that happened I think it has to do with the ties made during the pandemic For us we were students and even though we didn t spend the majority of time together we did coincide at a time where strong restrictions were still in place in person classes were not for everyone we still had online courses so we spent a lot of time at home We had this desire to come together and create bonds with one another At least in our case this was the result of a friendship our wish to spend time together those individual desires to create support each other and to have a creative outlet And yes this also happened all around the world How do you think your pieces can capture different fragments of history At least for me different pieces mark different moments in history Even different designs do For example one of my favorite pieces to make is a sunflower the first time I ever made one was just a gift for a friend I decided to upload a picture of it and the inquiries started rolling Little by little it became the piece I ve made the most My first ever national order by coincidence made its way to my friend s house without me knowing or us living in the same city Everyone is always connected Creating art or anything with my hands has always been an emotional thing for me Right now the project is on pause but Marian has plans of opening back up and starting to create again You can find Amarillo Ceniza on Instagram on amarilloceniza to see how they ve evolved and to inspire yourself to create something too

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27 From growing up in a city that lacked art and spaces dedicated to creating art in collective Libre Gutierrez free in Spanish has made it a point in his work to connect with communities and get them involved in art and culture He has always strived to be either a message bearer for a group in need or serve a purpose for whoever crosses their path with his craft Well just to start how long have you been dedicating yourself to art Well now as a professional living from my work I think about 20 years It was around 2003 or 2001 when I started selling my work living from what I made I was selling my paintings exhibiting in galleries and cultural centers and getting invitations to participate in different projects How did you start getting so involved in art Like many artists since I was little My mother was a single mother until I was around nine or ten years old so she always tried to be involved as much as she could bringing me coloring books books that talked about art or bringing me to CECUT Tijuana s Cultural Center by its acronym in Spanish That s what was more accessible at the time for her and that s what she could bring me And obviously I always had this interest in culture I loved graffiti and seeing it in the streets Having grown up in the late 80s early 90s with a very big rise in graffiti in Tijuana seeing the city that way how it was intervened how it was altered definitely had an influence in my opinion in my aesthetics Graffiti appeared from one day to the next I thought they were like superheroes or ninjas or something like that I loved that there was political or commercial propaganda on top of it the graffiti on top was like the other unofficial advertisement and on top there were advertisements for Colosio PRI Cedillo politicians in Mexico or something for Tecate beer or Coca Cola And well that influenced me a lot And then I was in drawing classes when I was about 11 years old where I was taught to structure to work in proportion in drawing in the human figure in grounding my ideas in drawing and in observing what was around me and then interpret it Later when I started high school I was also going to classes with a teacher who would make me draw and work with my hand freehand draw figures and human figures And well I went for a little while The truth was that I didn t have a lot of money to pay for my classes so I learned what I could After high school in 1999 since there wasn t an arts school in Tijuana at that time my choice was either to go to Mexicali or come to Mexico City in Mexico or Guadalajara And well everything was very attractive I liked it but the truth was that I wasn t ready to leave Tijuana yet Rather I still had things to do and my city interested me The graffiti movement was booming with propaganda and pasting posters and stickers And well I was part of that movement too that s when I decided to go into architecture because I thought it s like the closest thing to the arts that I can find I loved architecture it showed me another vision another panorama of things I mean I didn t really know what architecture was until I started university Resolving spaces in seeing the functionality of things based on the needs of the human being not making a house just for the sake of it but because it follows some functionality And after all of this what do you do right now with your craft Well right now I m in a transition I think that s what has always happened to me I am not stuck with a style or with a single technique or element I find it very boring to sing the same song over and over It bothers me when I get identified by a style like other artists who always go through the same thing I prefer to take risks and do different things And right now I am more focused really on sculpture it s something that I like more Functional sculptures as well sculptures that are useful that either give you information that protect you from the rain from the sun Not only art that is very cool not art for art s sake but also art for a cause or a function until it makes you reflect on a topic Now I want to continue with the murals and I want to mix them a mural with an object coming out with a sculpture I m in that and I also mix it with community projects I really like working with people with communities especially in places where I am going to intervene and leave a piece In other words it is not just imposing I always like to arrive and ask people what they want what they would like what we can build with this philosophy that if we all paint it we all create it and we all take care of it So yes if we incorporate people it no longer becomes that mural that an artist came and painted or that sculpture was built by a guy from Tijuana from Mexico and left No the piece becomes an artist came and we built it together How do you decide when it s time to transition from materials Well the circumstance dictates the technique Right now I m just making the transition from wood to metal I ve done a few pieces with metal structures lined with wood but you can t beat the weather the sun the water the humidity mold Not even with metal but at least metal is resistant So I m making that transition right now In fact I started welding

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28 because one of my sculptures was damaged twice by people of organized crime here in Estado de M xico because it was a sculpture with information for migrants but since they kidnap them they have a security house 50 meters from where I placed the sculpture and they damaged it El transportapueblos has information for migrants with information on the 84 migrants shelters that existed at the time and it has a map of Mexico with the migratory routes so it was very obvious that if they have checkpoint where their intention is to kidnap and harm migrants they weren t going to like it The first time they damaged it I rebuilt it and placed it again and it only lasted 4 5 months when I went to check it they had cut the head off It was easier for them to just burn it but they wanted to send a message So I asked myself Do I stop with the sculptures or do I learn to make them even better So that s when I started welding So yes I think it s circumstances that determine And I ve always wanted to learn how to weld and it opened up the world for me You ve already mentioned you like to make art that has functionality or has a message behind it how did you decide you wanted to make art with cause It was something that came very organically to me I started to paste posters around 2000 2001 in Tijuana and to me it has always been a city that lacks culture in comparison to other cities in Mexico In reality we make up and build culture as we grow but it s a city that s relatively new and that s the culture so to speak It has a population of 2 4 million and just one museum When you go to Aguascalientes Guadalajara Puebla Queretaro they at least have 6 museums culturally it s lacking but there s also a disinterest in investing in culture and art It s something that I ve seen since I was younger That s why I hung up posters all over the city with artists faces and designs because I saw this If you wanted to go to a museum you had to go to San Diego I m barely starting to see initiatives on opening up galleries But my friends in Tijuana struggle there s just a few who live solely on their art So yeah it was born out of something very natural I sed to get money from other places and invest it in paint canvases paint but it was something that just came to me It doesn t have to be something complicated You have your topic and you handle your style but a lot of people think that because you re talking about certain things you won t sell And I also think that s a very negative thing when you re only thinking about the money and just making things that people will enjoy You re already defining caging yourself I also think that it s not fair to criticize if you re not contributing anything You can spend your whole day criticizing the government but if you re not doing anything you re not contributing and you re only standing there with your arms crossed With that in mind if I m going to criticize the lack of art I m going to go out into the streets and make murals I m gonna volunteer This is a very culturally rich country If all artists contributed one day volunteering this country would be different and that s what I m trying to do If I m criticizing anything I m going to go out there and contribute something How do you decide what projects to put on I work with organizations universities foundations and I started getting contacted through volunteering in different places If I don t have anything lined up I don t wait until something comes to me I go out gather a couple of people and do it I work every day What projects are you working on Right now I m working on a series In 2018 I joined a migrant caravan and got on the train with them from Estado de Mexico to Mexicali I recorded it with photographs and drawings For a lot of years I ve been working with murals and exteriors but I haven t done anything to exhibit So right now I want to focus on that I m working on some engravings and sculptures from that experience And to wrap this up where does the name Libre come from For starters Libre is a pseudonym that has become like my actual name I respond to it more than my real name When I hung up posters around the 2000s they were designs I used to make while I was in university and for a year I was putting them out on the streets in Tijuana without signature it was anonymous During that time I would spend a lot of time in my school s library with one of my friends I remember writing with him I do it because I m free We re free but what I wanted to say is that I go and put up posters because I want the culture to expand everywhere and I don t care what I have to do even if it means going outside at night I used to hang up posters with Salvador Dal s face on it and I thought if 10 middle schoolers see it and they see them around the streets and just one of them asked who is he and why is he everywhere then maybe one of those 10 would know who he was and they would think it was cool That was my reasoning behind it to get people to come closer to art and maybe step away from all the violence and narco happening in Tijuana at the time

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32 Ripples Laara Williamsem Vancouver Linkedin laarawilliamsen Laara WilliamSen grew up in the Lower Fraser Valley of B C surrounded by a large family and country community Her early years were immersed in nature She graduated from Emily Carr University and Design in 1988 with an Interdisciplinary Major and then moved to North Vancouver to continue her painting and her exhibiting both locally and internationally Over the years she has been active both at home and around the world participating in exhibitions educating in the arts creating events and donating to charity She now resides in South Surrey B C Canada near to the Pacific Ocean Her painting career spans more than 45 years and she has had 93 solos and has participated in 198 group exhibitions Laara WilliamSen s paintings are held in private collections around the world One of the awards she has received is The top ten international painters award in the International Artitudes Competition curated by the Museum of Modern Art Lynn Warren curator Chicago U S A The Fogg Art Museum Judy Neiswander Curator Cambridge Massachusetts U S A and The Guild Hall Museum Helen Harrison Curator East Hampton New York U S A The exhibition was held at Gallery 54 SoHo New York U S A Laara has operated her art school in Delta North Vancouver Penticton Sunshine Coast Vancouver and White Rock B C Canada for 45 years and online since 2017 to present https the laara williamsen school of art thinkific com serving 10 000 students successfully MOST RECENT INTERVIEW QUOTES Eat my news 2022 01 Laara WilliamSen article Published January 2022 COPY AND PASTE for more in depth https www eatmy news 2022 01 laara williamsenunconsciously i return html and view website laarawilliamsen com I like to paint what I sense or feel such as the sound of a stream the sparkles of light in the green world of nature or the city constructions with hard edges electric sidewalks and some blazing red sounds Using a paddle and my fingers I apply acrylic or oil paints onto the canvas My intention is that viewers may experience a sense of recognition or create their own stories from my art works Once my painting is completed it gains a life of its own

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33 Erick Mota Freehold Instgram erickmotaart Erick Mota is a visionary artist whose approach to the canvas is fueled by a profound philosophical and introspective understanding of the human experience With each stroke of the brush he invites viewers on a journey through the diverse facets of humanity delving into the raw power of emotions and the shaping influence of culture on our personalities Through his art Erick fearlessly explores the complexities of the world around him transcending the boundaries of visual expression to create pieces that serve as powerful testaments to his unrelenting quest for knowledge and self discovery Erick s artistic repertoire is a rich tapestry of influences woven together from the threads of his personal experiences his passion for psychology and organizational leadership and his unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of those around him As he continues to refine his unique voice within his craft Erick remains steadfast in his commitment to helping others and leaving a lasting impression on the world through his art Growing up in Staten Island NY Mota was surrounded by creativity and encouraged to nurture his own artistic talents His father also an artist helped cultivate a young Erick s passion for learning reading writing drawing music sports and video games Even at an early age the introspective and inquisitive child had a fearless spirit often taking on new challenges Despite his early creative endeavors It wasn t until Mota took an introduction to oil painting class at 22 that he found his true calling Falling in love with the medium he quickly outgrew the limited palette and invested in more colors and brushes His exceptional skill level impressed his professor who encouraged him to take intermediate and advanced oil painting classes solidifying Mota s passion and purpose as an artist Mota s educational background is extensive and impressive boasting a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a Masters of Arts in Industrial Organizational Psychology He s well on his way to earning a doctorate in Organizational Leadership Mota s artistic training is largely self directed showcasing his natural talent With a seasoned approach Mota meticulously prepares his canvas layering it with gesso and sketching lightly before bringing the artwork to life Utilizing quick dry sprays for specific areas Mota s process is optimized for efficiency without sacrificing quality Once completed each piece is signed and protected with a UV sealant ensuring its longevity for generations to come In his quest for artistic innovation Mota has ventured into the realm of digital art crafting mesmerizing NFT animations that elevate his paintings to new heights With a presence in prestigious galleries such as the Greenpoint Gallery Van Der Plas Gallery in Lower East Side NYC One Art Space Gallery in TriBeCa The Ketchup Gallery and Brooklyn Art Cave in Brooklyn as well as various locations all over NYC Mota is a rising force in the art world Mota has an upcoming solo booth in the 2023 Art Expo NY a Times Square display with Artist Talk Magazine in June 2023 and scheduled for a solo booth at Spectrum Miami 2023 at Art Basel in Miami Beach in December as well as several exhibitions scheduled in NYC Mota has amassed a noteworthy collection of awards including the prestigious Voices of Tomorrow International Art Award from Contemporary Art Curator Magazine and the Faces of Peace International Art Award from the same publication as well as the coveted Donatello International Prize Leonardo da Vinci International Prize and Pegasus International Prize Mota s artistic portfolio showcases standout works including the transformative Spirit Animal and the dynamic The Game of Life which was brought to life as a captivating NFT animation The latter work was also honored with a momentous digital display in the heart of Times Square New York City Mota s art embodies his dedication to capturing the human experience With tireless effort he continually hones his skills and takes on new challenges driven by a desire to grow as an artist I constantly strive to better myself sharpening my skills and embracing growth says Mota Whether through his timeless paintings thought provoking digital art or his inspiring words Mota continues to leave a lasting impact on the art world and those who encounter his work

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37 Composition No 10 Red Orange Rectangle Marwa Khamis Alexandria https www instagram com painterkhamis My name is Marwa Khamis an Emerging Egyptian painter I hold a BA at fine art I have been working since then The last few years I joined more than 15 online and physical exhibitions nationally and internationally as in India France Turkey and Spain also my artworks published in magazines abroad As well as I was honored by honorable and merit awards and got the third place award internationally in competition from Upward Gallery network platform Mainly I inspired by Kazimir Malevich and his suprematism compositions I felt that they are fragmented and chaotic but there were always can an equilibrium to the composition and also liberated from rules and dogmas This agrees with my thought that artist must be free and independent in order to create to creative a true work of art In my paintings I am trying to make art an idea summed up by design Seeking in them to create harmonious and balanced compositions free of interpretation Paintings rely on an imaginary world whose source is the unconscious to liberate from the constraints of reality through geometric abstract shapes Focusing on uniformity contrast diversity and juxtaposition of color structures and how to distribute the colors degree through shapes to get effect on the mind and feelings of the recipient

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39 Lines Vian Borchert Washington DC Instagram vianborchert Facebook Vian Borchert Fine Arts Twitter ViansArtCorner Vian Borchert is a noted expressionist artist and an award winning poet Borchert has exhibited extensively within the US and internationally Vian is a graduate and Notable Alumni from the Corcoran George Washington University Washington DC Borchert exhibits in museums and key galleries in major cities like NYC LA London Borchert had her artwork exhibited in prestigious venues like The SAM Museum in PA The National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia Times Square Broadway Plaza United Nations Lobby Gallery in NYC Art Basel Miami Beach 1stDibs Design Center in Chelsea NYC Her artwork is also in embassies and in private collections worldwide Borchert s art has been vastly featured in press like the esteemed Museum Week Magazine Oxford Public Philosophy Journal MOEVIR Paris Fashion Art Magazine ARTPIL The Washington Post 300 Luxury Magazine Collect Art Magazine and Vie magazine Borchert is an art educator in the Washington DC area teaching fine art classes in painting and drawing to adults Borchert s artwork is available in 1stDibs and Artsy Website www vianborchert com I am an expressionist artist I describe my artwork as a form of visual poetry The artwork represents my aesthetic and sense of identity along with themes on belonging while emphasizing my love for structure strong lines and geometric shapes Coming from academia and an architect at heart I define my mind as a structured one with love for structure with a multitude of shapes Thus naturally these elements appear in my work especially in the work that has architectural elements at its core In a gist the works go after the law of contiguity which is considered the keystone to most scientific theories of space memory and knowledge Moreover some of my latest works revolve around the theme of belonging along with questioning What is a Home Is home a house is home someone you love is home a country is home a feeling or a place that you only go to within your imagination Hence the latest work abstractly covers such heavy and deep subjects that have layers and multitudes be it the actual structure to shapes and lines to the poetic and metaphoric aspects of the theme

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43 Surreal Heat Abhishek Tuiwala New Jersey Instagram abhishek tuiwala Abhishek Tuiwala was born in Gujarat India and currently lives and works in New Jersey Abhishek studied science during his school time but later on he realized that Fine arts Sculpture to be in particular appealed him more He received a Bachelor of Fine art with a major in sculpture from V N S G University Surat Gujarat India then he came to New York to attend Masters in Finer arts Sculpture with the same major on Scholarship He was awarded the exemplary student by Pratt School of art Dean and Chairperson His forte lies in Metal works wood works Installation and graphite drawings He has worked his ways into online and offline exhibits all across the globe in the U S India and South Korea to be particular He has numerous scholarships grants publications national and international awards I am interested in exploring themes that cut across different cultural temporal and personal contexts in order to arrive at a universal understanding of the human condition I observe incorporate satire and create art that addresses these core aspects of humanity My layered multimedia work metaphorically connects multicultural generational and intimate human experiences into one expression My work is both socially engaged and informed by a sense of humour or irony By using satire to explore serious or complex themes I can engage my audience in an intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant way Each sculpture being a puzzle also speaks to the process oriented nature of my artistic practice By researching my subject matter and juxtaposing figuration with abstraction I can create works that are multi layered and rich with meaning The fact that the work remains enigmatic to some degree suggests that I am comfortable with leaving some aspects of the work open to interpretation encouraging my audience to engage with the work more actively and participatory way Finally my enjoyment of working through impediments to reaching meaningful outcomes speaks to perseverance and dedication to my artwork By embracing the challenges inherent in creating art I can push myself creatively and arrive at personally meaningful and impactful outcomes for my audience

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45 Anabeh Shahbazian Glendale Website https www behance net anabehshahbaz1 projects I am a 20 year old artist based in LA and I am currently graduating from Glendale Community College with an AA in Graphic Design AAT in Studio Arts and an AA in Art History I am aspiring to transfer to California State Polytechnic University to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication Design My work has been published through various publications exhibitions such as STRICTLY A Year In BLOOM Unbound Story Ink Autry Museum The Museum of Contemporary Art and Manoto TV I aspire to bring joy and a sense of connection through my art My values in life reflect in my work as I create art that speaks on equality across all ethnicities genders sexualities religions appearances etc The artworks I create reach a diverse audience because I highlight what society has deemed as imperfections ensuring that everyone in my community and beyond feels represented and appreciated In a world full of darkness it is essential to be reminded that everyone is loved and deserving and that we succeed only through relying on each other rather than putting others down The main features included in my work are a representation of different ethnicities in women different body types nature and an abundance of colors My style of work does not consist of just one but rather a variety of different styles inspired by ones in the past and my own Creating my own personality and interests through exploring The work that I make is a small step towards creating more mainstream representation and inspiring people around us to not shy away from their characteristics that might have been suppressed by society

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50 Eryion Williams Instagram artsijai My name is Eryion Williams and I am a 24 year old California based artist that specializes in traditional and digital art I started painting traditionally with acrylic paint in November of 2018 and digitally in June of 2020 Painting started off as being an outlet for me I struggle with anxiety and depression and art is a way that I can express myself when it s too hard to use words As I ve grown in my art I have integrated surrealism into my style which allows me to escape reality and enter a place that I ve created Though every subject in my pieces is not me there s a piece of me in everything that I create My goal when I began sharing my art was to let people know that they were not alone in their mental health struggles and today my goal has not changed I hope that the people who see and purchase my pieces feel just as much if not more peace and joy that I feel while creating them My art is an extension of me the parts that people see and the parts that may be hidden from the outside world Though every piece may not include me there s a piece of me in everything that I create

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54 Brielle Bonetti New York City Instagram briellebonetti_photography Brielle Bonetti is a filmmaker and photographer based in New York City A graduate of the University of Michigan Bonetti studied both Film TV Media and International Relations She hopes to use her two areas of study to create non fiction films and photographs that shed light and exposure on both the problems but also the victories of our international world In 2018 she spent the summer creating short documentaries for women s empowerment NGO ANKURI in Northern India After spending a semester sailing around the world on a Semester at Sea she worked in the video department of the United Nations Currently Bonetti serves as a Senior Creator Onboarding Manager at QuickFrame by MNTN Bonetti hopes to draw from the many people she has come across on her travels to continue to highlight stories that showcase a shared human experience across the globe and touch the souls of those watching I dedicate my love of photography to my dad who gifted me my first camera at the age of 8 I have had one strapped around my neck ever since and feel no greater joy than capturing the beauty all around us through my lens My work specializes in documentary photography and my goal is to display the essence of humanity in its raw and unfiltered form I strive to showcase Humans As They Are without the use of artificial lighting gloss or photoshop My mission is to document the real and unaltered human experience as it naturally unfolds I am drawn to candid unposed moments that reveal the authenticity of those on the other end of my lens In a world filled with such divisiveness conflict and unrest I strive to use my photographs to show a shared human experience across the globe and highlight the similarities rather than differences between us all I feel honored to have the opportunity to document the human experience in all its diversity and hope to bring greater understanding and empathy to our world

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56 Diana Dima Timisoara Timis Romania Instagram Facebook and TikTok dianadimaart Diana Dima is a visual artist born in 1993 from a small town in Romania She started to draw when she was a child mostly characters from her favorite cartoon anime broadcast on TV namely Sailor Moon In the 90s many cartoons from DC Marvel and Japanese cartoons were broadcast on television As a child she did not realize the impact of cartoons on her future career After attending a fine arts high school she graduated from the visual art faculty During her faculty period she experimented with different styles such as the study of portraiture artistic anatomy abstract but also comics Her career in visual arts didn t start immediately after her graduation because she had to support herself with something While she was working in a different field her thoughts were still on art In 2019 she returned to make art and now she invests all of her time for it Off all this years dedicated to art her hard work can be seen today The comic books I read when I was small had a big influence on me and from here it follows my fascination for the human body I was a shy kid and most of the time I was mocked for my shyness That s why the main theme approached in my artworks are conflict and praying Being a shy kid I always communicated with parts of my body such as my face and my hands and with them I was showing the discomfort created by the bullying Recently I started to deepen the anatomical study of the hands I am fascinated by their dynamic and perspective shape I used to use a monochrome palette in my artwork as a way of expression but now I have evolved as a person and I enjoy using more vibrant colors The biggest influences on my artwork are Japanese culture and artists such as Frank Miller Frank Frazetta and Ai Yazawa I am concerned with portraying my inner experiences and trying to capture the very essence of beauty in the dark and the macabre While I use a variety of materials and processes in each project my methodology is consistent Although there may not always be material similarities between the different artworks they are linked by recurring formal concerns and through the subject matter The subject matter of each artwork determines the materials and the forms of the work Materials that I use are watercolors acrylics inks markers colored pencils charcoal etc

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59 Joshua Carpenter Denver Colorado Instagram artbyjoshuac Born and raised in Colorado twenty year old multidisciplinary artist Joshua Carpenter always knew he was going to grow up and change the world with his creativity Currently attending Metropolitan State University in Denver attaining a BFA in art education with a minor in art history Carpenter works in the land of fantasy to capture his conceptual and faith based outlook on life New to the gallery scene he was featured recently in the New Life Rebirth Resurrection exhibition at Pirate Contemporary Art Gallery in Lakewood CO with more exciting upcoming exhibitions in the works Carpenter s practice takes inspiration from literature and storytelling through the lens of his own identity Every painting sculpture form and creation of work is a prayer and a story set upon the world from the depths of my own heart with the hope that someone even just one person will listen The question of why always seems to accompany me like an old friend trailing me around questioning my every thought As a child I never understood why the whole world wasn t a big playground I mean we have the means to make it one right still seems like a great idea I thought I would know when I was older but instead the question of why became more recurrent why as a society are we always fighting Why do we have to work forty hours a week to consider ourselves successful With each new suffocating obstacle in life my fight to remain rooted in the childhood ideology of whimsicality has been gilded and that s where my art comes from passion for change a drive for creativity and a knowledge that the best educators do not choose to educate but are called to their profession to provide back to the world I pursue art education not because it was my childhood dream but because it is my adult dream Leaving high school abruptly in 2020 was a challenge I was thrown into a world of having to make a living and was expected to have it all figured out by tomorrow One day I was hanging with my friends and the next I was standing behind a cash register unknowing how truly mundane life could be something I m sure everyone can relate to Not so long into that new world I dove head first into my art for comfort and once I realized how that art helps not only me but others around me who could understand just as well that life could be more than an endless rotation of work I knew I had found my calling When I was little I would perform shows with my plastic piano for my parents I would draw all over my furniture with markers and my favorite toy was one of those Etch A Sketches It seemed the more I looked back the more I realized I have always been an artist born with creativity in my soul and a mind to create creation filled with a wonder and love of the world something I will always try to instill in my work My end goal is quite simple change the world one student at a time After all the world is a beautiful and outstanding place and while it has its faults none can vanquish the magic hidden in each and every corner of creation We are always so focused on labeling and categorizing in the art community when really we should be forever growing learning and evolving without any worry about fitting into a style I hope my work reflects that with its themes of whimsy regality and beauty Whether it be a pretty flower or an elaborate piece of conceptual art I create what I wish and what ties all that work together whether it be a painting sculpture or quick sketch is the hand that made them forever creating my own personal wonderland where there is no why

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61 Nina Luna San Diego CA Instagram ninasartworld Paint the Pain Away My Journey This is the story of how breast cancer changed my life I am a two time breast cancer survivor I was diagnosed in October 2011 and have been in remission since February 2014 I really don t remember much of it I guess that s a blessing The only way I can describe it is like going through a wormhole shooting out the other side and wondering what the heck happened On February 24th 2014 I was released to find myself again I realized it wasn t about rediscovering myself it was about creating a completely new me So here I am in remission and wondering what to do next What do I do now The person I was is gone never to return Thus began my flight into my new life I was thrown back into a normal reality Well as normal as can be I had to retrain my brain from fight to flight My fight was over as quickly as it came and the initial shock of it all hadn t hit yet I m still not sure if it has or if it will ever be but now I have to learn to fly and think differently from now on a mental rebirth I first started painting as an art form in October 2013 Though I can draw quite well I never applied it as a form of art or took it seriously until I added paint It quickly became a place where I could hide from the pain I was going through and go to a place of calmness tranquility and freedom from the world I was existing in As part of my healing process after losing both breasts I chose a female torso as my canvas I d really never looked at the female body as beautiful Painting them helps me embrace who I am as a woman realizing I am just as beautiful now as I was with breasts Each piece tells a story of where I was mentally while going through cancer where I have gone where I am now on my journey and how I have grown as a woman a survivor and an artist As of today I have become an international artist with several publications and exhibits of my work I still find it all very surreal and I am very blessed and honored that my work is well received in the art world What inspires you to paint and where did you get the idea for this piece someone asked I really had to think because I am not in charge when it comes to creation My answer is that a canvas no matter what material is used is the birthplace of creation I may walk around for several days before I even apply a dot Once the dot is there I turn on my music and let it guide me through the process of creating whatever is in my head As I paint my only thought is what if and the rest is magic Nina Luna San Diego CA

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63 Rocio Campos Segovia Buenos Aires Argentina Instagram rociocamposegovia I am a fine artist and set designer born in the city of Buenos Aires in 1979 I work as a painter muralist and art director I studied visual arts at UMSA and graduated from UNSAL as a set designer I have been an art director and set designer of series and TV since 2008 working for national and international projects for Disney Latin America Disney Brazil and Disney America Concurrently I continue to develop my fine art works in small and large formats and I create murals for individuals and businesses In 2019 I was selected as a beneficiary by the Buenos Aires Cultural Patronage with a personal project In 2021 I was selected by the Museum of Modern Art of Buenos Aires for my most recent artwork I currently participate in group shows in the city of Buenos Aires My paintings are characterized by the use of warm colors and a delicate handling of color and light I work playful expressive and joyful scenes with great inspiration taken from nature and objects The space where I live and the things that surround me constitute a present that pauses in that instant of light that I observe and paint My compositions revolve around light textures botany and objects I recreate among my objects and flowers symbols of my history particularly the Chinese rose that is linked to my childhood and is the most recurrent My training as a puppeteer and set designer is very present in my work I play portraying dolls and objects that have weight in my inner world generating a fictional world within my daily life I have always been drawn to puppets and miniatures In this fusion of universes my pictorial scenic and puppeteer worlds coexist

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65 Brut Carniollus Radovljica Slovenia Instagram carniollus Brut Carniollus is a visual artist and photographer specialized in photography based digital collage and digital graphics executed as original digital UV prints His approach tends to be reductional deconstructional and minimalist His work is exhibited and awarded worldwide Since 2012 he also serves as official paparazzi of renowned international artist symposium Slovenia Open To Art He is a member of The Slovenian Association of Fine Arts Societies and represented by Staam Gallery and Singulart Lives and works in Radovljica Slovenia EU as a self employed artist web carniollus com instagram carniollus As an artist my work is driven by a deep fascination with the human condition and the many ways in which it is expressed I am particularly drawn to portraiture urban landscape geometric and abstract art which I often mix together in a single digital collage My creative process typically starts with a single photograph or a line of code which serves as the foundation for my work From there I may crop and convert the image to black and white or I may use it as the starting point for a larger digital collage that incorporates other imagery whether from public sources or my own past works Throughout my artistic journey I have been greatly influenced by the many artists and creative individuals I have had the privilege of encountering From these encounters I have come to believe that every person passionate about their work can be a source of inspiration and learning regardless of whether they are artists or not Ultimately my goal as an artist is to create visual experiences that offer viewers a window into their own stories and experiences Whether through color composition or subject matter my hope is that my work will evoke something deep and meaningful in those who see it As an artist I see myself as a witness to the times in which we live and it is my privilege to share that perspective with others through my art

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67 Francisco Magall n New Orleans LA Instagram laberintos_mentales Born and raised in Mexico City where he studied a BFA at the Faculty of Arts and Design and later a MFA with specialty in Printmaking at the San Carlos Academy of Fine Arts Since then has participated in more than 90 group art shows national and international Mexico USA France Spain Germany Argentina and Cuba and presented 12 solo art shows between Mexico and USA the last three had been in New Orleans where he has lived for the last nine years For five years worked as a University Professor in Mexico City teaching subjects such as Drawing Illustration Color Theory and Printmaking and later founded his own Painting and Printmaking Studio The Labyrinth which runs for seven years and where he gave Drawing Painting and Printmaking workshops and did photography and body painting projects Some of his art pieces are part of institutional collections such as National Museum of Mexican Art Chicago International Museum of Art and Science Mc Allen and Mexican Cultural Institute San Antonio His work has been published in several Art Magazines like Artepoli Barcelona 2022 and New Visionary New York 2023 Recently completed a 12 month Artist in Residence program at SALON Artist Studios sponsored by the Arts Council of New Orleans March 2022 March 2023 The Labyrinth is a space in which a person is physically lost in order to find himself spiritually This series of work entitled Mental Labyrinths made in various painting and printmaking techniques on canvas or cotton paper metaphorically illustrate the different tangles and false realities that we generate in our minds And that in some moments in our lives make us feel lost and trapped in a kind of Labyrinth with no way out In the course of our ephemeral existence we create complicated mental and emotional spaces in which we wander aimlessly traveling again and again through similar paths and situations as loops of endless repetition running into the same internal walls of a Labyrinth looking for a way out We fool ourselves into believing that we are going forward in our walk without realizing that we only walk in repetition tracing circles over and over again walking the same routes and following the same routines that lead us to run into the same walled alleys We create these Mental Labyrinths as a consequence of different personal and emotional conflicts such as Labyrinths of Egos Labyrinths of Fears or Labyrinths of Desires As these emotions are fed these Labyrinths grow expand and bifurcate making their exit more and more complicated and difficult Only by confronting a personal battle and waging a mental guerilla we start the path towards liberation from our own self confinement often unconscious and involuntary The search of the artist is the search for his own inner light his recognition his self realization and his enlightenment And it is found deep within his Being right in the center of the Labyrinth coveted and invaluable spiritual treasure that is protected by the Mythological Minotaur Monster who fiercely watches and guards the Light of Ancestral Wisdom which will free us from our confinement in our own Mental Labyrinths We have to fight the mental war with our internal demons confront them and triumph to escape since paradoxically the exit and the liberation will always be towards the inside and only illusively towards the outside

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69 Alina Hermann Hemsbach Germany Instagram alina hermann art Alina Hermann was born in 1987 in the idyllic countryside of Germany and currently lives and works near Heidelberg Germany Originally with a scientific background she found her way back to art in 2021 during a creative retreat on the Orkney Islands in Scotland Immediately after she started to learn artistic basics and various techniques such as pencil and charcoal portraiture as well as acrylic and oil painting in dedicated online courses In the summer of 2022 she decided to acquire even more artistic skills and knowledge by starting the 1 year online Mastery Program at the Milan Art Institute USA In her work she utilizes collage texture paste markers and other tools to create a variety of contrasts and shapes Her process for creating an abstract work is largely intuitive and exploratory It begins with the application of many thin layers of paint followed by the contemplation and further elaboration of shapes patterns lines and symbols It is all about finding the balance between chaos and calm excitement and relaxation From this disordered state a new world emerges with every new painting With my art I hope to create access to these unknown places beyond the canvas and invite the viewer to explore them even further Alina says Since 2023 she has set up her own cozy studio which is like a small apartment in the house where she lives Although it s in the basement it feels like a little cottage in nature with its windows directly into the garden So it is no wonder that she is often accompanied by her handsome Croatian shelter dog Lani while she works Besides exploring more color palettes inspired primarily by nature she is currently engaged in plans to live and paint in Italy for three months with her partner and dog in 2023 2024 Applying paint intuitively and letting it flow naturally across the canvas excites me and makes creating art an adventure for me every time Similar to the discovery of unknown places while traveling I observe and evaluate what emerges in front of me As a painter however there are no limits to exploration I seek for forms and shapes to elaborate and give more contours to the evolving worlds capturing what I see and feel in that moment With my art I want to create access to these unknown places beyond the canvas invite the viewer to go on a journey with me and to explore them even further

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73 Lori Baltimore United States Instagram artadri _ My name is Lori and I am a painter based in Baltimore Maryland I have been interested and doing everything art since I was 4 my grandmother was an artist when she was younger and hearing her talk about her life as an artist caused me to want to be just just like her Me and my grandmother bonded over our love for art I was so desperate for her approval that I continued to challenge myself and perfect my skills in painting I grew up in a toxic household and it caused me to wear a mask in front of everyone I was drained constantly but told myself to suck it up because I didn t want to be portrayed as the selfish bad guy I tried to find refuge in isolating myself and painting my feelings My art has bring me comfort whenever life became suffocating I didn t feel like an alien whenever I picked up a paintbrush and those were times where I actually embraced being myself I started seriously painting to escape from my trauma and depression it turned into on and off periods of art block and during those times I repressed my emotions it was too intoxicating to get myself out that I depended on my art block I ve always had love for art and everything about it it makes me feel right and in a way it s my safe haven no matter where I end up My painting Stress Relief is done on a wood canvas using oil paints also referenced by photos of myself using props This piece is inspired by my personal feeling of being burnt out and just needing a break even if it s brief I used the idea of taking a smoke break with myself even though I don t smoke personally I wanted to portray a coping mechanism that isn t healthy to reflect my mindset Setting up a smoke break with myself because I self isolate in stressful situations to run from dealing with it This piece represents a coping mechanism that can be great and relief in the moment but after it s done you re still left with what you re avoiding I m happy to be able to portray an internal and external negative impact on my health that could relate to me Where s my mind is a self portrait but my head is clouded with everything but a brain The title is relevant to the space I was in when creating this work life was hectic and I was distracted from important tasks I needed to do I used posca markers and oil pastels to complete this portrait and used hands opening my head to see random objects floating out to represent where my mind has been The swirls inside my head represent always having something on my mind like clockwork The Girl in the Mirror was created during a personal time in my life where I was confused and questioning my gender identity For a while I was questioning my pronouns and whether I was a girl or not I came to the conclusion that I was non binary but it came to me also looking in the mirror and just barely recognizing who was staring back This process was everything but easy to accept and I wanted to portray it as a partial self portrait of a girl looking out the mirror in their bathroom This process taught me more about myself than I learned in therapy and in my own perception The title of Returning Spark is ironic to the actual piece instead of actual sparks I decided to go with fire This title relates to me being burnt out from art in high school and when I graduated nothing stuck Sketching was the last thing on my mind and I couldn t make any type of art for months That period of time was during a difficult time of my life and I couldn t find comfort in my art Finally coming out of art block this was the first piece I was able to work on and be happy with the result The work A Broken Safe Space is especially close to me this hits close to home as I wasn t feeling safe at my parents house My work for this was to convey even though I made the room mine and it shows who I was as I grew it still didn t feel like mine My parents were toxic and never treated me with love unless it was for show so therefore I never had my own room or bed until I was 11 My parents used that against me and among other things I just didn t feel comfortable at home with them I wished to be happy and that would only happen if I was in my room isolated with the door shut It became my depression room and it felt comfortable and at the same time suffocating I wanted this piece to represent that and doing so I portrayed myself doing different things while there are ghosts in the room As i said before that room represents my growth and in that I had to let go of older versions of myself even though I know it ll always be a part of me and that room

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75 The Last Last Supper Violet Aitken Bristol RI Instagram jalapeno_chips_and_blueberries Violet Aitken currently attends Roger Williams University in Bristol RI perusing a bachelor s in both Visual Arts and Art History As an avid art history buff Aitken uses her studies as starting blocks to inspire new mediums compositions and concepts She has shown in group shows around her campus and continues to follow her dreams of becoming a curator Aitken s love of mixed media pushes her towards combining printmaking collaging sculpture painting etc into large scale works that embrace the anti traditionalism and emotional importance of abstract expressionism As a child Aitken would describe her art as messy and colorful filled with the childhood joy that comes with creating That joy is something she wishes to preserve in her work as she creates pieces that are hands on creating plaster sculptures making paint from scratch building her own canvases or sanding wood by hand She embraces her materials as she believes the best things are always homemade just like the ambitiously decorated birthday cards she would make for her family Aitken uses her studies as inspiration and transforms concepts into something that aligns with her spontaneity and desire for art without restriction Humor plays a role in her work as she explores the composition of culturally significant pieces and brings new and refreshing concepts to the table Juxtaposing her more serious emotional pieces with her more jovial tone allows her to tackle relatable ideas while poking fun at academic seriousness In her printmaking practices she uses wood cut relief intaglio and screenprinting to play off pieces like Fragonard s The Swing Beckmann s Self portrait in a Bowler Hat and Da Vinci s Last Supper While in sculpture she creates life size nude sculptures like the classical Greco Roman statues facing topics about beauty and self image Rejection of traditional academic art is something she strives for as she prioritizes emotion creative freedom and explorative processes By taking the skills she learned and mixing them with her curiosity and hands on approach Violet Aitken creates works that embody her younger self s spontaneous love for creation and her current self s boundless artistic ambition

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76 Helen Hawkins New Orleans LA Instagram helenhawkinsstudio Helen Hawkins was born and raised in New Orleans Louisiana She graduated from NYU in 2020 and has been painting in oil for 10 years Her most visited subject is the human figure as she often uses images of her friends and strangers to create the scenes she references in her work She usually works in her studio but is also known to create plein air paintings in the parks of New Orleans Helen s favorite color is Payne s Grey by Williamsburg paints I use oil painting to explore ideas about my life in this world What this means has changed over the ten years I ve been painting In the beginning my paintings tried to capture looks the formal details of an image or a still life set up While I still employ observation from life and photography I now try to convey mood by altering or even abandoning reference images By allowing myself this freedom my works capture not just a snapshot of a thing but instead express a deeper aspect including its felt significance in its broader relationships in the world When I am painting I will sketch and wipe off starting over many times until I accurately express this deeper aspect which I can often only sense I follow this sense to tell a story or explore an idea such as who we are what we are made of where we are going or how we see and exist in this world as both actors and spectators This transformation in style reflects a deepening in my thinking about creating art and its purpose But now I feel freer to abstract from many details to highlight by contrast the few that remain in focus Art becomes more powerful when it is not just about maximizing all details but maximizing some important ones to transmit ideas or emotions more powerfully The paintings become less about the visible and more about an intangible element of being which comes through some such details of skin hair and wrinkles but is not reducible to them

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78 Parjam Parsi Instagram parjamparsi Twitter parjamparsi Parjam Parsi born 23 October 1988 is a self taught visual artist In a career spanning more than 17 years Parsi has made art prolifically and earned critical acclaim He has been extensively exhibited in Europe and the United States His influences and work encompass a diverse range of genres including abstract expressionism figurative painting conceptual art among others With each frame he changes his artistic direction It is undoubtedly centuries of darkness that have shaped this painful coexistence between life and death Biocoenosis stands still As a result of the open view of the apparent volume of inversion humans were abducted from an early childhood definition of imagination On the edge of darkness this red hanging cloth crushes at a distance of nearly infinite years in the regret of having touched the rope of existence A human being s understanding of another is also a strange illusion Darkness and this impossible mass are divided by a bitter rift that seeks to reveal the truth While our biochemistry is devoid of the discourse of existence and the poetic sadness of death our biochemistry is devoid of the lessons of existence The fluid poetic sadness of death the consuming desire and delusion called hope We have left no place for humans to the point where they have left the circle of life to disappear and disappear in the darkness of our days That is not the meaning of life The desire to die was my first fundamental knowledge of myself

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80 Jessica Darling Upland CA Instagram jessicadarlingstudio TikTok jessicadarling_studio Etsy www etsy com shop JessicaDarlingStudio Art has always been an integral part of my life From a young age I knew that I was born to be an artist I always felt I wasn t meant for a conventional lifestyle Throughout my young adult years I explored many career paths only to find myself drawn back to the art world As I worked on my craft I found that my confidence grew and I began to be more satisfied with each piece Through my art I have found a path to healing and self discovery Painting has become a powerful tool for me to connect with myself and the world around me I am constantly amazed by the way that it has transformed my life While my formal training as an artist is limited my drive to paint and my willingness to take on new challenges have laid a strong foundation for my craft I am excited to continue on this journey exploring new techniques subjects and styles Every time I pick up my paintbrush I am transported to a world of endless possibilities It is a world where my senses are heightened and my creativity is free to roam without boundaries In this world there is no separation between me and the canvas We become one coexisting in a timeless space where every brushstroke is a breath that comes to life on the canvas As an artist I am guided by my intuition in a playful dance with the colors composition texture and lighting Each stroke is a moment of discovery and exploration leading me down a path of endless experimentation and discovery I am inspired by the world around me by the beauty of nature and the human spirit and by the emotions that bind us all together My goal as a painter is to share with the world joy and beauty I want my art to transport the viewer into a space of peace where they can escape the stresses of the outside world and immerse themselves in the beauty and wonder of the canvas Through my art I hope to inspire others to embrace their own creativity and find their own unique path to self expression

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82 Jessica Ziegler New York NY Instagram jessica_ziegler Website jessicazieglerart com As a New York City native Jessica Ziegler s artwork is a reflection of her love and fascination for the surrounding cityscapes and urban landscapes Her style is painterly realism with the subject and the mood dictating both the medium oil watercolor gouache and the approach Jessica grew up in a family of artists and is eternally grateful for it to her mother the painter for her wonderful sense of color and light and to her father the architect and sculptor for an appreciation of three dimensional form and the built environment She started painting seriously in 2016 after a career in technology She has studied drawing and painting at the New York Academy of Art The Art Students League the 92nd St Y and the New York School of the Arts In 2019 she had a solo show of watercolors at the Studio 55 C gallery in New York In 2022 her work was accepted into the FlatFile Online Gallery for display at the NYPL Bloomingdale Branch in Summer 2022 and for the 6th ArtontheCorner exhibit In May 2023 her work will be shown in the 122nd Juried Art Exhibit of the New Haven Paint and Clay Club Her work has also won awards in a number of online competitions New York City offers an incredible range of subjects from broad cityscapes to architectural details in stone or iron to landscapes in parks designed by Olmstead In my paintings I strive to capture the unique energy and beauty of the city while also exploring the ways in which nature and the built environment intersect My paintings often feature small moments that are easily overlooked such as a patch of greenery amidst a sea of steel and concrete or the way light reflects off a building s windows By highlighting these details I hope to inspire viewers to look more closely at the world around them and to see the beauty and complexity that exists in even the most mundane of places

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83 Infectious Confections Catie Constas Boston MA Instagram catieconstas Website www catieconstas com Catie Constas is a current Senior at Boston College pursuing a degree in Studio Art with a concentration in Mixed Media Originally from Wakefield Massachusetts Catie has worked in a variety of mediums since childhood and is interested in technical exploration and the conceptual scope that is inherent to materials As a college student Catie has developed an intensive and diaristic sketchbook practice which informs numerous avenues of artistic expression and material exploration with a specific focus on sewing textiles and mixed media sculpture Catie s work often exists at the intersection between that which we find beautiful and that which we find repulsive playing with these moods to produce surreal and strangely alluring objects and designs For Catie s work collaboration and commission opportunities please visit Instagram catieconstas and www catieconstas com Infectious Confections acrylic ink modeling paste pumice gel liquid glass gauze clay beads canvas foam 2023 While painful and often grotesque the open wound may act as a visual representation of vitality healing and tenderness This body of work is an exploration into the tactility and beauty of the scab or wound and is an example of the one possible modes of healing from traumas through adopting a philosophy of appreciation and care Through incorporating the area of blood and gore into a sweet and delicious looking dessert the wound is softened and adorned into something of celebration delight and pleasure

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86 Gregory Evans La Selle Craonnaise France Instagram artistgregoryevans23 Facebook www facebook com gregopevans Website https artofgregoryevans fr Gregory Evans is inspired by works and artists of the past such as Goya C zanne Schiele Bosch Bacon the late Renaissance Italian Mannerists Bosch and Bruegal the Elder and other Hollandaise the French impressionists and the German expressionists He is also interested in the early figurative works of Kandinsky the raw emotion of both Combas and Crumb the refigurative figurations of Richter and Condo the wild revisitations of the classics of Cecily Brown San Francisco rock poster artists underground comix punk rock flyer art surfing and skateboarding and not to end the list Andy Warhol and Mark Rothko Born in 1957 in Wimpole Park Cambridgeshire England Gregory was raised in the wild and savage streets of the 1960s and 1970s in the beach ghetto communities of Santa Monica and Venice in Los Angeles participating in the hippie punk surfing and skateboarding revolutions of the time He currently lives and works in Mayenne France His work is owned and exhibited by private collectors in America Holland France Italy England and Scotland The artist graduated in graphic design and found his way into the world of fine arts where he is self taught Fascinated by life and in particular by human behavior I m always amazed how we as people respond to the stimuli of the world whether negative or positive My research explores our stories the myths of humanity in a simple and direct way without judgment so that we can better understand ourselves and our world better I m seduced by a blank canvas quickly and easily accepting that provocation deliberately and with a fiercely planned spontaneity The blank canvas is an abyss of potential all things and anything can appear in what is essentially just a mirror of one s self Some would say this b5ank this void is intimidating to be staring at an emptiness that will soon be filled by the unknown is a heavy burden if taken too seriously but for me it is a priceless thing its a brilliance that shines in a way that nothing else can My work is enigmatically lyrical cryptic sometimes sinster and always always playful I push and probe without forcing things my goal is to pay homage to our human condition in its joy and vigor its madness and fragility its purity and its corruption in all its problems and all its solutions I use a variety of mediums and supports although my main work is done in oil on canvas in all formats small to medium large scale to extra large My colors and approach are bold and challenging guided by the laws of structure which truly are more flexible than most would like consider

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89 hang me out to dry Marie Magnetic Chicago IL Instagram aesthetic_revolt_art Website www aestheticrevoltart com Marie Magnetic is a neurodivergent queer Jewish and Indigenous creative based in Chicago She received a B S Degree in Psychology from Central Michigan University and is currently working on a BFA Marie has exhibited in group shows at the Chicago Fine Art Salon Woman Made Gallery Fulton Street Collective and is currently exhibiting her first solo show at Little Broken Things Hair Salon Recently she was the recipient of a Merit award from LightSpaceTime art and an artist grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts Marie Magnetic is inspired by her identity as a queer Jewish Indigenous and neurodivergent woman as she examines dystopia delight and delusion in society Growing up in a small town in southwestern Michigan helped to shape her values as she witnessed friends and family suffer from addiction mental health issues and poverty Her artwork reflects the experiences of being othered whether as a woman in a patriarchal society an ethnic minority or someone with a disability Additionally she is inspired by dada and surrealism in her art she works to create a sense of investigation for the viewer Art is experimental for Marie she uses painting collage and mixed media to delve into a world where familiarity and the unknown merge Overall she aims to make people deliberate alternate existences and captivate their minds through her expression balancing absurdity and uneasiness with enchantment and hope

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Shayit I 91 Shayit II Helena Barbagelata Instagram helenabarbagelata Helena Barbagelata Fashion model multidisciplinary artist researcher and activist She holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Salamanca Throughout her career she has received several artistic literary and scientific awards from the Onassis Foundation Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Greek Government Universit di Trieste Universitat de Val ncia Universitat de Barcelona Premio Internazionale di Poesia e Teatro Castello di Duino among others Member of the Society of Jewish Artists SoJa and the Organization for the Democratization of the Visual Arts OBDK Her works combine painting drawing photography sculpture video sound art and printmaking She held numerous solo and group exhibitions in Europe South America Australia and the United States She held numerous solo and group exhibitions in Europe Israel South America Australia and the United States Her most recent projects include POLITICAL STATEMENT Group show Loosen Art Spazio Millepiani Rome Italy January February 2022 ZENAM Passover Exhibition 2021 Israeli Art Market March June 2021 ART HELP Expanding the Limits of the Visible curated by Alexandra Danilova Saint Petersburg Repin Academy of Fine Arts and the HSE Art and Design School Muzeon Art Center Moscow Russia 2021 World of Estrangement Supersonic curated by Dasha Birukova with the support of Atelier Concorde Lisbon City Council COLIBR Totomej Sanili ed Fondo de Conservaci n el Triunfo FONCET Artac International Association of Mexican Artists with the support of UNESCO Museo Zacatl n MUZA Mexico City Mexico 2021 SPLIT OPEN IDENTITY CONNECTIVITY COMMUNITY Kultursch pfer Green Hill Gallery Berlin Germany 2021 Project Lazaretta Digital Stories from the Old and New World curated by Filia Milidaki Eyes Walk Festival CulturePolis supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Greek Government 2021 For an artist like Barbagelata art is an open dialogue with the world where the other side of the mirror reflects a sphere of experiences in which the physical and the abstract coexist harmoniously It is as if a unique environment of perceptions emerged mixing the real and the oneiric the lived and the imagined an intersection between the palpable and the invented where we perceive the succession of life s many layers

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95 Ivan Kanchev Sofia Bulgaria Facebook www facebook com ivav kanchev I work impulsively I see things ready in my mind with details and colors Ivan Kanchev was born on September 17 1973 in Ruse In 2000 he graduated in Ceramics at the National Academy of Arts in Sofia and in 2006 in Psychology at the University of Ruse Angel Kanchev He defended his doctoral dissertation in art history and fine arts at the Department of Sculpture Between 2010 and 2011 he was a part time lecturer in sculpture at the Department of Ceramics at the National Academy of Arts Ivan has had dozens of solo exhibitions of his work and participated in many group exhibitions in Bulgaria and in prestigious forums in Italy Spain Japan Poland Denmark France Belgium Slovenia Switzerland China Austria Germany Portugal Croatia Canada the USA and others He has won over 30 national and international awards Prize in the international competition for the Art of Unity Creative Award New York 2021 GOLD LIST Special Edition The best contemporary artists of today in Art Market Magazine Global Media Company 2021 2022 Award Light Space Time Art Gallery Palm Springs CA USA 2021 International Donatello Prize Florence Italy of the EFETO ARTE Foundation 2023 His works are in prestigious galleries and museums around the world In addition he is the author of curatorial projects and several books in the field of sculpture and ceramics He currently teaches at the Department of Sculpture at the National Academy of Arts in Sofia As an intuitive artist I accept that instinct trumps knowledge That s why I place great value on intuition as a pure foundation for creativity I don t like to explain my work I work on impulse I see the works ready in my mind with details and colors The basis of creativity is freedom variety and individuality The work has to be original it has to build artistry no matter what form it takes Art s ability to create autonomous parallel worlds is unique This is why I have a liberal attitude towards the art world and the artist within it I hold to the profound plan of the work so I put forward actual and universal questions of a social and philosophical nature I look for new synthetic forms with original technique of expression Seeking continuity with the multilayered millennial culture of the Bulgarian lands I strive for universality My recent works can be perceived as sculpture objects installations pottery panels mosaics paintings this is formal They contain graphic moments reliefs drawings and photographs I use various types of clay glaze soot wood paper metal resin and polyurethane to make the works I take the radiation of the work as the most important I insist on the natural suggestiveness of ceramics In search of the innovation I continue to develop the ancient techniques of black pottery and black sculpture coming from prehistory and Thracian art in Bulgarian lands as painting using the technique of mosaic and the structure of the wall panel It is amazing how the fire paints In my works I present man as running and searching in the labyrinth of life At the opening of my latest exhibition professor Peter Tsanev shared with the audience that for me the art is a path a space a universe not so much an object an item or something that is subject to a cult And really it is I try to challenge the viewer to think about the meaning of existence I encourage him indirectly to answer the eternally relevant questions of human existence Where does man come from Where is he going and does he really carry the human within him And in what direction is the world going Is the Mother Earth in collapse These are the allusive and questioning messages of my artistic path and language And I believe this is the basic condition of freedom in the human right to exist

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97 Lilit Nshani Margaryan Yerevan Armenia Instagram nshani_lm Born from the crossing of Armenian Russian Greek and Oriental influences Lilit Nshani s artistic impulse gave birth to the Oriental Neo Symbolism art movement In a world cut off from its roots and intrinsic values where governments format us like biological robots comparable to the phoenix rising from the ashes of hell a new artistic movement was born Oriental Neo Symbolism a term coined by the art historian Patrick Quenum This style is intended to turn towards his five senses and his primitive instinct a return to his primordial natural being A powerful mystical and symbolic energy emanates from the paintings of the Oriental Neo Symbolic movement Lilit is recognized as a Venia lskar Art Critic Art Expert and Author of the manifesto of the Neo Oriental Symbolic art movement Sweden Recognized as founding artist of Oriental NeoSymbolism art movement Paris France 2022 EXHIBITIONS GALLERIES MEGA ART Gallery Italy 2023 Symbols to Guide Solo Exhibition Virtual Exhibition Online 2022 2023 Tuscia in Fiore Piazza della Rocca Viterbo Italy 2022 Symbols to Guide Solo Exhibition Ara Sargsyan Hall Artists Union of Armenia Yerevan Armenia 2022 ROME INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2022 ROME INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2022 Rome Italy 2022 Open Art Art Number 23 Gallery Athens Greece 2022 Vernice Art Fair Art Fair Forli Italy 2023 Antique and Contemprorary Colle del Duomo Museo Viterbo Italy 2023 The document is created in March 2023 Fear The Tangible Pocket Star Gallery Athens Greece 2021 The Carlos Reid Gallery Online United States 2021 MJR Gallery Online United Kingdom 2020 Armenian Online Art Gallery Armenia 2020 International Visual and Performing Art Event in Ecuador Oyster Art Gallery Ecuador 2020 BANALITY OF EVIL IN OUR DAILY LIVES Boynes Emerging Artist Award Melbourne Australia 2019 MEMBERSHIPS PARTNERSHIPS Art Writer A Look at Art Art Magazine Paris France 2022 Member 221 Network Luxury 221 Network Zurich Switzerland 2022 Member Artist Art Talks Art Club Zurich Switzerland 2022 ARTICLES AND SPEECHES The role of women in Armenian society IIL FRANCESCO ORIOLI Viterbo Italy 2022 The journey towards Oriental Neo Symbolism IIL FRANCESCO ORIOLI Viterbo Italy 2022 String of Centuries A Look at Art Art Magazine Paris France 2022 Endlessly in love with cultural heritage and nature I present my art through the prism of cultural elements and sacral symbolism inherited from the Godlike people who once lived in the Armenian highlands Observation based artworks tell stories about nature the human being as part of it and behavior centric scenarios as ax of harmony and sacral truths of the Universe I strongly believe that humans need to live in balance with nature and with big respect towards every element of it I use my art to translate nature and heritage by putting them into harmony with the inner vibrations My art helps me spread these values and visions around In my collections and stand alone artwork from symbolic landscapes and figurative art to Oriental Neo Symbolism my artworks celebrate the hidden beauty the power of tribal culture harmonic freedom and universal truths In my eternal art journey I continuously train myself to feel and express light and beauty through the prism of my values and ancestral wisdom Driven with the ambition to make my art serve the light and beauty I have chosen to create my artwork only under positive vibrations Artists feel all the colors of reality and I am not an exception here Like any artistic personality I feel all the dark shades and bitter tastes of life However I only approach the easel having extracted the light and beauty exclusively from the position of the light with my pallet of sceneries and signs which aim to reproduce the harmony on my canvas This makes my art so honest emotional and deep

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99 Heritier Bilaka Ottawa Canada Instagram heritier_bilaka Heritier Bilaka is a visual artist born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and based in Ottawa Canada He has an undergraduate degree in fine arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa in 2007 and a bachelor s degree from the University of Ottawa Canada He participated in several physical and virtual collective exhibitions in Canada and abroad in cities such as Toronto Ottawa Montreal London UK and Cannes in France and in New York Some of his artworks are part of the collections of Ottawa Art Gallery Annexe in Canada the Maron Ages Gallery in Lyon France and private collections in Ancona Italy and Australia He was one of the winners of the 2022 Ontario Arts Council s funding in the research and creation category He was also one of the winners of the cartoon competition on African politics organized African Union in the 2003 edition Heritier Bilaka explores human conditions in their material and spiritual dimensions related to the environment through the representation of nude human bodies as symbols of the natural according to the ancestral paradigm of Bantu people in a figurative style His intention of painting figures in gray and black tones in a very colorful environment is to try to reduce the idea of racial classifications to highlight only their humanity and also to make the link between past and present times He began to represent the heads of his characters in black silhouettes eliminating their faces to question the individualism of contemporary societies His work questions human conditions in a contemporary context while at the same time reminding us of the past The idea is to create a mirror effect between the audience and their environment thus opening the conversation according to their interpretations and experiences Artists such as Shane Wolf Aeron Douglas Saidu Keita Gustave Courbet and Caravaggio have greatly influenced my artistic practice

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102 Tanya Momi San Francisco CA Instagram tanya momi Tanya has had the opportunity to meet people from many different walks of life through her salon She paints mental health and human suffering Tanya Momi is an inspirational artist whose work is diverse enough to fall into several categories including realism cubism abstract and social realism and spiritual art Her work is greatly influenced by her own life experiences Tanya was born in India and graduated with Bachelors in Fine Arts from Chandigarh in 1982 She got married and moved to the United States After 9 and half years of abuse in her marriage she divorced him and never looked back Busy raising her 2 kids and establishing her business in Silicon Valley since 1989 she didn t paint for 22 years She was encouraged by close friends to start painting again After she started her second career she was able to find herself through her artwork Her painful journey became her own inspiration One of the very first series she worked on was about the pain and suffering of a single divorced woman The paintings appended to this series include When Friends Turn Their Backs Wounded Beaten but not Broken Stop the Pain Being that the suffering of women and people all around the world was her inspiration She has spoken at the White House about women s empowerment and leadership in India Beverly Hills Toronto London Hong Kong Munich Vienna Triton Museum NUMU Museum Portola Valley Los Altos as well as other local groups To evoke in oneself a feeling one has experienced and then by means of movements lines colors sounds or forms expressed in words so to transmit that feeling this is the activity of art is how Leo Tolstoy defines art This perfectly encapsulates my process when it comes to art I take my experiences and personal struggles and translate it onto the empty canvas One of the most important aspects of my work is to empower women I observe and paint human behavior on the canvas I want women to regain their strength power and confidence And I want women to band together and unite themselves I use mediums of acrylics and oils in order to convey my powerful messages as they allow me to paint bold stories with my self expression I was originally trained to paint with oils when I was studying for my Bachelors I like its layering techniques and thickness as well as it s blending ability As some of my paintings fall into the category of realism and social realism I have come to find that realism is better depicted using oils You can create a lot of texture using oils and that helps when it comes to realism because life can be captured through texture I learnt and adapted to paint with acrylics in 2007 Since I was painting about a 100 paintings per year I started to gravitate more towards acrylic as it allows me to be able to store my many paintings One of my favorite colors when it comes time to populate my canvas is burnt umber I really like to start building my canvas with burnt umber It transforms from light to dark quite easily My brush automatically gravitates towards burnt umber I like to start my work with rag technique add the brush strokes and then I start adding colors My passion about these two paintings show it self I am single Indian mother raised two kids just like Vice President Kamala harris This painting tell a beautiful passionate mother and daughter story the way my mother raised me The independent day is my own story how i pay myself and provide for other as a small business owner for 30 years and rise 2 kids on my own

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104 Beach Days Rocking Chair Christmas Dinner Pool Party Cusin Josh William Josephs Radford Malaga Spain Instagram josephsradford William Josephs Radford is a renowned contemporary photographer and artist born on August 23rd 1998 in rural Andaluc a Spain Radford s artistic journey began at an early age and he honed his skills in drawing and photography over the years eventually pursuing a degree in fine art photography at the University of Gloucestershire Radford s artistic style is characterized by striking compositions and subject matter that aim to challenge his audience Drawing on semantic values and visual signifiers Radford explores a range of controversial themes with depth and sensitivity often incorporating light painting techniques to create complex and layered scenes Radford has received widespread recognition for his work including nominations for both the 7th and 9th Fine Art Photography Awards His series Character Building which was nominated for the 7th Fine Art Photography Awards explores the topic of his peculiar childhood with a deft touch and nuanced perspective His latest project which examines the desensitization to pornography in modern times was nominated for the 9th Fine Art Photography Awards demonstrating his versatility and willingness to tackle challenging themes As an artist Radford is committed to continuous growth and learning and his work stands as a testament to his passion and dedication He remains grateful for the support and encouragement of his peers and audiences alike and looks forward to continuing to challenge and inspire through his art As a contemporary photographer and artist my work is driven by a desire to challenge traditional artistic concepts and provoke a reaction from the viewer Through my art I seek to make a statement and break boundaries within a gallery environment encouraging audiences to engage with the world in new and unexpected ways My recent work has focused on dissecting sensitive topics of our generation including gender identity voyeurism and religion I am inspired by movements that reject prior definitions of art and have been particularly influenced by the works of artists such as Andres Serrano Sophie Calle and Sally Mann Their willingness to push boundaries and challenge the status quo has had a significant impact on my own artistic practice

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105 Three Fish in Vase Alicia s Birthday Reap What You Sow Haley Pisciotta New York NY Instagram haleyp art Haley Pisciotta b 1997 is a figurative artist from Westhampton Beach NY currently working and residing in New York City She received her Bachelor s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 2019 and is currently pursuing her Master s of Fine Arts at the New York Academy of Art Her current works explore self image and the objectification of women s bodies by using objects as stand ins for the body itself Objects act as proxies for the female body and my experiences within it a raw slimy fish is made to look clean and presentable Put in positions to be consumed constricted manipulated or thrown away the objects are neatly exhibited with enticing colors and whimsy A bit of chaos mixed with humor overlays darker themes influencing my work My work is retaliation against objectification There s no opportunity to sexualize a body if a body isn t there By replacing the physical body with an object the viewer has no choice but to focus on the object s implications We then empathize with the objects rather than subject them to the insentient

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107 Ella Bella Maryland WV Instagram ellabellaartistry I am Ella Soroori Friends and family know me as Ella Bella I was born in Iran to Afghan immigrant parents A traveler at heart I have lived in India the Philippines Jordan and the USA I am a self taught abstract artist based in Maryland In the early 2020s I fell in love with fluid art This relatively new style of painting allowed me to explore my creativity and connect with my inner self One of the great things about fluid acrylic pouring is the unique patterns and effects that can be created by layering and mixing colors It can be incredibly satisfying to experiment with different techniques and see the unpredictable and beautiful results that come from each pour Though I ve never lived near the sea my paintings have a way of capturing the fluidity and rhythm of oceans along with the emotions one experiences when close to the sea My artistic aim is to transport the viewer to a place of presence and mindfulness where they feel fully immersed at the moment My inspiration comes from the sheer joy of painting I am in love with abstraction and the incredible artistic freedom I find in acrylic pouring techniques Growing up I felt intimidated by the idea of creating art believing it required much time effort training and money However as I have discovered with fluid acrylic painting sometimes all it takes is a willingness to try something new and see where it takes you

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109 Ryan Horton Boston MA Instagram iconic dsgns I am an artist with a drive to explore and create impactful memorable experiences As a black man living in America I have always been taught to conform to survive in environments that were never meant for me Because of this throughout my professional career I strive to push the boundaries of acceptance and expectations With my Master s in Architecture from Northeastern University and a Bachelor s of Fine Arts from SCAD I have been exposed to a number of creative methods and mediums that have pushed my passion not only to create but innovate Utilizing my structured architectural foundation and raw understanding of aesthetic purity I have developed my own unique artistic integrity My focus is to push the boundaries of art and create a simple translation for the common eye The complexities of life can be simplified through the use of design elements such as squares and circles layered with images and line drawings These minimalistic elements allow me to present the intricacies of my life experiences of being categorized in a world in which I was never meant to fit in nor choose to conform In this world where I have to adapt my image and expression to fit within my environment my identity continues to fragment My collage work uses selected features while others remain hidden or obscured Although the portraits are not whole they still highlight the beauty of Black features and the strength in their expression With time I have grown to appreciate myself and my black expression The use of elongated black figures in the pieces represents my black presence in spaces while also highlighting the exaggerated overthinking that I experience throughout my artistic process The single line faces are used to show the internal complexities I encounter and carry daily My newest exploration is the rediscovery of joy in art through crayon inspired portraits

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111 Heidi Stephens Myrtle Beach SC Instagram the_jaded_creative Heidi Stephens uses watercolor and acrylic paints to capture the beauty found in the colors and shapes of nature Currently living in coastal South Carolina her subjects are often inspired by the beach and other local flora and fauna Though watercolor is usually seen as a traditional medium Heidi enjoys pushing the boundaries by painting on surfaces like canvas or wood and using glitter or metallic paints To further embrace the local environment and expand the idea of art she also uses acrylic paint to decorate the natural canvas of dried palm blossom pods with nature scenes I have been fascinated by the beauty and simplicity of nature since a young age My interest in color and patterns grew more intense as I explored both creative projects as well as math and sciences through schooling For formal schooling I thought my love of nature would be best pursued by studying natural sciences but I found myself constantly pulled towards a creative lifestyle Now devoting myself full time to my art I can constantly expand and evolve my viewpoint to express my unique appreciation of our natural environment

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113 Emma Coyle London UK LinkedIn linkedin com in emma coyle 185187a0 Coyle has been working within art for over 20 years and has been based in London since 2006 She is represented by the Helwaser Gallery on Madison Avenue in New York which hosted a solo show of Coyle s paintings in 2022 titled The Best Revenge The exhibition was listed 12th in GalleriesNow s August Special The 30 most popular exhibitions on now worldwide Artnet listed the show in its 5 sizzling emerging artists the Artnet Gallery Network recommends checking out before summer s end worldwide Coyle is a recipient of the International Art Market s Gold List award Top international contemporary artist of today Recommended artist to invest in and to be inspired by with work acquired by past Tate Museum Trustee Dame Janet Wolfson de Botton Coyle s first education in art in the 1990s included an introduction to 1st wave New York Pop Art of the 1950s Her current figurative work focuses on the use of contemporary fashion magazine imagery and advertisements to produce painterly images of a Fine Art quality Combining primary and secondary line work with ideas in abstraction minimalism and negative space Earlier in her career in Ireland Coyle exhibited in many galleries in Ireland and exhibited for the Irish National Portrait exhibition in 2005 Coyle also exhibited for charities in the Royal Hibernian Academy and Adam s Fine Art auctioneers Just before moving to London Coyle had solo exhibitions in the Signal Art Centre in Co Wicklow and the Bank of Ireland s art center in Dublin and was described as one of the city s most promising new artists Metro Life newspaper January 2006 and was also described as a rising young artist Irish Independent May 2006

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The Language of Flowers YANS JAVII Miami FL _jasyjay_ The Language of Flowers BRI JAVii is the alias for Jasmine Viana an artist in a constant state of transformation Born and raised in Miami FL JAVii double majored in fine art and graphic design through high school and into college and furthered her understanding of the arts with half a year spent studying painting and sculpture in Florence Italy JAVii s works merge her love of digitally altered images poetry conceptual portraiture and sexuality with symbolic mixed media to illustrate deeply personal life experiences JAVii s recent series The Language of Flowers explores her bisexual nature through large scale mixed media pieces composed of vibrant color combinations collaged elements and consensually gifted images from her past female partners By revealing these intimate and extremely vulnerable sides of my life in such a romantically artistic way I want others to look inside themselves and find what pieces of their own story they are hiding and why I believe that everyone holds a very fragile part of themselves which when revealed with any means of artistry can become something absolutely exquisite This continuous series titled The Language of Flowers explores my bisexuality and the profound impact that my relationships with women have had on me Each feminine soul has brought tenderness and insight into my life and as I create each piece I have deep conversations with the specific woman about our time together and how we both felt I ask each woman to write down her interpretation of our first time together which I seal in an envelope and attach to the back of the piece I receive full consent from each woman to use an image of her for the portrait piece and proof of full consent is available upon request The wooden panel is cut into a 4ft diameter circular shape to mimic the softness of the feminine form and symbolize how we ourselves are portals for life The color scheme reflects each woman s one of a kind aura and the collaged flowers surrounding her communicate hidden meanings as a way of secret romantic communication from Renaissance times The bejeweled tropical bird wings allude to her heavenly nature while the hand sculpted baroque frame implies a royal element that the female form is to be worshipped Each woman is displayed on a background of gold calligraphy composed of poetry I personally wrote about her and our time together My purpose in creating these mixed media portraits about female intimacy is to share this other side of myself the side that drops all fears and allows for freedom to move me into a place of open discovery These beautiful relationships have provided deep healing and life altering self realizations in their own unique ways My hope is that by being vulnerable and honest about who I truly am both sexually and mentally I can inspire others to free themselves as well 115

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117 Regeneration The Silent Scourge Peace in a Pink Room Open Skies Vision in the Sky Katherine Lewis Instagram kt _lewis Facebook Hrh Katherine Lewis Katherine Lewis works in the medium of acrylic on canvas in the styles of Abstract Expressionism and Figurative paintings Originally an LA based artist from California Katherine has also exhibited her art internationally at the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago s Rotunda Art Gallery as well as participated in art showcases in Europe Her paintings are currently on display at the Bakersfield Museum of Art in California Katherine is a member of the Women in Arts Organization of Trinidad and Tobago WIAOTT She is also in the foundational stages of the establishment of the Caribbean Art Institute to feature Southern Caribbean artists in a gallery setting The facility will also provide art programs for youth and refugee communities Katherine continues to explore and experiment with her painting style and technique in the regions of the U S and the Caribbean Art can be a therapeutic outlet for the artist as well as the viewer that is what I wish to embody in my art a window of therapeutic solace captured in the confines of a canvas My scope of work pertains to acrylic on canvas this is the medium I have found a home in and can take comfort in its texture colors and implementation Acrylics allow for bold and permanent expression through colors that I sincerely enjoy I look at my painting through the lens of childlike expression I often allow the subconscious to take the lead and my craft follows This method I find allows for a more truthful creation and I hope allows others to find creative freedom when viewing the painting I paint abstract art as well as expressionism My subject matter usually expresses the female narrative I wish to capture a woman s strength and confidence in painting which I hope gives the viewer a deeper respect for the female narrative and world view

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119 Joanne Chase Mattillo Los Angeles CA Instagram Facebook fJoanne Mattillo The beauty of nature surrounding Los Angeles was the impetus for her entrance into the field of photography Joanne began vigorously studying photography and other art arenas to hone my skills as a visual artist In 2000 she graduated from California State University Los Angeles with a Masters of Fine Art MFA She is now a fulltime artist In addition to color and black and white film Joanne shoots digitally and employs the techniques of infrared imaging and enjoy creating 3D anaglyphs to be viewed with red blue lenses As an extension of photography she has branched out to do videos and have a YouTube Channel THE VIDEO ART OF JOANNE CHASE MATTILLO Joanne has exhibited throughout California nationally in Korea France and England Switzerland Scotland and Greece Spain and Japan Her work has also been selected for Lunar Codex a very special project partnered with SpaceX to deliver the images of art in a time capsule to be permanently affixed to the surface of the moon selected by Era Contemporary Gallery Philadelphia Pennsylvania as part of Legends Of The Moon As a photographer I continually seek ways to capture subjects in non traditional ways Within the portrait it is my intention that the one who is captured in an image is taken beyond a simple typical setting to a new realm I continually seek to enhance the essence of loveliness of each subject Always a fan of old time Hollywood cinema it is my goal to emulate the beauty of classic films whether it be recreating another time or bringing the subject of the photograph to a more surreal visual world

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Domestic Abuse The Fishers of Men 121 Ijo Iyawo The Bridal Dance The Glamour and the Sexual Abuse in Hollywood O Yemi Tubi AFRICAN T Africans cannot say No to Exploitation Daganham UK Instagram oyemit Facebook www facebook com yemi arts O Yemi Tubi has exhibited his works worldwide and received numerous awards and recognitions O Yemi s works were awarded 1st 2nd 4th 5th and 6th places in political commentaries in American Art Awards from 2014 to 2021 He also received First Round Award with cash in Art Olympia 2015 International Open exhibition in Tokyo Japan O Yemi won the FirstPlace award with his painting The Chickens Fight in the WAR or PEACE 2022 International Competition by Art Impact International He was the winner of the best show at the 2022 Urbanization and Health International Art Exhibition and Competition Art Show International Gallery awarded him the Talent Prize Award in PORTRAIT 2022 International Juried Art Competition for his work PORTRAIT of an Artist His work GELE was awarded the Best Show Award in the CQ64 2021 Winter issue of Creative Magazine His work My Mother won 1st Place Best in Show in the International Art Competition by Tall Sequoia Gallery Toronto Canada in 2020 His works are part of the top 25 in the Fine Art category of Creative Quarterly Magazine and were awarded the 100 Best Annual 2019 Fine Arts Award Certificate His works have been published in some Newspapers Magazines and art books His works were published in 2019 ART Habens Art Review Biennial Edition published in Issue Vol 49 2019 MURZE Arts Magazine Issue 4 January February Issue 2019 and 2019 Quotes Inspirational Quotations Creative Responses book His works were published in 2020 The March MASS MATRIARCHY Monthly online Magazine and His works were published in 2018 ARTtour International Magazine ATIM S Top 60 Masters of Contemporary Art Fine Art America published O Yemi s winning works in 2017 at www Huffingtonpost com World s Best political Painters and World s Best celebrity Portrait Artists His interview and some of his works were published on Africa com O Yemi is a member of the Fine Art America the Society of All Artists AERA the Association Embracing Realistic Art Circle Foundation for the arts WCA World Citizen Artists International Association of Visual Artist Visual Artists Association and New York Artists Equity Association Artists Talk LOUPE Lady Merete of Norway I am enchanted by the works of the Renaissance art old masters most of my recent paintings were influenced by their works I recently embarked on doing a series of paintings in the style of these old masters Lady Merete of Norway is the portrait painting of a young Norwegian lady I met at Art Awards and Exhibition in New York April 2018 I chose the portrait painting of the Queen of France Elizabeth of Austria painted in 1571 by the French Renaissance artist Clouet Francois as the reference for the Lady Merete of Norway portrait project As Reminiscence of the old master works I use the style of Renaissance portrait painters I hanged the drapery in the front window overlooking the North Cape Nordkapp which is one of the notable landmarks of Norway the country of the subject at the background of the painting I also painted sunrise in the background to depict the youthfulness of the subject I captured the bright eyes and the broad smiles of the young lady with the Mona Lisa effect as her eyes seem to be gazing back at the viewers at any angle The message I want to convey to the young lady in this painting is that she should never see herself less than a Queen as she goes through life

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122 Tiziana Rasile Rome Website tizianarasile com LinkedIn www linkedin com Tiziana Rasile Based in Rome Tiziana Rasile completed her course of studies at the Academy of Fine Arts specializing in Painting She then obtained a Diploma in Technical Builder in Merchandising Museum and for a year she dedicated herself to the study of Restoration of Ancient Paintings Over the course of her career she has participated in numerous events and won several international awards Her research explores light through over positions suffused with chromatic textures and is focused on the possibility of creating a dialogue between scientific and philosophical realities spiritual and artistic insights Her journey begins with the FADES Collection where the form is dematerialized in color to other collections such as LACONIC TIME and VIBRATIONS the light that vibrates in the space of the picture and modulates time From 2018 to 2019 she adhered to the constitution of the New Roman Spatialism presented at the Merulana Museum in Rome In March 2021 she received the Opera Prize for career achievements during the last five years by the U I L National Union of Artists Writers The artist writes film reviews for the Teatro Contemporaneo e Cinema magazine a column Art Dimensions for the Foressego Art International Organization and collaborates with several galleries writing articles and catalogs for them She is represented by Laura I Contemporary Art Gallery in London I dedicated myself for a year to the study of Restoration of Old Paintings I immediately developed a propensity for abstract art and engraving always maintaining a strong relationship with the classic technique of shading and oil glazing I began to make my poetic production visible in 2008 by contributing the text Primordial Ecstasy to the Artist s Book taken from the exhibition La Fonte Meravigliosa held at the Vallicelliana Library in Rome and it appears in the archives of the National Museum of Art Library Modern In 2018 the text Dissolvenze di Opposti Echi was published in the Periodical of Art Culture and Sciences of Livorno together with an anthology of my pictorial works In 2019 the reading to music of my six poetic writings was performed to mark the opening of the exhibition Artists at Work at the Castle of Santa Severa Currently I continue to work on painting following a path that embraces multiple dimensions where the image embraces the poetics of vision In March 2021 recognizing my last five years of artistic work the U I L National Union of Artists Writers awarded me the Industry Prize for career achievements I came to abstract painting after years of research on the synthesis of form which over time in my paintings ended up dissolving almost completely in color I prefer informal art even if in my works I have maintained the presence of a subject that interacts with the background and the elements of the painting I try to represent ancestral forms where Being is conceived in a universal form I chose to adopt the classic technique of oil painting because it allows me to bring out the color through shades and transparencies It is no coincidence that I love a painting of atmospheric sensations where the sign is dissolved and everything acquires a fluid aesthetic Light is very important to me to create color variations and to emphasize the concept of dynamism The exploration of movement and brightness is fundamental in all my works which are associated with studies of philosophy spirituality and quantum physics This is because I believe in art that seeks harmony through an open vision that embraces infinite points of view

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124 Alison Auditore Scottsdale AZ Instagram stillaroundart I will always think of art as the perfect tool to create a world better than the one we have now While I ve always loved creating it was in my teenage years that this sentiment took root in my mind Art became a way for me to work through and communicate feelings and problems in a way that went beyond verbal expression Every point added to the page feels like a building block toward solving a problem whether societal or personal My work is my way of looking inward to reflect and an invitation to my viewers to do the same Each point on the page is an acknowledgement of how strange tumultuous and wonderful life is Disney s Hercules was a gateway drug The colorful depictions of glowing graceful deities each with unique strengths and weaknesses fascinated me I dove into their stories and realized that these stories were meant to be more than entertainment but a means for reflection and representation I was inspired to dive into the myths of other cultures As I moved from the myths of Jamaica to West Africa to India and beyond I found a comfortable feeling of representation and something more common themes across the world s myths I could see myself and those around me represented in the themes valued in the myths of every culture With this realization came a new question Who are the modern pinnacles of those timeless traits humanity admires This series is not just my answer but an opportunity to focus on what we as humans have in common Each portrait is a celebration of the qualities that make us great

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126 Ilze Egle Latvia Instagram ilzeegleart Ilze Egle is a contemporary artist based in Latvia MA of Fine Arts Member of the Latvian Union of Artists she works in oil and mixed media with artwork ranging from small illustrations and landscapes to large scale paintings and drawings focusing on nature light female form and abstract marks She teaches visual art and experiments with NFTs Ilze grew up in the art world in a family of two artists studied fine arts art management and theology and spent a year living with nuns After working as an art curator for many years she returned to art making and her studio practice has since become her main focus Ilze s paintings have been exhibited internationally and are held in number of private collections Art is more than conveying a story and my creative practice comes from where I am emotionally and how is my relationship with nature I believe that we are all part of nature and connected With my artworks I capture moments and details which show beautiful fragility of the world I invite observers to pause contemplate and be in the given moment To the unhurried eye the more detailed intricate levels of my work are revealed I paint and draw working mostly in oil and mixed media Often I incorporate drawing in my paintings My art is between abstract and representational color and black and white inspired by life nature and light I explore the serenity and the power of human emotions and I wish to evoke a sense of wonder with my art I believe that art can make a change in the world and feel blessed for being part of it

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128 Ilgonis Rinkis Latvia Instagram ilgonis_rinkis Teaching colors compositions drawing already in elementary school There was an enthusiastic teacher an artist He created a very interesting cabinet with color gammas families contrasts In early childhood my mother was good at drawing I wondered how she could winterize such a winding river an apple and a carrot with her hands and feet I studied elementary school with the specifics of fine arts It was taught color teaching and drawing 1989 1993 Education in the Studio at the Academy of Fine Arts Riga Latvia Focus on painting drawing and composition In 1993 I was studious at Ralph Janson s Painting Studio Then 1 year painting in Bruno Celmins s Painting Studio Some people looking at my paintings say that I live in a slightly antique world Because there are paintings where events take place in ancient times But it is not a special delay in the past I made it up in the painting Sitting on a bench in the park many people pass by there is someone who lives and looks like a person from the future someone really lives here and now in this reality one thinks and rejoices in the past Some people looking at my paintings say that I live in a slightly antique world Because there are paintings where events take place in ancient times But it is not a special delay in the past I made it up in the painting Sitting on a bench in the park many people pass by there is someone who lives and looks like a person from the future someone really lives here and now in this reality one thinks and rejoices in the past Now is such a depressive time economic crises pandemics ecological changes war in Ukraine it is unbelievable that there can still be a war after the previous wars People don t learn from the past All severe events change a person s value system You have to see what is the main thing in life I have painted portraits of Mother Teresa of Calcutta I like how she said I am not against war but I am for peace It is precisely this in positivism that has the power of God And that s exactly what I want to show I find the current reality a little boring heavy and I want to bring something new or something good from the past or from fantasy into it There are specific people in the paintings who more or less carry their own image in the plot of the painting The character has a certain mystery its own psychology it is not the current real world it is the world of their soul thoughts and I find it interesting and fascinating The painting captures a moment that cannot be repeated There is something melancholic lively and ephemeral at this moment I think that makes the painting attractive

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130 Jasmine Christine Manchester UK Instagram jasacid Webiste www jasacidart com JAVii is the alias for Jasmine Viana an artist in a constant state of transformation Born and raised in Miami FL JAVii double majored in fine art and graphic design through high school and into college and furthered her understanding of the arts with half a year spent studying painting and sculpture in Florence Italy JAVii s works merge her love of digitally altered images poetry conceptual portraiture and sexuality with symbolic mixed media to illustrate deeply personal life experiences JAVii s recent series The Language of Flowers explores her bisexual nature through large scale mixed media pieces composed of vibrant color combinations collaged elements and consensually gifted images from her past female partners By revealing these intimate and extremely vulnerable sides of my life in such a romantically artistic way I want others to look inside themselves and find what pieces of their own story they are hiding and why I believe that everyone holds a very fragile part of themselves which when revealed with any means of artistry can become something absolutely exquisite This continuous series titled The Language of Flowers explores my bisexuality and the profound impact that my relationships with women have had on me Each feminine soul has brought tenderness and insight into my life and as I create each piece I have deep conversations with the specific woman about our time together and how we both felt I ask each woman to write down her interpretation of our first time together which I seal in an envelope and attach to the back of the piece I receive full consent from each woman to use an image of her for the portrait piece and proof of full consent is available upon request The wooden panel is cut into a 4ft diameter circular shape to mimic the softness of the feminine form and symbolize how we ourselves are portals for life The color scheme reflects each woman s one of a kind aura and the collaged flowers surrounding her communicate hidden meanings as a way of secret romantic communication from Renaissance times The bejeweled tropical bird wings allude to her heavenly nature while the hand sculpted baroque frame implies a royal element that the female form is to be worshipped Each woman is displayed on a background of gold calligraphy composed of poetry I personally wrote about her and our time together My purpose in creating these mixed media portraits about female intimacy is to share this other side of myself the side that drops all fears and allows for freedom to move me into a place of open discovery These beautiful relationships have provided deep healing and life altering self realizations in their own unique ways My hope is that by being vulnerable and honest about who I truly am both sexually and mentally I can inspire others to free themselves as well

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133 Christian du Plooy Cape Town South Africa Instagram sleepinthegardxn_ Christiaan du Plooy is an accomplished visual artist who is currently based in Cape Town South Africa Having spent a significant portion of his life in a small town Ceres he encountered limited opportunities for artists in the area As a result he is entirely self taught in his craft honing his skills in oil painting which served as a starting point for his passion for realism He expanded his repertoire further by venturing into digital art His distinctive style is heavily influenced by various historical eras with renowned painters such as Pablo Picasso Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci serving as major inspirations His artistic creations seek to represent universal human emotions and he believes that every painting possesses a soul that can only be perceived through the eyes of the viewer As a visual artist my work is a reflection of my personal experiences and emotions as well as a response to the world and interactions around me I strive to create pieces that not only capture the eye but also evoke a deeper sense of contemplation and introspection within the viewers mind My artistic process is a combination of intuition and intentionality My paintings typically begin with a an emotion that I want to portray and from there I develop the concept further while I m creating the piece One of my primary themes is the interpersonal relationships between humans I find the dynamics of human interactions fascinating particularly how actions and behaviours affect others and lead to a shift in perspective Through my work I endeavour to delve into these complex and often paradoxical relationships prompting viewers to critically consider their own actions and how others actions impact them In addition to exploring interpersonal relationships I pay careful attention to the structure of my work I find that framing my pieces and incorporating deep dark hues and occasional use of black and white can create a sense of intimacy and intrigue Ultimately my goal as a visual artist is to produce pieces that challenge inspire and contribute to a larger cultural dialogue

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135 Overcast Interloop Restore Twine Marcus Fields At Hand East Lansing MI Instagram marcusfields52 Marcus Fields he him is a designer and maker from Michigan He experiments in a range of artistic expression including theatre video production photography and printmaking among others His interest lies in finding intersections between these various mediums and allowing them to inform one another He currently works for Michigan State University s Residential College in the Arts and Humanities RCAH managing day to day operations of two student centered art making spaces the Language and Media Center LMC Art Studio You can find him online using the handle marcusfields52 or at his website marcusfields me His short films have screened in the Midwest Video Poetry Festival and Animation Celebration Fest among others His photographs have appeared in Iris Literary Journal the Great Lakes Review Passengers Journal and Wild Roof Journal In my photography I m interested in the material quality of the composition How do the surfaces react and interact with the space around them I like seeing shape and color cut across the canvas in conversation with each other My favorite compositions play with the intersection of bright colors and metallic earthy textures I use these elements of an image to find bridges between our environment and ourselves

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136 Reza Sedghi Iran Instagram low rez Reza Sedghi born in Tehran Iran in 1993 is a professional sculptor and 3D Character Artist He began his career in the animation and 3D printing industry as a digital sculptor and 3D character artist and has since expanded into sculpting His work focuses on themes such as degeneration of human thought humanity and the pressing social issues of our time Reza s work invites us to explore the complexities of the human experience and to question the world around us In the ancient world mythology served as a guidepost to humanity leading us down the path of ethics and morality These timeless tales shared the wisdom of the ages and revealed the paths of our humanity Yet in our modern age we have abandoned this well trodden path forging ahead with relentless determination But in our insatiable pursuit of progress we have lost sight of the bigger picture neglecting the importance of thoughtful consideration Instead we have become creatures with magnificent shells but decaying cores clinging to redefined values that have lost their original meaning Our relationships have become distorted and our traditions have been stripped of their true symbolism suffocating us in their emptiness As we watch the decline of our dignity and the chaos that surrounds us darkness creeps in consuming what little remains of our once great civilization

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138 Javier Enrique New York NY https www instagram com javiere pinero Javier E Pi ero is a Boricua documentary photographer and writer based in NYC and the Caribbean He received his master s in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from New York University For more than seven years Javier has developed a practice ranging in subject matter from street views to documentary work and selfportraiture He began his documentary practice in 2016 as a United States Marine Corps unit photographer documenting Nato exercises throughout the American Asian and European continents In 2017 he was recognized for contributing over 400 pieces of documentation on Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico His work is influenced by colonial trauma and territorial love Recently he s shifted his attention to self portraiture with a series that explores its connection to the psyche Javier is a 2023 artist in residence at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council s Arts Center Residency In June 2023 his photo essay Survived by Few will be published in Smithsonian Magazine s cover story His self portrait project La Jaula is scheduled for exhibition in San Juan Puerto Rico on January 2024 His work has been exhibited in Puerto Rico New York New Jersey and online publications Most of my experiences occur on three very different islands Puerto Rico Parris Island USMC and Manhattan all served a purpose in my personal and artistic development My medium is photography both digital and film However I describe it as pure photography given that I utilize the medium as a method of communication for ideas and feelings that weren t meant for anything else My artistic practice is divided into fine art documentary photography and writing I like to keep the topics far from each other as exploration is a stimulus that maintains my creativity in a healthy state My self portraits are born from the psychological trauma caused by the male stereotype in colonial culture They consist of black and white self portraits scenic design and placing my body in exciting and alarming situations They are naturally rebellious and revealing A visual conversation about colonized bodies immigration and mental health every photograph is me In contrast the topics highlighted through my documentary photography and writing are about everything that influences me externally Recently my projects have been filled with anger and efforts to denounce the injustices that Puerto Rico lives daily They are evidence of survival conservation and resistance I think of my work as rebellious vulnerable and transparent more feelings than images per se As Vincent wrote to his brother Theo Real painters do not paint things as they are They paint them as they themselves feel them to be This I believe is what artists do

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140 Melancholy Princess Diaries Simurghv Nana Agha Persian Dreams In Pink Star Dust Dor The Heart of Iran Denna Ameen New Orleans LA Instagram independentwoman1776 Denna Ameen born in 1994 to Iranian American immigrants is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design s Open Media program She currently resides in New Orleans Louisiana and works as a costume designer and maker for Mardi Gras parades and events Drawing inspiration from different forms of architecture and the sentiments they create through usage of space as well as the ostentatiousness of Southern carnival culture Ameen merges opulent fabrics with superficially destitute environments earning them a new life Ameen s work also addresses the concept of waste in a broader sense both in terms of material usage and the waste of human potential All the materials used are leftover from previous projects and she arranges and overlays the fragments in a manner not unlike layering paint Through this process Ameen aims to take the techniques applied in costume making several dimensions further while also paying homage to traditional Persian imagery Through her work Ameen seeks to explore the complexities of culture identity and the intersections between them By using the remnants of previous creations Ameen reinvigorates what was once discarded finding beauty and color in the hollowness of forgotten fabrics

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141 Grace Demba St Louis and Atlanta Instagram grac3demba As a child my mother would tell me that I was a great artist that perhaps I was destined to be an artist one day For years I dismissed her sentiments as nothing more than a mother s love for her child Even as an adult I would look back at my childhood art and not see anything particularly remarkable Even so her sentiments make me appreciate the beauty in how a mother looks at the art of her child It s beautiful no matter what I realize how empowering that unconditional love was for my creativity While I didn t begin painting until sophomore year of high school I rapidly fell in love with making art so much so that I decided it would be my career by junior year Today I am pursuing a BFA in Studio Art with a minor in Business of the Arts at Washington University in St Louis I have honed my skills and style with my specialty in stylistic oil paintings as well as magazine and book design While sometimes I think of my journey as an artist as quick and late I am reminded by the support of those around me that this journey is a product of a lifetime of a love for creating I started painting during every moment of free time I had in high school If I didn t have class I was in the studio creating At first I thought to make good art I needed to challenge popular culture and make some sort of statement greater than myself I soon realized that the art that I could produce and truly get behind was much more introspective and autobiographical I began to seek to depict the human experience in the best way I could I became interested in how each artist can create their little world through their body of work My art has the purpose of exploring the power of human simplicities and how perhaps sometimes our difficulties can be just as beautiful as our simplicities

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143 Michael Doering Reno Nevada Instagram michael doering art Website www michaeldoering com Michael Doering b 1966 is an American painter and printmaker He was born in Mason City Iowa and currently has his studio in Reno Nevada Coming from a small town Midwestern family Michael did not have much access to formal art instruction materials or exhibits growing up but this did not deter him from drawing constantly even if it was on notebook paper with a ballpoint pen Although he was not exposed to much art as a child he developed grit character and an unstoppable work ethic during his youth Michael earned his BFA from the University of Iowa where he was fortunate to have studied painting and drawing with Ben Frank Moss and printmaking with Virginia Myers He then relocated to Las Vegas but ended up taking a detour on his art journey by working in Education as a teacher counselor principal and district administrator Unfortunately he didn t pick his brushes up again until 2017 but he soon developed an international following for his work and his art has been exhibited in shows throughout the United States Dijon France and virtually through Santiago Chile Throughout his life Michael has had a love of storytelling and characters and much of his work is based on this but he has also been influenced by countless artists including the German Expressionists Post Impressionists Abstract Expressionists and various contemporary portrait painters Realism has its place but capturing the energy and emotion of the subject is where I live Whether painting purely abstract pieces or portraits I listen to my inner voice and thrive on experimentation I enjoy pushing the limits of mediums and combining contrasting techniques in my art If something is not working for me I tear it down and build it back up This may result in disaster but typically it creates wonderful tension and energy which is vital to me as an artist Being a natural storyteller and lover of history I may introduce characters and connections between the past and future in my work I also truly believe that all good art is as much about the maker as it is about the muse and that all art is abstract at its core Therefore I try to stay away from specific artistic labels when describing my style and I always hope to share a little about myself in my work

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145 Sabina Puppo Leesburg VA Instagram SabinaPuppoArt Website www sabinapuppo com Sabina Puppo was born in Uruguay She grew up in a family of artists and is herself the 7th generation of artists in her family Sabina s art education started at a very early age under the tutelage of her grandparents and parents Sabina is now a celebrated self taught artist whose work is easily identifiable and treasured by loyal collectors throughout the world Her paintings are filled with action and many viewpoints They all have one thing in common they are a delight and will surround you with joy and serenity Sabina and her husband live in Leesburg in the Virginia Piedmont She finds herself at ease in the historic countryside where rolling hills and vineyards adorn hallowed landscapes streams roar free and the open sky sets no limit to the imagination Sabina is an active supporter of the arts wildlife and the natural environment through donations and auctions that benefit these causes https sabinapuppo com I take my role as an artist very seriously while I still have endless amounts of fun and experience great joy and fulfillment in my studio Whenever I experience awe and delight I need to find a way to transform those feelings through my art I paint stories that approach Nature from multiple points of view and with the freedom of a selftaught artist My role is almost that of an alchemist a conduit to transform pigments and oil into paintings that are imbued with spiritual and aesthetic value Motivated by a search for tranquility in the use of oil itself I rely on layers of color left to cover or finely scraped unfolding a material narrative for my paintings I believe that color has immense power to lift the spirit My art captures the natural world in connection with human relationships full of love mundane activities that warm the heart and the encouragement to slow down and be playful

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148 Mariaceleste Arena Messina Italy linktr ee mariacelestearena93 Mariaceleste Arena was born in 1993 in Italy Sicily She creates works both digitally and with traditional techniques Her favorite techniques are oil and acrylics for painting and sanguigne pencil colored pencils soft pastels and bic ink pens for drawing Usually her works are fantastic bizarre semi abstract and touch on different themes from personal introspection to more social themes Arena has been included in various important exhibition as Festival Ceci n est pas un blasph me in Naples 2021 and It s Magic A Beyond Experience Photo Video and Visual Design International Group Exhibition in Rome 2022 In my work there is a mixture of imagination fantasy irony and torment at the same time which create a continuous fluctuating descent and ascent towards opposing emotions and thoughts I deal with different themes ranging from more personal themes such as love fear of death and loneliness recurring nightmares I believe that art is a great form of personal purification of catharsis and that therefore it is absolutely necessary to represent also disturbing or aesthetically unpleasant subjects to let out negative energy and transform it into something else It is fundamental to pose problems in art whether they are of an aesthetic moral social nature etc The work of art that only says how beautiful it s magnificent is limited and limiting I often focus on current issues social criticism visionary reworking of reality To give an example the elephants that I often represent are inspired by one of the masters of the Outsider art that I admire and respect Giovanni Cammarata and that I have reworked in various personal reworkings making them almost anthropomorphic animals that are the symbol of Art itself in my city but also in the whole world They are the symbol of Art of the energy that wants to get out of what keeps it trapped From social and urban decay from poverty from insensitivity from mental closure

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150 Giancarlo Puppo Argentina Instagram GiancarloPuppoArtista Giancarlo Puppo Born in Rome Italy 1938 architect and Art critic IAAC Teacher at Universities in Argentina Bolivia Chile Colombia Mexico US Uruguay Spain His work covers the areas of painting drawing sculpture ceramic and engraving Has been in connection with artists critics as John Berger Gillo Dorfles Rossana Bossaglia Jose Emilio Buruc a Caleb Bach Samuel Paz Elba P rez Susan Sontag Jorge Romero Brest Rogelio Salmona Ivonne Bordelois Carlos Fuentes Luisa Valenzuela Cori n Aharoni n Graciela Paraskevaidis Maria E Walsh Hermenegildo S bat Betty Meggers Cliffort Evans Paul Gendrop Alberto Rex Gonz lez Eladio Dieste and others Art works at Museo de la Alhambra Granada Spain Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes Buenos Aires Museo de arte Moderno Museo Saavedra Buenos Aires Museo de Arte Contempor neo de Corrientes Museo de Arte Contempor neo de Panam Museo de Artes Visuales Uruguay Museo de Arte de La Paz Bolivia Museo Materiali Minimi Salerno Italia Books Papers Catlogue Amorosestranecreature 2001 Electa Italy In Out Adobe 1981 Argentine Art Before Hualfin editions 1980 Giancarlo Puppo Arquitectura de la Pluralidad Escala Colombia M xico I m an artist architect who upon thinking about the blessings of what has been a full productive life is proud to say that he s remained a child much of his time on earth For a creative person that s a good thing because youngsters see with fresh eyes have an abundance of new ideas that flow easily and don t worry whether something makes sense or is socially acceptable When I feel a creative impulse instead of ignoring it I try to act on it as soon as possible You could say I m impulsive or easily distracted but I see this trait in a positive way Good ideas often come when my mind is relaxed perhaps while out walking taking a shower or just goofing off Regardless of the circumstance I make a concerted effort to nail down these fleeting notions lest they dissolve into thin air Consequently and almost compulsively over the years I ve filled dozens and dozens of sketch books to record whatever happens to be on my mind Often that activity triggers other notions because in that Borgesian sense of forking paths a sharp mind can lead almost anywhere I also jot stuff down notes bits of stories but expressing myself graphically or pictorially is the means that comes most naturally a trait inherited from my artist architect dad and my watercolorist mom By nature I m a curious person who takes delight in exploring the inner workings and structure of things Maybe that comes from being Italian that race of builders and destroyers because as I paint or assemble some sort of construction I add and subtract elements willy nilly until I get what I think I want I m a representational artist but not one out to replicate subject matter in ways true to life Instead I m more the dissembler who chops things up and puts them back together in a different order Sometimes I provide side plan and x ray views even detailed inserts to help the onlooker appreciate what s going on within and beyond I enjoy combining incongruent elements in whimsical ways sometimes humorously to reflect the pleasure that comes with discovering something new Over the years I ve tended to work thematically in series that reflect an affinity for churches archangels urban life armadillos and especially the kivas pueblos native peoples and gunslingers of the desert southwest of the United States I tell my friends that down deep I m a western guy well at least a spaghetti western guy you know like Clint Eastwood whom of course I closely resemble In any event when working I avoid planning everything ahead of time in favor of freedoom While listening to the music of favorite composers I m never happier than when painting away adding bits of wood cloth string or anything else that s handy to finally define something that s the sum of its parts ie the shape of content to quote Ben Shahn a favorite of mine along with Klee Dubuffet Bissier and Toledo I ve been influenced by the primitives of the Early Renaissance and works by kids autodidacts and so called outsiders also imagery from the pre Conquest and vice regal periods in Latin America My work is not easily categorized but then critics and historians love to put artists in boxes or stick labels on them even though few fit their tidy definitions In the broadest sense I guess I m a narrative artist who makes stuff to tell stories This tradition has been around forever especially over the centuries when most people remained illiterate but nowadays it s often considered old fashioned as lots of newfangled isms have become the flavors of their day But I ve never felt a compulsion to conform to whatever s in vogue nor engage in outrageous behavior to attract attention Instead I ve tried to be true by developing my own visual language in hopes of encouraging onlookers to consider other realities and engage especially those who ve followed my work for some time Fortunately I have enjoyed a substantial audience both in commercial galleries and via solo retrospective exhibitions at major institutions including the Museo Issac Fernandez Blanco and Museo Nacional de Bella Artes in Buenos Aires And I take some pride in having been inducted recently to the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes in recognition of a lifetime of work While I ve enjoyed the recognition that has come my way I ve treasured most that rare privilege of living a fully creative artful life Quite honestly I d never have felt satisfied had I peddled life insurance sold used cars or like a peasant tilled the fields but maybe as a cowboy because whoa don t forget I m a western guy Giancarlo Puppo

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152 Agnes Gomori London UK Instagram artgomori Agnes Gomori is a British Hungarian multimedia artist based in London UK She is a channel for the higher realms and this deep connection with the divine source inspires her art Agnes is a multidisciplinary artist her artistic portfolio incorporates handmade digital drawings paintings photography singing writing music poems and short stories Agnes is also a spiritual energy healer who is creating custom made healing art for her clients in her private art based healing practice Recent exhibitions Vilomah Hidden Loss Untold Futures physical group exhibition London UK 2023 FLUX Review Winter Exhibition virtual group exhibition London UK 2023 Polysemy virtual group exhibition 2022 Annual Gala Culturally Arts Collective 2022 Diversia virtual group exhibition UN Calendar July 2022 Toronto Canada 2022 Unrequited virtual group exhibition The Spongleheim Gallery London UK 2022 Dream Living virtual group exhibition Culturally Arts Collective Texas USA 2022 Beyond the Veil virtual group exhibition Culturally Arts Collective Texas USA 2022 Stop the war virtual group exhibition Art 9 Gallery Hong Kong 2022 Art fusion virtual group exhibition The Holy Art Gallery London UK 2022 Ethereal virtual group exhibition Culture Capital House Madrid Spain 2022 I m a multidisciplinary artist who s a big believer in the combined healing power of art nature and laughter In the last few years handmade digital painting and drawing have become my main channel for artistic self expression I often take nature based photos during my daily walks and use it as my inspiration to create a visual story of the otherwise physically unseen world My work reflects my deep connection with my heritage nature and the divine source Before I start my creative work I channel the higher realms and allow the theme of my artworks to emerge intuitively In that sense I consider my art as messages from the Universe As a highly intuitive empath I learnt to harmoniously intertwine art and healing in my life For each commission I offer the healing with art experience whereby I channel healing energy into the artwork Humour plays a big part in my life and creative work Even if an artwork has a more serious theme I insert magical elements such as imaginary creatures to ease its heaviness They are a reminder that when we believe in magic we open the doors to possibilities around us

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155 Ereignisfeld Bedrohte Festung Ereignisfeld Tangerine dream Ereignisfeld Verbliebene Klarheit Ereignisfeld Gefilde der Artemis Ereignisfeld Tor der Erkenntnis M Wagner Heidelberg Germany Instagram malermail Born in Heidelberg in 1953 I used every free minute for artistic studies during my studies of social work at the University of Applied Sciences in Mannheim and then concentrated entirely on the fine arts after completing my studies Since 1981 I live and work as a freelance painter graphic artist and photo artist self taught in Heidelberg While at the beginning I worked in the representational field depicting landscapes and people I gradually developed an artistic conception that focuses on color and its many possibilities On this way the world of the constructive concrete opened up to me Geometry joined color became an equal partner and provided stability and continuity Thus color was not given an expressive quality but a purely visual meaning It does not jump into the space but it has a high presence a great impact potential On this basis I design my works trusting in the power of color and geometry Works of art reflect the world My works are also mirror images of today However it is not a reflection of the external appearance not an abstraction of the mimetic world but a reflection of the inner constitution My works arise from sensations They reflect the sense of time so to speak and represent ciphers for today Thinking and feeling geometry and color between these poles I explore my artistic possibilities although with all seriousness playful and poetic components are always involved In this way I develop a visual world that has its roots in the strictness of the constructive and concrete but at the same time is also based on individuality and spontaneous intuition

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158 Ren Siepmann Ennepetal Germany Instagram renethepainter Twitter rene_siepmann Ren Siepmann started creating art during the mid to late 2010 s with seeking and finding his own and unique approach to displaying his broad bandwith of topics fascinating the artist In the early 2020 s Siepmann achieved his first breakthroughs in the international art world by publishing several print series in different galleries Then he gained attention by being regularily featured in online galleries and their group shows and art publications By now the artist has evolved into experimenting with all kinds of media ranging from physical to digital blockchain based art Ren Siepmann born on November 1st 2002 is a contemporary self taught painter who lives and works in North Rhine Westphalia Germany and portrays explores the depths of what it means to be a human His paintings show our deepest fears our deepest needs and what we are currently capable of now were then and will later be His diverse approach to those topics allows the viewer to experience a unique journey through our minds and reveals the deepest layers and aspects which define the homo sapiens Besides that Siepmann is interested in topics such as globalization technology and new media Siepmann s work can also be seen as a painted mirror which shows the current state of today s world and how it could be in the future His personal style pays homage to the ancient ways of storytelling by using symbols and colors like several ancient cultures did comparable to the hieroglyphs of the ancient egypt His paintings possess a contrast between ancient stylistic devices and modern topics which are colliding in one new painting By now he is an emerging artist in the field of contemporary visual art His style and artwork is constantly evolving and does always seek the dialogue with the viewer

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160 Jiang Feng Taiwan Instagram jiangfeng_mine Jiang Feng is a non gendered contemporary Taoist and multi disciplinary artist working across genres in movement dance theatre performance art voice text modeling film photography theory pedagogy and criticism They attained their B A in English and Chinese literature from National Taiwan University in 2016 In 2019 they graduated with an M F A degree in Performance and Performance Studies from Pratt Institute They are now pursuing an M A in Cross Disciplinary Corporeal Theories and Practice in the Department of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts They are the receiver of the R O C Government Fellowship to study and research dance abroad 20 40 Year Old Writers Creation and Application of Native Languages and Fostering Young Artists Development grants from the Ministry of Culture and Performing Art Critics grant from the National Culture and Arts Foundation in Taiwan Furthermore their works have been shown in Asia America and Europe including Taiwan the U S Germany Ireland Singapore Bulgaria Hungary the UK Italy Korea and Mexico in various artistic scenarios In September 2019 their new work Bent Tai www won the Genuinely Fringe award the third prize at Taipei Fringe Festival and in 2018 they were selected to be the performer of the work Wall Floor Positions in the MoMA retrospective Bruce Nauman Disappearing Acts Currently I am developing my system called The Life Praxis which calls for the concurrent exploration and synthesis of 1 Academic Research Structured methodologies for knowledge 2 Social Practice Dialogues for self reflection and change 3 Somatic and Spirituality Individual comfort and strength First of all academic research has taught me about the preciousness of proof and validation As an artist while feelings and sentiments are more than important it is usually the systemic knowledge that will create changes in one s self and society Since undergrad I have been bathed in the realm of Feminism Performance Studies Dance Studies and Somatics Secondly social practice art included creates a platform for exchange and mutual understanding Last but not least we all have to return to our life which is the source and ultimate goal Viewing the body as the base and the social issues gender sex sexuality and race as the lens to examine the status of life I am interested in liberating myself and merging with the world The fundamental inspiration for my work is love its beauty and complexity while being a contemporary Taoist the pursuit of the philosophy of life is my priority For artistic creation as an interdisciplinary artist I turn to the tools offered by multi media to find the right way to tell the stories Media is the channel for the meaning and messages to pass through instead of being the dedication itself Hence I do not cling to any particular medium except for the body and can morph and become any kind of artist Setting out to disrupt I create things to challenge social norms and our perceptions of them I create artwork as a process for questioning and healing gathering energy to create a space for people who endure discrimination My process as an artist and creator is to wait to be inspired in by life Moreover I draw on theory from academic and non academic works and think hard because I expect myself to be not only an artist but also a thinker Art is a force of disruption of social injustice and also existential fixation The ideology of my work is family unfriendly if that family happens to be the epitome of the patriarchy

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162 Rahela Majidi Maryland USA Instagram rahel arts Facebook www facebook com RahelArts Rahela Majidi was born in Herat and spent her early years in Iran while her parents temporarily immigrated during the war They later returned to Afghanistan in 2002 Despite being interested in painting from a young age Rahela did not have access to art classes as they were not available for girls in Herat at the time Undeterred she began painting on her own and left behind over 100 paintings when she moved to the United States in 2015 Rahela is a self taught artist skilled in using watercolor oil acrylic and has recently started experimenting with digital painting tools She is a member of the Montgomery Art Association and her artwork Dancing with the sun was featured on the cover of Charise M Hoge s chapbook Striking light from the ashes With a bachelor s degree in English Language and Literature from Herat University in Afghanistan Rahela is currently pursuing a Fine Arts degree at Montgomery College Maryland Her long term goal is to earn a bachelor s degree in Studio Art and establish her own art gallery Like many women in Afghanistan Rahela had to overcome numerous obstacles to secure her education and basic rights She remains committed to advocating for girls education and drawing attention to the challenges that women face in her home country Rahela s artwork reflects her deep connection to Afghan culture and the struggles faced by Afghan women Through her paintings she expresses the freedom that she yearned for during her time in Afghanistan She seeks to highlight the peaceful and vibrant aspects of Afghan life where women can express themselves freely and are not confined to wearing burqas Her work also aims to empower women by promoting their rights and representing their culture Every artwork I create reflects a part of my own experiences as an Afghan girl I aim to capture the stories within each piece particularly through the expressions on the faces of the subjects These stories speak of their hopes for freedom and peace their aspirations for education and a bright future and their resilience in the face of challenges My passion for painting stems from my fascination with the human experience and the power of the human spirit Through my paintings I hope to introduce viewers to strong and determined characters Art has been a source of solace for me since my childhood and it has remained my passion throughout my life I have experimented with different mediums including oil watercolor acrylic charcoal and digital tools I have also explored other subject matters such as landscapes and flowers in addition to portraits making the learning process more enjoyable and engaging for me My ultimate goal is to become an illustrator for children s books collaborating with writers to create and share powerful stories in addition to having my art Gallery Through my art I aspire to inspire and motivate girls and women to have faith in themselves and pursue their dreams even in the absence of the support they require

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164 C G Hall Tampa FL Instagram cghall art C G Hall b 1982 Charles G Hall is an American painter and printmaker from Tampa FL Raised near Florida s space coast by a teacher and an artist his fascination for space and the sciences grew from a young age along with his love for the arts Formally trained in the sciences and informally trained in the arts he continues to dedicate himself to the study and mastery of these two crafts Tangling them together into deep connections that translate directly into the symbolism portrayed in his artwork Influenced by both classic and modern art he currently works with various mediums and techniques to combine classic visual elements with abstract shapes and written words His artwork is exhibited and held in private collection locally and nationally I like making art that questions not only itself but also core fundamental ideas and experiences like consciousness dimensions physical reality etc My process is easiest described when compared to that of a method actor I spend allot of time studying each subject I decide to portray really engulfing myself in the entire experience of the subject matter This allows me to create unique perspectives to complex concepts with varied materials and effects My current work consists of digital art prints and traditional paintings on wood panel or canvas along with uncommon materials such as cardboard paper house paint sharpie and sand

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170 Bela Balog Hungary Instagram bemycreativestudio Bela Balog was born in 1970 Senta He lives and works in Budapest Hungary He is a member of Fine Arts Capital one of the fastest developing and progressive art associations in Hungary with which he participates in numerous exhibitions and art projects His artworks have been shown in galleries and art magazines in many countries USA UK Switzerland Hong Kong Singapore Italy Belgium Greece Germany Austria Spain Netherlands Hungary Bulgaria etc He has won several international awards including Art Market Magazine s Golden List award in 2022 Bela Balog s artwork series is a tribute to Vienna Secession which had a great impact on today s fine art The Vienna Secession means withdrawal separation referring to the fact that in 1897 forty nine artists in Vienna withdrew from the city s art center to create new art This new art created the basis for a new way of expression later artistic and cultural foundations from which artists are still nourished today Each of Bela Balog s artworks tells a story These are moments of appearing persons or illusions that communicate outwardly and demand attention even if it is a coffee break or solitude There is much more to these moments as well Human destinies whole life journeys experiences up to that point failures sorrows or just a series of hopes Bela Balog faithfully portrays these life paths and tells their stories in detail Simple lines shapes shading and colors are often a more difficult way to tell a story visually Yet this is the way that most naturally and accurately expresses mood opinion and freedom The latter i e freedom is the most basic thesis of the artistic approach Without it there is no real art only limited thinking Presenting the world revealing the truth People look up to and pay attention to artists This comes with responsibility We can show reality freedom and justice This can inspire everyone in their field later All my artworks are a process of a story a plot Stories that surround my narrower or wider environment Sometimes it s a simple newspaper article or a photo inspired but there are times when it s a literary work a movie or the streets around my residence the riverside or the people

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172 Portrait of Medusa Medusa with Lilies Eternal is always alone Secret of the Rose Filiz Unal England Instagram filizunalart Filiz Unal is a contemporary artist with Turkish background currently residing in England Having received formal training in fine arts at a young age Filiz went on to study fine arts in high school and graphic design at the university level She pursued her artistic passions while working in creative roles as a designer and eventually transitioned to devoting herself entirely to her art Today Filiz works from her studio in England producing thought provoking and captivating artworks that reflect her commitment to explore the stories of marginalized female characters and symbols in mythology and history Filiz s paintings are deeply inspired by the rich and diverse narratives of women and characters from Eastern and Greek mythology whose stories have been historically suppressed Through her art she explores the essential bond between women and nature employing esoteric symbols to reinterpret myths through a feminist lens By placing women at the forefront of the universe s existence Filiz challenges traditional narratives and offers an alternative perspective on history and mythology The crescent figure a recurring motif in her work represents the triple goddess and serves as a symbol for the stages of a woman s life cycle adding further dimension and depth to her dynamic celebration of the female experience Filiz s artistic approach involves a unique technique wherein she employs symbols to express contextual clues about the narratives depicted in her compositions adding an additional dimension of meaning to her work

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174 Sarah Soward Instagram sarahsoward Website sarahsoward com Facebook facebook com groups artbysarahsoward Pinterest pinterest ca sarahsowardfineart _created Sarah Soward is an artist with a focus on endangered wildlife and color She holds a BFA from the California College of the Arts While oil paint is her favorite medium she also engages with both traditional and digital drawing tools and has been known to create sculptures and collages with anything at hand She likes for her work to have a message whether it s as simple as a single emotion or as complex as a 30 painting manifesto on saving the rhinoceros from extinction Exhibitions of note include Multi year finalist in DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibitions at the Mall Galleries in London Stellae Errantes Wandering Stars painting series debuted at the EHCC Hawaii Museum of Contemporary Art 2015 Sky Creature appeared in the Londonist and BBC Wildlife Magazine Sky Blue was part of the Artist4Rhino exhibition at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova in Genoa Italy and was selected to be part of the traveling show Later Stanley Rhino was also included in the traveling show Rhinotopia Beginnings art book that 30 painting manifesto mentioned above Painting acquired by the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs I want to save animals from extinction To do that I use my artwork to elicit feelings of love connection and hope In many of my works I link an animal to an archetype power or deity to facilitate a universal connection Not every painting is a story on an epic or cultural scale Sometimes you connect to one of my wildlife paintings on a singular level instead perhaps because it s now represented in your favorite color or in every color with luscious expressive brushstrokes However it happens I want you to see your story in my work and recognize that you can make a difference for yourself and for animals

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CULTURALLY 176 Our mission is for individuals to embrace their creativity and ignite their passion shaping a global platform working on tangible reform for accessibility and representation in the arts Our purpose is to advocate that art is for everyone and by everyone We work to utilize the arts for social justice efforts for students to use their passions for global change Our biggest advocacy effort is toward representation in the arts we have members branches and communities in 60 countries on 6 continents Culturally advocates for the inclusion of people from every background and corner of the world regardless of level of practice or socioeconomic means We aim to provide a platform for artists of all ages from emerging students to established artists to develop their craft through education We strive to provide the utmost professional development through opportunities with an international impact Our work is to eliminate and abolish the deeply ingrained elitist and exclusive stigmas around the arts so we offer an artist directory social media network interviews and more to increase opportunities for aspiring artists