Engaged in the perpetual study of nature, Latvian oil painter Hana Vater captures the hidden beauty behind our surroundings. Her compositions are “mysterious representatives” of the natural world, miniature models where Vater strives to attain harmony within natural chaos. Vater draws influence from Latvian painting traditions as well as the works of Cézanne and Morandi. Taking an approach similar to the one adopted by colorist painters, Vater follows the principles of abstraction to create realistic still lifes. She begins by outlining the composition with diluted paint, using a thin brush. Placing appliqués of pigment on the canvas, she then deconstructs the visible world into a myriad of color spots. Like a mosaic, forms are simplified into chromatic planes, which are juxtaposed, leading to complex fields and shapes. There is a poetic softness to her work, the quiet contemplation of everyday objects as little miracles of life; be they a book, a fruit, or a glass of water.
Vater earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Painting, Drawing and Art History from the Riga Art School and a Master’s Degree in Painting and Art Education from the Art Academy of Latvia. She has exhibited extensively in Europe and the United States. She currently lives and works in Conshohocken, PA.
HANA VATER ON
The visible world surrounding us is a unique composition of various color spots; I try to discover the harmony within this natural chaos. I believe that every artist receives unlimited opportunities for self-expression by being passionately engaged with nature. Everytime I work on a still life, I challenge myself by asking “Where is the secret of this little piece of nature and the mystery behind this beauty?” I search for the answers to these questions by carefully “reading” the colors of nature, comparing them with one another, and fixing them on my canvas, using oil paints - the most flexible and compliant material. In a still life I see a model of nature, its mysterious representative. All this makes my artistic process joyful and happy.
ORIGINAL HANA VATER ARTWORKS ON
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