Artist Talk Magazine issue 12

ARTIST TALK MAGAZINE

July 2020 www.artisttalkmagazine.com

PORTRAITS FOR NHS HEROES INSPIRED BY PORTRAIT ARTIST THOMAS CROFT

DISCOVER MORE www.paolaboni.eu

FEATURED ARTISTS PORTRAITS FOR NHS HEROES

6-11 NATALIA COLA

12-17 PAULO AMSEL

18-23 PETE REY

24-29 PORSCHE

TOM CROFT PORTRAIT OF HARRIET

M IL NE Milne Publishing is proud to present Artist Talk Magazine issue 12. All of the artists featured within this issue have given interesting, in-depth, honest accounts about themselves, their work, views and ideas. In addition to the amazing images of the work they produce, which I know you the reader will enjoy and be inspired by.

The cover of this issue is 20 portraits for our NHS Heroes.

This concept was created by the portrait artist Thomas Croft. If you are an artist and would like to offer a free portrait to an NHS key worker, then please post the green canvas from Tom’s Instagram @tomcroftartist on your social media, which includes the hashtag #portraitsfornhsheroes, then an NHS worker can search for the hashtag, see your offer and contact

artisttalkmagazine ArtistTalkMag artisttalkmagazine

you directly to apply for a free portrait.

Similarly, if you are an NHS frontline worker and would like to put yourself forward for the chance to get a free portrait, please look out for the green canvas by searching for the hashtag #portraitsfornhsheroes and message the artist.

I have painted 3 portraits myself, which can be viewed on pages 6 -11. This includes an interview with the NHS Hero. On behalf of the readers and myself, I would like to thank you, for all the good you have done and keep on doing.

Thanks for reading.

Grant Milne, Founder of Artist Talk Magazine

30-35 SHANNON MCKEOGH

36-41 MARY STEFANOU

42-47 K11 MUSEA

48-53 MAYA BECK

54-59 CHOI WOO-YEUL

60-65 CHRISTINA WALSH

66-71 DISCOVER MORE www.artisttalkmagazine.com

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HANNAH MILNE - PAINTED BY GRANT MILNE

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PORTRAITS FOR NHS HEROES HANNAH MILNE I am Hannah Milne aged 31 (soon to be 32). I am married to Paul who is a Planning Officer and Mum to Max 7 and Frankie 5. We live in a pretty village called Barrowby in Lincolnshire. I work 30 hours a week as a Staff Nurse on the Acute Care Unit at Grantham and District Hospital, along with 6 hours a week as Service Improvement Lead Nurse for the Mid Trent Critical Care Network. I am very lucky to have parents, grandparents and in laws living in very close proximity, a grandfather in Devon and younger sisters in London and Madrid.

The following is how I came to be in my profession. My maternal grandmother received excellent care in a hospice when I was younger, the nurses care and kind words made a lasting impact on my mum’s memories. This led me to want to be in a career where I could make a difference to people in their times of need.

My A-Level choices were therefore, chosen with a nursing career in mind, biology, psychology and sociology. I then applied to study nursing at Sheffield Hallam University in 2006 and qualified 11 years ago, beginning my career at Lincoln County Hospital and later transferring to Grantham.

We have been very lucky in Lincolnshire that COVID 19 levels have been low compared to other less rural areas, Grantham being especially low. There have been a number of times we have been redeployed to The Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, where numbers were higher and there were staff shortages, due to quite high numbers of staff showing symptoms. Unfortunately a member of nursing staff at Boston died from COVID 19 after being

ventilated and treated on ICU. My experience of COVID 19 being a time of great sadness and anxiety within the United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust, but especially at The Pilgrim Hospital.

I have worked in a number of areas where patients displaying COVID 19 symptoms were admitted, thankfully with relatively low numbers having positive swab results. Assisting in intubating a patient has probably been the most nerve wrecking experience, as this is when contamination risk is highest. It is quite a weight on your shoulders to try and do all you can for a patient, whilst trying to keep all patients, your colleagues and yourself safe by following strict infection control procedures at all times.

The experiences that I would like to share are those of providing the best end of life care for patients during this time, which has felt more emotional than ever. Limiting the amount of time that family can see their relative before they pass away, has felt like such a cruel thing to do. Work as a nurse during COVID 19 has often felt like a battle between what is scientifically the right thing to do, in terms of reducing risk of infection and considering how patients, relatives and staff are being affected psychologically.

Delivering care, compassion and communication with patients is challenged by COVID 19. Hands have to be held through gloves, patients can’t see staff smile at them behind masks, reassuring words have to be spoken much more clearly. Admission rates have been lower than normal and the patients that have eventually attended, have been much more unwell that we would usually see before they seek help. Most of all I hope that patients know we are doing all we can to keep them safe and don’t risk their lives trying to avoid attending hospital.

Before COVID 19: To relax when I was not working I would take the boys to football three times a week, swimming and beavers. Socialise with family, friends and colleagues.

Spend time with grandparents.

Drink cocktails, take city breaks, shopping and camping.

During COVID 19: Reading, bike rides, walking, watching Netflix, painting garden fences, standing in queues outside Aldi, delivering food shopping, pretending to be on holiday in the garden, haircutting, playing family football matches, toasting marshmallows, building dens, quizzing on zoom, drinking red wine, cooking and now visiting family in the garden /on driveways.

The affect that working with COVID 19 patients has personally had on me, is that it has felt like an ongoing battle of head over heart. Between wanting to give patients as much of your time in close proximity as they need, without over exposing yourself to the risk of infection. Guilt that you can’t allow relatives to visit. Huge guilt and frustration that some treatment options that would normally have been available to offer to patients, haven’t been available during this time due to high infection risks.

The saying “There is always light at the end of the rainbow” what would you like to see there?............ I would like to see a sense of normality. Patients not being too scared to come into hospital, that they are putting off getting help when very unwell, their relatives being able to visit and have the reassurance of being able to see their loved ones. Normal services resume at Grantham Hospital, staff deployed back to their usual places of work and us being able to deliver the level of service we previously have.

Less worry about bringing COVID 19 home to my children and being able to hug my parents and grandparents.

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JESSIE JEFF - PAINTED BY GRANT MILNE

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PORTRAITS FOR NHS HEROES JESSIE JEFF My Name is Jessie Jeff and I am 28 years old, I live in Dorset where I have lived all my life.

I was born in Dorchester however, in recent years have moved to West Parley, where I have bought a house with my partner Andy, my mother Alice and Chris, who is like a father to me, as my own father has never really bothered with me.

I also live with my lovely dogs who always keep me very busy. I live local to Andy’s family who are also like my family. Rosemary who is the amazing Grandmother, Neil jane, Tom, Kelly and my little niece Olivia. I was also very close with DAA, who was like a grandfather to me but unfortunately, he passed away a short time ago. My other family Simon, Sam and their children also keep in touch and still remain in Dorchester.

How did I get into the profession:I have always worked in the health care industry since the age of 16. I started in the kitchens washing up and worked my way up into the nursing roles, knowing I wanted to be a paramedic however, it being very difficult to get into. I used to care for my grandad Sam Benham, who I was very fond of and I feel the care he required, caused me to then have an interest into the caring role and this is where becoming a paramedic came to mind.

The experience with Covid 19 has been very challenging, upsetting and above these feelings, very rewarding. As Paramedics we have to have a calm, level headed approach, so as to relax the very scared, anxious and worried patients.

The wearing of the PPE has also been a great challenge, the sore nose and ears and feeling like you cannot breathe properly takes its toll on you however, with your colleagues support you get through, along with support from your family and friends.

The worst experience I had, was when I had to move out of my home into a hotel, which was very lonely. The reason being for this, was due to my relatives being high risk with medical conditions.

Not being able to sit with them at night, or after work and speak with them was most challenging.

This being especially after some very sad jobs, where people were dying and suffering was at its peak.

Again, it was also very challenging not seeing Andy’s nan Rosemary, who is also like a nan to me too.

Not being able to see one another and do the things in life that we all take for granted, such as hugging and visiting each other is a painful, emotional and personal challenge of its own.

I would like to see things go back to normal, which I am sure if we follow government advice and stick to the rules, we will overcome this.

It has been a challenge however, there are still other challenges we need to overcome away from Covid 19. An example of this, being when myself and a crew mate were assaulted by four people. This was an unprovoked attack, where both myself and a crew mate were injured during the pandemic. This therefore, was also very hard to cope with as well as Covid 19. I am however, sure we will beat these challenges in the way that we always do!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for this chance and space to be able to share some of the emotions, feelings and thoughts that I have so far endured and hope the readers of Artist Talk Magazine will enjoy!

Thanks Jessie

When I am not working, I do enjoy spending my time with family and my dogs. Andy and I also spend a large amount of time with Andy’s brother Tom, partner Kelly and niece Olivia which I enjoy, also going on bike rides. My mother and I also spend a lot of time together and have a big enjoyment in spending, which does not help the wallet! Andy and I are also working on our house, which is very much nearing the end, allowing us to do the things we want to do in life, including marriage.

I think mentally Covid 19 has affected almost everyone and it has also been very tiring and challenging. The wearing of PPE along with the wearing of surgical face masks that make your throat sore has been difficult however, with other colleagues you manage to find different coping mechanisms.

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CASSANDRA WRIGHT - PAINTED BY GRANT MILNE

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PORTRAITS FOR NHS HEROES CASSANDRA WRIGHT My name is Cassandra Wright. I am a staff nurse and work in the theatre department of St John’s hospital Livingston. I have been a nurse since 2012. I have worked in many jobs within the medical and surgical side of healthcare . My role consists of being a scrub nurse and an anaesthetic nurse. This means I either assist the surgeon while he is operating or I assist the anaesthetist while you are going off to sleep.

I got into becoming a nurse through my own hero, My Mum. My mum got into nursing from her Mother and she from her Nanna.

My mother started university as I just started high school, just to set the scene she had 4 children aged between 2 and 14, she worked really hard and graduated with a merit. I am really proud to be a nurse and carry on the family tradition. I am such a people person, I love to talk to people and I have found that the smallest things like a smile and conversation can ease a patient’s worries and that is what they remember.

Although my patients are sleeping for most of the operations, I really enjoy talking to them before hand and helping ease their nerves before they have their procedure.

My experience of covid 19 will be very different from most. I was actually on maternity leave and I wasn’t due to go back to work until the end of July. I really struggled not being able to help my colleagues and felt really guilty. My family and friends kept repeating a phrase that didn’t sit well with me “I am so glad YOUR not at work”. I know that I am precious to my family and friends and they just want you to be safe however, my friends and colleagues are special to me and I wanted to help. When I returned

to work I felt like I had started a completely new job everything was totally unrecognisable, the only thing that was in the same place was the changing rooms. Every day was different as guidance changed.

Certain things felt very alien to me but you just have to learn to adapt.

The support from my colleagues helped me through this uncertain time and I am so glad that I work with such a lovely bunch.

I think your readers should know that the nurses really felt the support of the public during the pandemic. We do have very difficult jobs and have to face death, illness, loss on a daily basis howevere, we do get great job satisfaction especially when things go well. It is nice to feel appreciated, health is wealth at the end of the day.

When I am not working I spend time with my family, which includes my wee baby boy. He takes up most of my time. We have really enjoyed our walks and exploring all the beautiful countryside that surround where we live. We are very lucky to live in beautiful Scotland and have access to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. This time has made me appreciate where I live.

As a theatre nurse I am used to wearing full PPE however, its very intense wearing full RPE. You have to have trust in your mask and that you have put it on correctly.

I have had my skin breakdown on my nose. We also have shortages in PPE at times and can feel stressful thinking you might not be able to work and help your colleagues. I always shower before I leave work, it’s a horrible feeling that you might be taking something home to your family.

On behalf of the readers and myself, I would like to thank all NHS and key workers for all the good you have done and keep on doing.

Portraits for NHS Heroes concept was created by the portrait artist Thomas Croft.

“So who should be immortalised today? Who should line the walls of galleries and have future generations look back on as the people who really made a difference and stepped up, in our latest darkest hour. The people who put self interest and self preservation to one side and literally risked their lives knowingly on a daily basis for our well being.

The NHS workers. Absolutely.”

If you are an artist and would like to offer a free portrait to an NHS key worker, then please post the green canvas from Tom’s Instagram @tomcroftartist on your social media, which includes the hashtag #portraitsfornhsheroes, then an NHS worker can search for the hashtag, see your offer and contact you directly to apply for a free portrait.

Similarly, if you are an NHS frontline worker and would like to put yourself forward for the chance to get a free portrait, please look out for the green canvas by searching for the hashtag #portraitsfornhsheroes and message the artist.

At the end of the tunnel I would like to see a wage rise LOL. I hope that people realise how hard we work and that we try are very best every day.

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NATALIA COLA

feel differently, but for me, it’s part of my personal culture, it’s frankly, part of our global civilization, and should play a part of one’s daily life.

Some people might not notice it, but I notice this ‘involvement’ of art in life every single day. I can’t imagine life without it!

Can you provide background as to your education in the arts?

MONACO

Natalia Cola is a global arts commentator and presenter.

One of Forbes Monaco’s Entrepreneurial Women of 2019, Cola travels the world studying various artists, mediums, and the state of the industry. Additionally, Cola is the host of Natalia Cola Presents, a lecture series in which she presents and commentates on the work of renowned artists such as Christian Maas and Romero Britto.

remember during my studies and while in art school. At university, I studied religious art and then art history, and of course went on to become an art commentator here in Monaco and globally. It’s just a part of me.

I read about the industry every day, analyze contemporary works either online or in person, and I write about the experience. I know we all

I graduated from Kyiv National University of Taras Shevchenco with a degree in religious art from the philosophy department.

My dissertation was about the esthetics of iconostases in the Orthodox church. Then, I spent five years at an Art Academy where I studied the history of art and later took up a position with Sothebys in London.

When I see a piece of art, I tend to consider the work put into it. So, my analyses tend to be very technical. It’s not just the impression the art makes or lies behind a piece of art, which is of course very important for the contemporary scene; it’s about how the art was created, which for me, is very important.

Cola studied at the famed Art Academy of Smirnova-Lastochkina in Ukraine and has worked in various galleries Kyiv and Sotheby’s in London before moving to Monaco where she currently resides.

Natalia Cola: The State of the Art Gallery Industry In the COVID-19 Era of ‘Virtual’ What has art meant to you in your life?

Art is absolutely part of my daily life and this has been the case from a very young age.

My family used to collect art when I was very young, something I

CHRISTIAN MAAS SCULPTURE

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In this global lockdown, we don’t have the opportunity to go to museums or galleries and experience the emotions or sensations of art…

Well, we do actually [have that opportunity]. It strikes me that in this lockdown, most every single museum and gallery, both mega and small galleries, provide online tours. You can even buy art online, which has become a very popular trend.

Many galleries, large and small are selling art online at the moment, especially the case if buyers know the artist and respect and trust the gallery.

Yes, it’s a very new experience for visitors. For me, I get taken to another world. It’s all very relaxing.

I feel completely in the present moment while navigating. If you’ve had this experience on-site [at a gallery] previously and then you visit online, you can actually reconnect with it.

Are certain galleries providing better experiences than others?

Yes, some of the galleries and museums provide just amazing experiences. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles, for example; their virtual tour is just fantastic! You really feel like you’re walking up the staircase, and then you make a sharp right into one of the rooms and if you touch your smartphone on the left-hand side, you can see what is right around the corner of the gallery. Then you just have a walkabout!

Some gallery offerings are different.

They’re just slide-shows. It depends on how they prepare their online tours.

Have you seen artists responding to this pandemic in any particular way?

Yes. Usually it’s not the artists

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themselves; an intermediary, someone who serves as the connection-point between the artist and the buyer or the institution.

For example, at Serpentine Galleries in London, we’re in-touch with artists two or three times a week who can speak about their art virtually, reporting from a country that is locked-down in South America, for example. They can speak about their last exhibition and showcase on-screen pieces of their work. It’s not an amazing view when you can just see slides, but you can ask the artist questions and they can respond and multiple

stakeholders can be involved.

It is usually about an hour-long conversation. You can see the artist and you can have a good discussion.

That sounds very accessible, as in, people, for example, who might not be in London. It seems like this is opening up a whole new world.

Absolutely; for example, the last interview Serpentine was holding with a South American artist, there were people from London in attendance (online), I tuned in from Monaco, there was a couple participating from Portugal. We were all around the world and yet

we were all in this chat together with the artist who presented his works.

It was quite good.

Do you see virtual art as a positive experience? Or do you see it as a necessity, but beyond that, we need to go back to normal? How do you see it?

It’s the new normal, because, first, it saves a lot of time; it saves a lot of money.

When the [global-lockdown] ends, galleries will resume as before, but at the same time, they may seek to monetize the online experience.

They know what they have is truly special. Today, these tours are mostly free.

For smaller galleries, they might transition online, because they already struggle to compete with mega-galleries, have to pay steep rent every month, and have to open up exhibitions with new artists and produce marketing materials, etc. Online galleries may be a path forward to sustainability for those galleries, in some shape or form. It’s definitely in the cards.

When this pandemic is over, online galleries and online browsers are not going to go away to brick and mortar browsing alone. It’s going to continue to develop.

Art fairs will ultimately continue, because I believe that people want these big events where they can interact with artists, with their friends, and share interests and opinion.

Art fairs are important to so many people so I am sure this will continue. They may even amplify after lockdown, as everyone is very hungry to go out and socialize.

With that said, however, online galleries are also here to stay and they will grow in stature and prominence.

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In terms of vibe and atmosphere, what kind of art do you think is suited for this strange new world that we’re all living in?

There will be lots of different artforms that will thrive. I’m pretty sure Artists who were popular [before the outbreak] will continue to have strong followings. However, a lot of critics suggest that we will have less artwork based on shapes and will focus more on abstract designs. This is not something that I’d love to see, but probably because these are uncertain times, artists will express themselves in creative ways.

A crisis, in all of its stages and forms, influence contemporary art and the industry at large.

What are you planning right now?

I will concentrate on what is currently happening and then I would love to take on once more the ‘Natalia Cola Presents’ series.

COCA- COLA CELEBRATION BY ROMERO BRITTO

Can you tell me your top three virtual museum visits and your top three virtual artistic experiences?

The opening of new exhibitions or galleries is better live, in my view, not online. I don’t see this dynamic changing.

The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Getty Gallery, as I mentioned earlier, in Los Angeles.

The Metropolitan Museum in New York was very strong in presentation. Nonetheless, the artists’ works featured online have not been as good as a “live opening”.

Is there anything else about the traditional ways of experiencing art that you are particularly missing during this unfortunate time?

No; I think I am in a process of creative reflection and transformation. Like the rest of the world, I think it’s better to just go with the flow of the moment.

As someone born in the 20th century, I believe I am very traditional. I still would love to take my children to museums and galleries in-person. I would love to take my friends to the Frieze Art Fair in Los Angeles or go to galleries in Hong Kong, because it’s such a unique experience.

Before you become a butterfly, you have to take shape in a cocoon.

So that’s me in the moment, while on lock-down. I am waiting for my wings.

When it comes to working with an artist and preparing a gallery, it takes a lot of work and preparation.

There’s nothing like an opening or exhibits experienced live.

So, for art openings, they need to be done live?

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Where are we all going to be?

When we know that, I can then decide with who I would love to work with, what kind of opening it should be and where in the world it should be hosted.

For the moment, we’ve lost this.

Do you have any particular artists on your radar?

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PAULO AMSEL

Inside my head, a whirlpool of ideas, that insisted to flow in an unstoppable and incontrollable manner.

PAULO AMSEL

Since always that drawing, combined with a strong urge of being creative, has been a part of my daily life. Doodling on the side of my school notebooks, something that always tormented my father, slowly started giving place to more elaborated drawings, built on more steady and sturdy foundations. The shapes became more unconventional, nonetheless, still aligned with the formal grammar that rejects the mondain and that considers reality as something unnecessary to be reproduced. It teaches us to reinterpret reality based on personal experiences, or better, in the way that you perceive the world around you, and mainly something dependent of the “reverie” and the unexpected paths that the dreams fused with that creativity insisted on taking you.

Colour, without being shy, pursued the same path, making unexpected combinations, colouring thoughts with bright, lively colours and uncommon associations, somewhat difficult to be explained when you are trying to be taken seriously.

High-school was over, however, a career in the Arts was completely out of the question! Through some parental guidance, that advocated for me to follow something more classical, Law seemed to be the right option. However, it was a misfit and so distant from my personal interests. I tried for three

years. Three long, long years. I had to move on and find something that suited me, and that is exactly where Design took shape as being the only remaining thing that fitted my interests and my previous academic training. Design, allowed me to better understand myself. A all new world started taking shape in front of me, and little by little, it unveiled what was my greatest interest: drawing and painting. Following the completion of my degree in Design and masters in Visual Communication, it only seemed obvious to pursue a career in teaching, seeing that it would be the only option that would provide me with the financial stability, that I so longed for. Something that in the artistic industry is something quite difficult to attain, and somewhat of a pipe-dream.

THE MORE I KNOW PEOPLE, THE MORE I LIKE ANIMALS

Drawing and painting became an urgency, as if there was no tomorrow. Seeing that the hand flows at its own paste, it is not capable to keep up with the speed of the ideas. And so, a predicament happens. Which ones to pursue first? It felt as if there were endless waiting lines, where ideas would be pilling up, only waiting their turn to be tested and validated. Waiting to come to life, to take shape, and like that to give place in the real world to my “imaginary” world, allowing me to express myself in my own personal way. There is no script, no scheme, no sketch or colour study.

There is only an urge to express Somewhere along the way, a great yourself. It is almost possible to interest in tilling arose. An art so say that the drawing takes its own deeply rooted in the Portuguese life and decisions are made by culture and soul. It is a type of art “it”, where I am a mere spectator that is intricate and methodical, or a means to come to an end. however, unexpected and full with When the support, withe and challenges, where the creation of virginal, allows itself to become the great murals was in the order of guardian of an idea, there is never the day, for a significant period. no conscious upon what is going to Nonetheless, the appeal of the happen. Only, that things happen, paper and ink was becoming more that the drawing insinuates itself and more irresistible. And naturally, and that colour is a mere addition. the return to the “essential” Surprise is always an essential and happened, filling the days with joy challenging factor. Due to that, and of an incomparable need to making the process unpredictable produce in a compulsive manner. and a constant novelty.

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SAINT MARTIN ASLEEP

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The chromatic exuberance – the result of a fauvist vision – accentuates indelibly the content, as it sharpens a veracity of the form, which is an intrinsic desire to provide different views upon old situations. In this way, colour acquires a formal value, thus creating an inseparable binominal conglomerate of shape and colour.

Regardless of the technology or the chosen support, there are other less evident conceptual elements, that make all difference in order to achieve the final goal. Furthermore, they are a mean to emphasize the message, a mean to create a new reality, that will be a part of the new “visual speech”. Hence, the collage combined with watercolour, pastel or gouache techniques form an essential part of expression, creating a bridge between the real and the dreamlike or pseudo-real.

SAINT BORIS AND GELB

The previous definition of a theme sets the tone for the elaboration of a series of works, which are nothing more than the retelling of a story. That story auto-develops itself, almost as gaining its own life, owner of its own destiny. Every time a series is executed, it is as if a door has been opened, allowing to have a different perspective upon the same matter. Hence why, a single work can unfold itself in fifteen, twenty illustrations of the same topic. It always comes down to when everything has been said.

When you have made peace with yourself, and know that everything you were holding inside, has been put out in the open and there is nothing else to give, nothing else

to express.

IGUANA

LIGHT

The lack of a transversal technology is due to the fact that there is an intrinsic creative need that is expressed in an “animalistic” and unstable manner. That constant hop between techniques, technologies and supports.

Moreover, reinventing techniques or the adaptation of existing ones to the advocated work, allows it to be versatile, and that the challenges that are steadily being posed, be, as well, always diverse and propitious to very rewarding plastic experiments. Every series and each work, are always a new discovery. The opening of the

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doors to the unknown, to an immensity of plastic possibilities.

Such possibilities, that will be utilized or re-utilized accordingly to the role they need to play or to a certain plastic specificity that each work will close. It cannot be said that there is a favored technology or support of choice. Neither it will be to say that there are main themes, more or less important; or that there is an existent preferred format to my creations.

The only thing that is accurate and real is the tremendous urge to create, experiment, reinvent and reinterpret the reality that surrounds us. The need to create a world that is sprinkled by the joy of colour, nonetheless, a world where form and content reveal that reality is distinct form the superficiality of colour.

SAINT MARTIN BURACA AUNTYS

ZEZINHA SALGUEIRO

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As time goes by, and the series and illustrations continue, the flow of ideas and stories does not slow down. Nowadays, the inner feeling of urgency in life is omnipresent.

The urge to create and bring my personal ghosts, angels and demons that populate my mind to the real world. This urge in increasingly stronger and anxious, but sill provides an invigorating force that pushes me forward and leads the way. There is still a lot to be done and explored. However,

what so far has been accomplished, fills-in gaps and sheds light on my path, guiding me and giving me the strength to pursue new challenges, to make new discoveries, as well as, to uncover new worlds that will have plenty to tell.

Let there be time for that...

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SAINT JORGE AND THE DRAGON

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PETE REY REGAL

QUANTUM

Tracing back the history of art there has been an emergence of abstract forms of expression from an original purpose of recreating realism. In its infancy, art held a strong regard for its ability to represent life accurately in terms of form from the artist’s perspective, influenced by the development of a better anatomical and scientific understanding of ourselves and the natural world, driven by the wondrous minds of those such as Leonardo da Vinci. This period defined the rules of how art could and should represent the world around us. Then the game changed.

Artists began to break and bend the rules, forming an entirely new world for the artist and their patrons. As years progressed the movements of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubisim and Surrealism, pushed experimentation and abstract expression further with each turn, before Abstract Impressionism delivered the ultimate distanced and unique perspectives of art.

Left REGAL: Golden hues blend with rich reds to frame a swirl of palatial tones, bringing the eye to the central soul of the piece, where it flows into the Unified Field, with the iconic gate holes.

The invention and evolution of photography has in many ways followed the progression of art.

Initially starting as a mechanism of recorded realism, it has mirrored art’s path to express brand new perspectives of our world and become an art-form in its own right. This movement began in-camera but then progressed exponentially with the advancement of computers and software applications to bring a whole new world of creativity. Cited as one of the original pioneers of this changing movement, Ansel Adams was one of the first to explore photo manipulation back in 1920, which means that the movement has been going on for no less than a hundred years. Reflecting on the progressive movement within the art world, it perhaps comes as no surprise that it’s abstract movement gained increased momentum when photography arrived on the creative scene, capturing realism better than previous forms of artistic representation and effectively replaced forms of its entity with better delivery. But what becomes of the photography industry now?

Will it progress into the deeper depths of abstraction as art has?

Above QUANTUM: The opening piece and iconic first creation of the series ‘Dimensions’, presents a stunning transcendence of energy flows into the Quantum. Strokes of soft movement draw the eye to the centre of the artwork where the energy collides and is propelled into the unknown.

Following the progression of abstract photography impressionism one artist stands out in the current fold, Pete Rey; an emerging artist who has transcended the boundaries of the traditional form of photography.

Transforming original photographs into an alternative art-form, with a creative sentiment linked to the elated states of meditation, taking the form of a photographic image into dimensions beyond our own. Terming this process ‘Phototrancendence’, Rey suggests to explore this new realm in a unique expression of digital painting, inspired by the work of Dr Joe Dispenza and his teachings of the Quantum and the Unified Field. Presented as large format metallic photographic prints of up to 3 metres in width, his body of work presents breathtaking wall sized images, with gorgeous colour palettes and a serene flow of movement.

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LUSTROUS

Tracing back the history of art there has been an emergence of abstract forms of expression from an original purpose of recreating realism. In its infancy, art held a strong regard for its ability to represent life accurately in terms of form from the artist’s perspective, influenced by the development of a better anatomical and scientific understanding of ourselves and the natural world, driven by the

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wondrous minds of those such as Leonardo da Vinci. This period defined the rules of how art could and should represent the world around us. Then the game changed.

Artists began to break and bend the rules, forming an entirely new world for the artist and their patrons. As years progressed the movements of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubisim and Surrealism, pushed experimentation and abstract

expression further with each turn, before Abstract Impressionism delivered the ultimate distanced and unique perspectives of art.

The invention and evolution of photography has in many ways followed the progression of art.

Initially starting as a mechanism of recorded realism, it has mirrored art’s path to express brand new perspectives of our world and become an art-form

in its own right. This movement began in-camera but then progressed exponentially with the advancement of computers and software applications to bring a whole new world of creativity. Cited as one of the original pioneers of this changing movement, Ansel Adams was one of the first to explore photo manipulation back in 1920, which means that the movement has been going on for no less than a

hundred years. Reflecting on the progressive movement within the art world, it perhaps comes as no surprise that it’s abstract movement gained increased momentum when photography arrived on the creative scene, capturing realism better than previous forms of artistic representation and effectively replaced forms of its entity with better delivery. But what becomes of the photography industry now?

Will it progress into the deeper depths of abstraction as art has?

Following the progression of abstract photography impressionism one artist stands out in the current fold, Pete Rey; an emerging artist who has transcended the boundaries of the traditional form of photography.

Transforming original photographs into an alternative art-form, with a creative sentiment linked to

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PRAYER

The unique process of ‘Phototranscendence’, as explained

by Rey, is likened to the effect of blowing wind through an image, enhanced by hand digital painting techniques to produce a stunning visual effect. The process develops an entirely new image form, whilst preserving the original colour palette, producing brushlike strokes through fine details and a beautiful flow of movement across each piece. With the pieces commonly placed in the dark, unknown void of the unified field, each image breaths a new life as it flows into its next state.

Right BLOOM: A vibrant presentation of nature’s wonder, ‘Bloom’ brings together soft hues and bold tones of deep red.

Mastered from an original picture of a rose head, the artwork forms a surreal abstract floral piece of captivating depth.

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(Above) PRAYER: Created from an image of the Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque (Left), the artwork is defined by soft flowing lines of movement to represent ascending prayers, whilst the vibrant colour palette echoes the magical twilight hour. Rising in a sublime flow of effervescence, prayers holding the deep thoughts and emotions of generations, flow into the beyond, full of hope.

FORGE

(Above) FORGE: Depicting a unique and powerful collision of elements, forge represents a molten transformation of matter into the void. Created from an architectural viewpoint (Left), central to the artwork fire driven tones move outwards towards cooler accents, with a rupture of energy.

Pete Rey is an emerging artist, initially signed to BritArt (later acquired by Eyestorm) at the age of 21, selling abstract fine art photography prints. For fifteen years he ran a leading production company working with a multitude of celebrities and iconic brands.

Returning to the art scene with a wealth of production skills and digital imaging expertise, he is bringing a fresh look of abstract photography. The great grandson of the eminent scientist Gordon Miller Bourne Dobson, CBE, who was instrumental in the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer, he has always enjoyed a talented grasp of technology and been fascinated by the science behind the known and unknown world.

Rey is currently working on a new collection entitled ‘Atmosphere’, celebrating the work of his great grandfather who also used imaging as a vital part of his work.

The Dobson Unit, a measure of the density of Ozone in the air, is still used by NASA and all major meteorology bodies to this day. A further collection in development, entitled ‘Paradiso’, is a collaboration with acclaimed aerial photographer Merr Watson.

CREDITS DISCOVER MORE Website: www.peterey.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/ petereyfineart

The artist would like to pay particular thanks to Dr Joe Dispenza whose teachings were a significant inspiration for his work and a life changing experience. www.drjoedispenza.com The artist would also like to pay thanks to Robert K Baggs and his article on the Fstoppers community, which aided several citations and thought processes to explain his work. www.robertkbaggs.com Photo portrait by Hareth Tayem www.harethtayem.com

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PORSCHE

The first vehicle to bear the Porsche name was registered on June 8, 1948: It was the 356 “No.1” Roadster. This is the day on which the Porsche brand was born. The Type 356 turned Ferry Porsche’s dream of a sports car into a reality. “His vision at that time embodied all of the values that still define the brand to this day”, said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, at yesterday’s New Year Reception at the Porsche Museum.

Representatives from the state of Baden-Württemberg as well as from the city of Stuttgart and the worlds of politics, economics and society, joined Porsche to celebrate the beginning of its anniversary year with the slogan “70 years of the Porsche sports car”.

“Tradition is a commitment.

Without our tradition and without our core values, we would not be where we are today”, explained Blume. “We plan to uphold the standard of technical excellence set by Ferry Porsche well into the future. Intelligent dynamic mobility has a great future ahead

of it. And we have the solid technological expertise, creative employees and unique team spirit to be involved. We have what it takes to ensure that the Porsche brand continues to fascinate – even in another 70 years.”

356, MISSION E, L-R, 2018, PORSCHE AG

The Type 356 (on the left) turned Ferry Porsche’s dream of a sports car into a reality The history of the Porsche brand begins in 1948. Yet the foundation of the sports car manufacturer is built upon the life’s work of Professor Ferdinand Porsche – work which his son Ferry then continued. Ferdinand Porsche had already designed pioneering innovations for the automotive industry as early as the start of the last century. In 1900, he

built an electric car with a wheel hub drive known as the LohnerPorsche, a vehicle on which he would then base the world’s first all-wheel-drive passenger car.

In the same year, he created a template for hybrid vehicles with the development of a mixed petrol-electric powertrain. In 1931, Ferdinand Porsche founded his own engineering office. The “Berlin-Rome Car” showcased in 1939 was the beginning of his idea for a sports car bearing the Porsche name, although this dream was only realised by his son Ferry in 1948 with the Type 356.

The successor model to the 356, the Porsche 911 designed by Ferry Porsche’s son Ferdinand Alexander, finally gave the company its breakthrough as one of the leading manufacturers of sports cars in the world, both from a technical and a design perspective. The Porsche 911, presented to the global public for the first time in 1963, has now been built over a million times. “Although the 911 has been consistently developed in the intervening decades and enhanced many times over with new, innovative technologies, no other vehicle has managed to retain its original essence in the same way as the 911”, says Blume. “All Porsche models to be developed now and in the future are based on this sports car. As the centrepiece of the brand, the 911 has become the sports car of dreams, winning the collective heart of enthusiasts all over the world.”

356, MISSION E, L-R, 2018, PORSCHE AG

911 GT3 RS

The Mission E (on the right) is already coming up to the starting line

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now have the choice of starting their tour with a chronology of the company’s history prior to 1948, or proceeding directly to the main section of the exhibition by following the product chronicle post-1948.

PORSCHE MUSEUM Brilliant ideas, fascinating technology and legendary vehicles deserve to be presented in a fitting environment. The architecture of the Porsche Museum provides just the right context for bringing together the three strands of Porsche’s past, present and future.

One thing is for certain: the building designed by Delugan Meissl is a bold statement.

Supported on just three V-shaped columns, the museum’s dominant main structure seems to float above the ground like a monolith.

At its widest, the opening between the monolith’s underside and ground level is ten metres high, reinforcing the sense of spaciousness in the area in front of it. It houses the exhibition area proper, the “Christophorus” restaurant and the event zone with roof terrace. Crouched beneath the monolith is the base building, which welcomes visitors to the Porsche Museum with an inviting gesture. It accommodates the lobby, museum workshop, archive, Bistro, Coffee Bar, museum shop, cloakroom and pay desks. The way the base building’s roof shape rises away from the entrance creates space for a second storey, in which the archive’s reading room can be seen.

Both structures are linked by a partially glazed, dynamically angled stairway and an elevator.

Visitors access the exhibition space measuring some 5,600 square metres in the upper part of the building via an escalator. They

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From every angle, the shapes of the monolith and base building look different thanks to their polygonal, avant garde forms and the variation in the structures and windows.

The glazed main façade of the 23 metre high museum adorned with the Porsche logo faces north, greeting those heading into the city centre by car. The architect has succeeded in creating an eyecatching complex that nevertheless blends well into its overall setting.

“The new Porsche Museum creates a space that gives architectural expression to the company’s confident outlook and discerning standards, while also capturing Porsche’s dynamism. Knowledge, credibility and determination are as fundamental to the philosophy as courage, excitement, power and independence. Every idea is treated as an opportunity actively to tackle fresh challenges and probe the limits, yet still remain true to yourself. This museum endeavours to reflect all that,” declares architect Delugan Meissl in his dedication.

The Viennese firm of architects was selected from a field of 170 bidders to design the Porsche Museum in early 2005.

PORSCHE MUSEUM

70 YEARS OF PORSCHE FACTORY COLLECTION IN STUTTGART-ZUFFENHAUSEN Stuttgart. An unprecedented success story started seven decades ago on 26 May 1950 when the first new Porsche car was collected from the factory in Zuffenhausen by its new owner. To this day, customers come as close as is practically possible to the brand’s roots when they pick up their new car. In the anniversary year, the first Taycan was also collected by a customer from the parent plant in StuttgartZuffenhausen.

The history of factory collection all began outside on a field in view of Plant 1. This is where Ottomar Domnick laid the foundation for this tradition when he collected his sports car on 26 May 1950: a Porsche 356 in Fish Silver with the commission number 5001.

Being the first customer in Germany was a dream come true for this specialist in neurology and psychiatry. Ottomar Domnick was 43 years old when he collected his Porsche – incidentally the same age as Florian Böhme who was handed the first electric sports car in Zuffenhausen on 21 February.

He collected his Taycan on the day of his 43th birthday.

Before the celebratory handover, Ottomar Domnick took the passenger seat in his Porsche 356 next to Herbert Linge, who had invited him to take a final test run. Herbert Linge started his training at Porsche KG in April 1943 and was one of the first mechanics to be employed after Porsche returned from Gmünd in Austria at the end of 1949. “I was 14 years old when I started work at the first Porsche training workshop. In those days, we were six mechanics and two technical draftsmen. Ferdinand Porsche often walked past our workshop with important guests in tow. He would always stop to say hello while

keeping his guests briefly waiting.

That’s something I’ll never forget,” says Herbert Linge, who clearly remembers every car collection at the factory. “When Ottomar Domnick collected his Porsche 356, he really celebrated the occasion. But he had been coming to the factory every day anyway to see how far on we were with the work. Even Ferry Porsche briefly dropped in when the doctor was presented with his sports car.”

Even today, factory collection at the Porsche headquarters is a particularly special experience for customers. “The most exciting aspect of this first encounter is that the customer has never actually seen the car before,” explains Tobias Donnevert, Head of Factory Collection and Sales Operations Personalisation. “The customer has configured the car of his choice in the Porsche Centre or together with the customer service of the Porsche Exclusive Manufacture department and has only seen the colour combinations on photos or tiles. So when he collects his personal Porsche, he is seeing it for the very first time.

This is a very special moment, reserved exclusively for the customer at the beginning of the handover.”

At the plant in Zuffenhausen, Tobias Donnevert and his team welcome around 20 customers

ONE-MILLIONTH PORSCHE 911 IN THE ASSEMBLY

every day who come to collect their new cars. In 2019, there was a total of 2,500 customers and almost 3,000 in Leipzig. Before collecting their car, customers are also invited to take a tour of the factory and see, among other things, how the Porsche 911 is manufactured in Zuffenhausen. A visit to the Porsche Museum is also on the agenda. At Porsche in Leipzig, customers are given an insight into the production of the Macan and Panamera models.

Customers can also take a test run in a similar Porsche on the plant’s own FIA race track.

The Domnick Foundation, which manages his estate, still has the

original order form from Ottomar Domnick with the commission number 5001. The order was processed by the Volkswagen Hahn dealership as there was no sales distribution in Germany at that point. “Volkswagen” had been crossed out by hand and replaced with “Porsche-Sport” on the order form. To this day, Ottomar Domnick’s Porsche 356 represents the beginning of Porsche in Germany, and it also directly stands for the start of personal factory collections in Zuffenhausen.

DISCOVER MORE www.porsche.com

STUTTGART-ZUFFENHAUSEN

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SHANNON MCKEOGH

TRYING DESPERATELY

Let’s start at the beginning. I was born in Greenwich, a small town in London but always moved around from place to place and never set any firm roots. Moving from place to place every other year was difficult for me but also difficult for my family, especially my mother but she always found her feet and always made sure me and my sister were happy.

BEYOND TWO SOULS

PURGATORY

I have been to so many schools, I cant even remember how many but every one was a nightmare, quite literally as I was bullied in each and every one. Looking back on my childhood things weren’t easy, I suffered mass amounts of losses from 11 years old and these have gradually got worse over time, recently loosing other loved ones along the way. Looking back on my childhood started me on a journey of emotional thinking, so for a while I was trapped, alone and suffering with depression as well as anxiety but over the last few years I have been managing and adapting my mental health.

You always hear “there will be a light at the end of the tunnel” but for a while I thought it was hopeless to see any light because all I was seeing was a black mist following me around daily. Since studying photography I have found a way to express my emotions and how I feel, photography has become an escapism for my own mind. Photography has given me the opportunity to focus on making my photographs my own, where I have been able to develop a personal sense of style and understanding.

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I am inspired by horror films and books from some of the following: Stephen King, Alfred Hitchcock, Caroline Kepnes and The Grimm’s Brothers’ Fairy tales.

It might seem weird to be inspired by such things but I like the way they show something which some people can enjoy or not enjoy. but in this case it’s about how each writer shows the psychological state of a character. The stories are almost like a fairy tale, they give you an escape but they also give you a threatening presence, which can personally make you feel some sort of emotion towards a character when we shouldn’t.

For example, Caroline Kepnes’s book You, has been recently made into a Netflix series and everyone feels bad for the main character Joe, even though he is a psychopathic murder. Francesca Woodman and Cindy Sherman have also influenced many of my

photographs, as they use blur or different identities to mask themselves but they still express their thoughts and emotions through their work.

Over the past 2 years I have been focusing on a series of self-portraits, which are often accompanied by poems and a set of psychologically charged horror stills. When reflecting on these recent works I realise that my photography has developed into more of a fine art practice, often dealing with dark themes through a shadowy and natural colour palette. I always find my photographs to show the most uncomfortable emotions, which people don’t want others to see from thick black liquid dripping out of my mouth, drowning in black bath water or being covered in black hand prints. The black liquid symbolises depression, anxiety and

feeling trapped within your own state of mind. Blurred or double exposed photographs resemble feeling overwhelmed, isolated and anxious about something that has happened, will happened, or something you cannot do because these emotions are so over powering.

I am interested in exploring various psychological states and feelings of isolation. The 18th century theory of the 4 humours, generic horror, how the brain is affected by fear and the relationship between the colour black and melancholy and how these ideas and images filter down into popular culture, advertising and Netflix.

DISCOVER MORE www.byshannon.co.uk

UNTITLED FROM THE SERIES UNCOMFORTABLY NUMB

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MARY STEFANOU

MARY STEFANOU

Mary Stefanou was born in 1981, with English and Greek nationality.

Her interaction with different kinds of art forms started at a very early age. She has studied Tourism management, Culinary arts, Vocal training, Music harmony and Fine arts at the art school of Spanish artist Sandra Pons Carreras, along with seminars and workshops at Borgias college of fine art and design.

Stefanou has exhibited her works and presented art performances in a variety of galleries, cultural and art centers, festivals, art projects, video art and live music stages. She has been a finalist in International art competitions and she is in collaboration with galleries, art spaces, architectural and interior design studios in Greece and abroad. She is a co-founder at Domatio, an artist-led art space in Athens, Greece. Domatio creates exhibitions, events, projects aiming to bring artists together and to promote culture.In Florida, USA, she is represented exclusively by Design Art Concepts. Design Art

Concepts has gallery spaces in Miami, USA and in Spetses and Mykonos, Greece. It provides a modern, efficient platform whereby emerging and established

artists and designers can express and exhibit their work to a wide, qualified audience of galleries, collectors and institutions.

HEART CENTRE CORE

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“Painting…

My way of expressing myself and communicating. As I “play” with colours and experiment, genre, form and technique are constantly

transformed and ceaselessly reborn.

Now painting with my hands and my body, in direct contact with the colours and the canvas,

WHERE THE DARKNESS MEETS THE LIGHT

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I create my natural extensions.

To the sound of inspiring music and my inner voice, through the flow and improvisation, come the moments of creation. Moments of ecstasy and release.”

Through a life experience that brought me close to death and experiencing loss, I was able to realise how much I wanted to live.

Life for me is colours and movement. It’s about constantly evolving and seeking to better yourself. But at the same time feeling complete in what you are, what you have and being grateful for it. Being true to yourself and finding your unique way of sharing it with others. Finding your passion and expressing it. Appreciating the gift of life. Accepting and embracing the light and the darkness.

I am intrigued not only by the painting (artwork) as a whole but also by the tiny elements that compose a painting: those details of different particles that each have a story of their own to tell, but also interact and interplay with each other, themselves creating a painting within the painting. As I found myself enthralled by this microcosm, I decided to create

Limited edition prints of detailed shots of my artwork on small or large plexiglass.

My future goal is to plan a solo exhibition in London, as England is close to my heart.

DISCOVER MORE Instagram: @marystefanouart Facebook: @mary.stefanou.10

Painting brings me to my here and now. There is no yesterday there is no tomorrow. It’s just me and my canvas. In my truth, in my passion• ALIVE DETAILED SHOTS OF MY ARTWORK PRINTED ON PLEXIGLASS

GALACTIC SYMPHONY #3

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K11 MUSEA KATHARINA GROSSE’S ARTWORK: ‘KATHARINA GROSSE, UNTITLED, 2012 (COURTESY OF K11 MUSEA)

its position as the confluence of cultures, K11 MUSEA is committed to incubating the local cultural scene by allowing visitors access to world-class curation of year-round art and cultural programmes.

THE LANDSCAPE OF TSIM SHA TSUI AND THE HOLT’S WHARF (AS KNOWN AS BLUE FUNNEL) IN THE 1970S CAROL BOVE, MELTY LEGS, 2018

ABOUT K11 MUSEA Opened in autumn 2019, K11 MUSEA is the new cultural-retail destination located in the heart of the Victoria Dockside, a US$ 2.6 billion, 3 million-square-foot global art and design district in Hong Kong conceived and created by cultural entrepreneur Adrian Cheng in collaboration with 100 creative powers to reinvigorate Hong Kong’s iconic Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront.

The 10-year regeneration project includes K11 MUSEA, the sublime culture-retail global flagship of K11; K11 ATELIER, office buildings designed for the new culture of work-life integration; K11 ARTUS, a luxury serviced residence; and Rosewood Hong Kong, the ultra-luxury brand’s first Hong Kong property which is owned by the Cheng family’s New World Development.

100 CREATIVE POWERS K11 MUSEA offers a unique blend of cutting-edge design fused with a celebration of arts and culture to create a truly immersive experience fit for today’s rapidly evolving customers. The result of the combined talents of more than 100 acclaimed local and international artists, architects,

designers and environmentalists working in collaboration, K11 MUSEA is a one-of-a-kind space that fosters community and cross-cultural dialogue by bringing together creativity, culture and innovation in a kaleidoscope of inspiration.

HISTORY K11 MUSEA sits on the site formerly known as Holt’s Wharf, an important go-down in Tsim Sha Tsui that dates back to 1910. The historic logistics hub eventually made Hong Kong one of the busiest ports in the world. Paying tribute to its unique history and

ADRIAN CHENG – THE FOUNDER’S VISION Inspired by ‘A Muse by the Sea’, K11 MUSEA aspires to enrich the customers’ daily lives through the power of culture, creativity, social innovation and sustainability. The Founder’s vision is to constantly innovate and build the “Silicon Valley of Culture” in Greater China, injecting culture, art, architecture, design, nature and technology into different forms of commerce, forming a unique culture-commerce ecosystem that conserves traditional art and culture while incubating new ideas and innovation for tomorrow’s generation.

ADRIAN CHENG (FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, K11 CONCEPTS GROUP)

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HOT DOG BUS: ‘AUSTRIAN ARTIST ERWIN WURM’S HOT DOG BUS AT K11 MUSEA, HONG KONG’S SILICON VALLEY OF CULTURE (CREDIT K11 MUSEA)

K11 ARTUS Asia’s first luxury residences with an artisanal home concept that preserves and promotes ancient Chinese craftsmanship, with an aim to create a unique environment for cultural discovery and intellectual exchanges. With 287 suites spanning 14 stories featuring wraparound balconies, K11 ARTUS affords guests one of the world’s most coveted open-air views of the Hong Kong skyline.

Each suite reflects a unique style with handpicked artefacts from around the globe along with thoughtful amenities and service such as AMICI, an intuitive, digital concierge offering 24-hour assistance – a further testament to the “phygital world” Cheng is creating.

K11 MUSEA - OPERA THEATRE

K11 GROUP Founded in 2008, K11 is the world’s first original brand to pioneer revolutionary museum retail concept with a vision to reinvent the way in which we engage with art and commerce as a society. Through merging architecture, art, culture, fashion, design and innovation within K11 Art Malls, the brand has not only created a new platform in which Chinese millennials can discover the beauty of art and culture, be inspired and build their knowledge capital, but also become an immersive cultural hub that is ever evolving in its offering and execution with an aim to incubate and empower the next generation of creatives and talents across the globe.

In addition to its flagship K11 Art Malls and K11 MUSEA, K11 Group also operates K11 ATELIER, a network of office buildings for the next-generation workforce; K11 ARTUS, luxury residences for worldly travelers; K11 Kulture Academy, an open education platform; K11 Art Foundation,

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a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to fostering the development of the contemporary art scene in Greater China; and K11 Craft Guild Foundation, a nonprofit arts and cultural foundation that is dedicated to conserving and preserving Chinese traditional craftsmanship, etc.

By 2025, K11 Group will have 35 projects with gross floor area of 2,540,000 square meter across 10 cities in Greater China. K11 was honoured by Fast Company as one of the most innovative companies in 2019 for its disruptive retail model.

GUANGCAI VASE

K11 ARTUS - BEDROOM

GUANGCAI ROOSTER BOWL

K11 ARTUS - PANORAMA VIEW

K11 ATELIER BY HONG KONG VICTORIA HARBOUR

K11 ATELIER Immersive office spaces which infuse wellness and culture into daily working life, inspired by the ‘Creative City Concept’ which is committed to fostering creativity among its inhabitants. Integrating innovation, art and commerce, the K11 ATELIER office concept redefines the modern day work culture.

DISCOVER MORE www.k11musea.com

K11 ATELIER - LOBBY CONCIERGE

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MAYA BECK

Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Maya Beck, I was born in Hungary in 1975. I also spent the first 18 years of my life there until I came to Germany for love, where I’ve been living with my husband for 26 years.

In this day and age you can release yourself, live your dreams as you want! It’s never too late to start!

How would you describe your work to someone who sees it for the first time?

My work should show the joy of life and are full of love!

This is also the big theme of my pictures, which were all created from an idea in my head. They should simply create feelings of happiness in the viewer.

What materials do you use to create your art?

I draw digitally and mostly use my iPhone and my fingers. I rarely take my iPad on hand and currently I have discovered a small weakness for charcoal pencils and watercolour.

I saw a “line face” somewhere on a poster and thought “I can do that too”. I posted it on Instagram with relatively little response. For this reason, I opened an “art” page where I only presented my work.

The “Likes” and comments were positive from the first moment and it spurred me on to continue.

Why does drawing mean so much to you?

It’s like meditation for me! I can relax while drawing and put my thoughts and feelings on paper, or digitally paint on my iPhone.

I usually do it in the sunshine with loud music in the background.

What experience should the viewer have after viewing your work?

How did your place of birth influence your art?

Digitisation can also be art! Of course, everyone has to make their own decisions and think about which media is the most beautiful.

The audience should take the feelings and passion of what is in the picture with them! If the artist succeeds, he has created great things.

I think my place of birth can only influence my feelings, not my art.

“Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder!”

I feel free and there are various topics that concern me, e.g. living without prejudice, no matter what nationality, skin colour or sexuality, everyone is the same!

How has social media affected your way of working?

MAYA BECK

Do you feel more influenced when you were born in Hungary or now live in Germany?

Of course you feel more free in Germany!

I spent my childhood in the communist period and had to do without a lot, I was not allowed to say everything, otherwise you were rebuked. You couldn’t be exceptional.

2 GETHER

What style of work do you create?

I would call it ABSTRACT with a little craziness. What can be seen is that I now use more colours.

I cannot complain. I started my “Art” page on 3rd October 2019 and already had my first request from a digital gallery in Milan, Italy on 20th October 2019. Many thanks to M.A.D.S. Milano, “I’m glad I got to know you”!

I think that says a lot...

My pictures are recognisable and seem to be interesting for people.

Would you have interviewed me otherwise?

Who and what were your influences?

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GIL - LOVE IS FOR EVERYBODY

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GILMORE - LOVE IS FOR EVERYBODY

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What was your favourite piece and why?

I am interested in charity because you should also help with a small contribution to cancer research, starving people or disaster victims!

When I painted my picture “PINK RIBBON” (my favourite picture of what you liked and what was also exhibited in Milano), it was a statement for breast cancer aid! We should help because it concerns us all!

If you could talk to a previous or current artist, who would you choose and what would you ask him?

I would like to meet Frida Khalo and my question to her would be:

would however, accept negative criticism, but would not let myself be put off my path. This is my way and I only do what makes me happy.

them a part of me because they reflect me. My feelings and my passion are in it.

What inspires you besides art to create something?

I love a lot of things! I’m full of inspiration and creativity in my blood. As a florist I like to create beautiful things, I like to arrange food nicely (“after all, the eye eats”) to decorate the apartment again and again. I love nature, I like to take photos and come up with new recipes.

More at: @maya.vanbeek on Instagram.

“What did you feel where you painted about your illness? was it a mental liberation, a kind of therapy? They have revealed their life, their joy and their suffering.

My big respect for that!”

PRETTY SMILE

What has been your biggest success so far?

My two exhibitions in Milan: - POP ART AWARD 22 Nov 2019 – 6 Dec 2019 - PORTRAIT AWARD 24 Jan 2020 – 14 Feb 2020 That I can appear in the Artist Talk magazine and that I hear so many positive things about my pictures.

HEART LIPS

LOTUSGIRL

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What are your future projects?

If you could exhibit in a gallery, which would you choose?

The following exhibitions are planned:

Now I am overwhelmed. I have no expectations and will be surprised what comes. Social media is huge and it can be viewed as the largest gallery in the world.

- Abstractism Kandinskij Award 2020 in Milan 17 April 2020 - 30 April 2020

How do you deal with criticism of your work?

How do you feel after completing an artwork?

So far I have only read or heard positive things about my work, I

I am happy, proud and happy when a picture is finished. I consider

- AT the Art Fair Outdoor Exhibition Brooklyn New York 30 April 2020 - 3 May 2020 DISCOVER MORE Instagram: @mayavanbeek_art

@m_vanbeek_art

MELT TOGETHER

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CHOI WOO-YEUL

IN THE FOREST

In my work, there is a window frame that supports my family.

SPRING

In the work, the window is the boundary between the inside and the outside and is the link between communication. The window frame represents you and consists of many dots. It is made of small or large pieces of dark or light pieces and is small and weak. Family life is drawn on the window frame. The window frame made of thin and weak pieces is anxious to support the family’s daily life, but because of this, the wound heals and gives hope. The scenery outside the window formatively arranges the

part of nature that has become one body, with the nature or the memory that you meet in your daily life. Compared to the figures, the appearance of the huge window makes curiosity such as hope, dream and imagination overlap with unknown anxiety. The double space where everyday and non-daily life comes together, appears passively and many marks filling the margins create irregularities in various directions.

It plays a role of drawing light into the picture, fading and emitting light. The anxiety that I have and the comfort that comes from my family meet at the window frame, the boundary between my inner and outer environment.

The time accumulated in the empty space, not the main character drawn in the background, becomes the main character. Full of emptiness. Fill and empty.

HELLO COSMOS

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THE WIND RISES

LETTER

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CHILDREN

I have a clear memory when I was very young. There was a construction of a dam along a river that was flooded during the rainy season. In the fall of the next year, he took his father’s hand and climbed the river bank. It was my first picnic with my father. Cosmos seen from the river bank. Looking up, I could see the sky through the cosmos. Very tall cosmos stretch out to the bottom of the mountain at the end of the embankment. The largest cosmos in the world.

My father died. It was an accident.

I can’t forget the last back of my

father I saw before the accident.

That day my heart died too. The meaning of life disappeared and I couldn’t do anything. There is no longer a reason to paint. Over the long period of 15 years, I have become much less. It is the current family that made the meaning of life again there. I am very poor at communicating with the outside world. In the work, the window is the boundary between inside and outside and is a link between communication. The window frame, made of small debris, is rather kept away from the family’s daily routine. I am comforting, not

supporting my family.

Familiar loneliness. The outside world feels like a floating cloud.

Sometimes they come and pass by. I have a small relationship and I go away again. The relationship between myself and the outside world is ambiguous. I express the boundary metaphorically. I am curious about my tomorrow.

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CHRISTINA WALSH

“We have artists in our blood,” my mother would say. It inspired me to see my uncle’s works in oils.

His unique use of light and water fascinated me – how what looked to be blotches and lines up close would emulate a clear image when stepping back, like focusing a camera lens.

CHRISTINA WALSH

The challenge of writing about being an artist was colorfully expressed by Steve Martin: “Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.” You know you have important points, but the nuances and emotions of your expression are often not easily put into words. The effort to be understood is always the underlying struggle - to be seen.

Perhaps this is why I paint. As I have struggled to write about being an artist, we are experiencing day six of America at war with itself, during a global pandemic.

Normally, those would be strong words, except everyone on the globe is going through some form of this existential crisis. While that can make artistic creativity feel trivial, in fact it is most important during times of crisis.

Born in Hollywood, California in 1962 to Swedish immigrants, I received part of my education in Sweden and currently live with my family in Southern California.

My uncle was an emerging Stockholm artist who died young before I was born. Growing up surrounded by his paintings gave me a certain expectation about artistic expression. Later, I learned how freeing it was to be able to say anything, absolutely anything, through the expression of color, lines and shadow organized just so; the strange intimacy of developing a relationship with a beholder you might never meet.

My creative work remained a hobby until just a few years ago when I decided to invest in an art studio. My earlier work was in sports and nature photography and that continues to influence how I see the world and choose subjects.

My uncle’s works were primarily of Stockholm and nature-scapes, and while my work has evolved as much more abstract I continue to look to his images, brush work, and use of light. Even in a portrait, there is always something I want to add that was otherwise unseen.

My more abstract pieces, in many ways, allow for more escape into the piece, where simplicity can serve as an open canvas and the eye can travel either in the shadows or the light.

JOGGESÖ - UNTOLD WANT

Do we paint what we see? Or what we wish was there? I think it’s a little of both. The ability to fix the flaws that are in the way, and then leave behind other flaws as a proud display of being human, imperfect, real. We get to decide which is which.

I think some of the most meaningful expressions of creativity and brilliance is any form of art that allows the beholder to see or find personal meaning that

beholder can experience. When I look at art, I want to travel through it, immerse my mind in the ideas that come. Like an excavation, you don’t know what you will find, but you are hopeful, and while you might be searching for something ancient and valuable, you might find something entirely different, but equally meaningful.

LAGRIMAS POR TODOS (DETAIL)

My medium is mixed, but primarily acrylics and water-based pigments.

Everything about my life as an activist has been about nature and how it intersects with humanity.

Tonight, that feels bleak with humans tearing each other apart.

With paint, everything is fixable.

There is more paint, darker paint, a palette knife, and so many more tools to correct what doesn’t seem right. My styles vary from cubism (which might be more aspirational), abstraction and surrealism, which often include depictions of nature, large and small, and how these tiny universes that exist all around us are often where the beauty lies. My earlier portrait work was primarily equine, looking for the complicated spirit of the horse, one of humanity’s oldest partners.

Most of my human portraits have a dream aspect to them.

PAINTED PAINTED INDIGO

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My primary influences are the activism surrounding native studies of the American Indian as well as indigenous people everywhere, civil rights and the study of civilizations of past and present. Through environmental activism, I learned about ancient cultures we were trying to protect.

It awakened a search for universal truths. Looking at an ancient cave painting, there is still the truth of the comet they actually saw, or the line down the spine of the frog indicating the type of frog painted thousands of years ago, and trying to interpret the meaning of symbols that mix metaphors with the details of nature. Is color part of the message? Is it even a message? Are the colors chosen or simply the “paints” that they were able to make? Today, we order paint from our phones, and it is hard to imagine such dedication in the discovery of purples and who they were available to. Color always matters and changing the color temperature of a piece can completely alter the mood of it and who it will speak to.

In expressionism, there is always a message. Though sometimes as an artist, I don’t want to necessarily tell the secret, and instead allow it to be discovered, or not. I used to have an environmental activism museum, and many of my current works are painted over those exhibit canvases. Sometimes the message was not for the beholder, but rather for me. By painting over some of those pieces, it gave me the power to change, to evolve.

It is easy to remain stuck in old battles, even after a war is over. By sharing them in the language of art that is either perceived for that message, or maybe appreciated for something unintended that the beholder sees, it becomes shared art. The back side of my largest piece – the Peacock – was the top side of the conference table at my former museum and continues to have the details of nuclear waste

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LAGRIMAS POR TODOS (TEARS FOR ALL)

facts on the back. Perhaps my way of letting go or closing a chapter.

My most meaningful experience as an artist is when someone tells me something about my painting that I didn’t see when I painted it. Is that my creativity, however unconscious? Or is it that of the beholder like looking at an ink blot?

It forces me to interpret my own work. My goal in the canvases I create is that I want people to be able to travel through the details or find details that bring them joy or thoughtfulness or strength in some way. An abstract piece that brings a feeling to a room. My favorite

artists are cubists who have so many messages in their art, like a beautiful riddle where no one has heard the punchline yet.

The type of art I want to create is something that creates the space for self-interpretation. Even if it’s a public art piece on a utility box, or hanging on a wall inside an indoor space, many of the hidden messages in my work help me feel that connection to the piece wherever it goes, or whoever sees it. Hopefully the beholder can create their own special narrative that fits within their reflection of it, bringing a knowing smile or

While I use mostly traditional brush and paint, I often use additional tools like a palette knife to add texture, layers, and depth that reflects the organized chaos of real life, with an added mystical element if it feels right. I also blend imagery from memory and photographs, as well as sitting live models—not so much for the actual portrait, but more the fascination of the held expression and intent. Paint is so forgiving, where the extra details of life that get in the way can be removed, or featured in a way that brings the subject to a place of feeling more alive. Painting waves and water is a wonderful way to appreciate the idea of imagery of the movement, instead of that of the water. [Wave at Sunset]

PETROGLYPH SCHISM

transporting you to a special place in your mind.

Some of my favorite places to take the wonderful contemporary art of today is in the tunnels of Congress where the art work of the current graduating class is on display each year. I find it very reassuring to see such creative expression, especially in such an uncertain time.

Describing my work to someone seeing it for the first time: My work, whether a portrait, landscape, or completely abstract, is filled with hidden secrets. Some are known to me and some are not. I use primarily acrylic media but often add other media for depth and texture. If I am successful, your eye will travel around the piece, considering various elements, drawing you back to the full picture over and over and hope it will connect to images in your own mind from the context that is conjured.

I think my favourite piece so far is Jimi Hendrix at the Sunset Marquis, which is a place that is the heart and soul of rock and roll.

I was mesmerized by the feeling of music that was everywhere, and thought it captured the essence of Jimi Hendrix. It is also very large at 200cm x 91cm. The added other worldly elements are all part of the mix between life and art, real versus surreal.

Many of my portraits are that of horses that I know, where I try to provide a uniqueness that only the owner of that horse will likely see and appreciate. If I can provide those hidden gems, only noticed sometimes and bringing a knowing smile – I know I have achieved something special and lasting.

Some of my seascapes are a mix of a variety of real places, either photographed or from memory, with added vision of what might be or have been. MiChumash is one example of a place on Santa Cruz Island that no longer exists, mixed with places real and imagined.

Much like how our dreams encompass a mix of that which is or was real, and the aspirational places in our minds.

I hope that the primary emotions evoked by my work are that of hope and resilience and the magic of nature in all its forms. Adding imaginary or far away planetary systems to some of my work, along with “Little Bear” which is a place in the cosmos that is described the same way by so many cultures, hopefully offers a reassurance of the larger picture of which we are all pieces.

JIMI’S MARQUIS EXPERIENCE

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artists, and countless painters and sculptors who added hidden gems throughout.

ARTERIALS

Some of my favourite contemporary artists that are strong influences include digital artists like Alice from London as well as Crime Wave where all of his pieces fit into a larger piece. I am inspired by people who find ways to mix the reality of art that is painted on a canvas, with the digital magic where all the remaining rules of reality can be broken or enhanced for another perspective.

Artists that work using glass as their canvas, so the moving reality surrounding the piece becomes part of the piece making it literally different to each beholder at any given moment, and yet it is not fleeting. I am so grateful in a strange way, to live in a time where I can digitally travel to galleries all over the world to see this are as it unfolds, especially while we are sheltering in place and feeling so isolated.

Strangely, the feeling of isolation is universal and a shared experience across the globe right now. While many of my inspirations come from the blue marble universally shared concept of suddenly seeing a new level of beauty in our own earth, in ourselves, that we come to appreciate it, and each other a little more. One of the most influential places of art and artists

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for me is the Library of Congress, where every square inch is designed to express something to the beholder about the importance of universal truths, creativity, and the freedom which each of the artists involved in the endeavor were given to create meaning through artistic expression all done by master artists, committees of

I find that my inspiration creating new pieces sometimes demands working on several pieces in a single day, often leading me to paint over something I am less fond of if I am short on canvasses. This has been an important tool of my off-site studio, to keep me from destroying previous works because I “have to paint.� Other times, I start without a plan and begin with traveling through colours I have chosen, most often in blues and greens which I think I find most comforting because they align most closely with the natural world and that of the element of water, which is often featured in some way, even in my abstract pieces.

In my heart pieces I enjoyed developing colors mixing textures and patterns that help to organize the chaos. Chaos feels normal.

Outside of art, my work as a writer is about branding and communication. This may help

DISSOCIATION

drive my art to eclectic styles and themes, as I try to keep separate those modes of creativity and thought. Right now, I want to paint a cubist piece, but my mind is drifting to abstract colors and less symbolism that drives me to create the multiple faces. Sometimes more abstract feelings like the movement of smoke as it hangs in the air, so I try to give in, and paint differently, until the piece I am dreaming about, arrives in my mind and the smoke clears.

Through environmental and civil rights activism, where I spend a lot of my time, I often find ideas and imagery to inspire a new piece that may begin in one place, and the message emerges much later.

Perhaps the truth lies all too often in knowing when to stop and let the picture speak for itself.

Social media has been such an important tool to find inspiration through seeing the never ending expression of art that comes every day. But it also makes it hard to

MOTHER NATURE SPEAKS

stand out beyond the noise of so many voices. At the start of the pandemic, I stopped painting and started sewing masks and led me to new ideas and patterns of colours that I had never considered before. At the end of the day, I am

grateful to be part of the noise and have started painting again. My hope is that those influences will add to my expression.

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1000 EYES OF THE PEACOCK

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