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for the love of Art

ve of Art for the love of Art for the love of Art for the love of Art for the love of Art for the love of Art for the love of Art for the love

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Canvas Painting Art Watercolours Oil on Canvas Acrylic Mixed Medium Charcoals Conte Pencils rendering Oil Pastels Acrylic on Boards Bronze Casting Clay Marble Bust Canvas Painting Art Watercolours Oil on Canvas Acrylic Mixed Medium Charcoals Conte Pencils rendering Oil Pastels Acrylic on Boards Bronze Casting Clay Marble Bust Canvas Painting Art Watercolours Oil on Canvas Acrylic Mixed Medium Charcoals Conte Pencils rendering Oil Pastels Acrylic on Boards

ART BOOK ISSUE 2

art freaksglobal

conceived by

Shajee Mathew editor

Anjum Siddiqui associate Writers

Anjum Siddiqui Neena Singh Shireen Kamboj Harveen Mann

design and text by

Simplyblack Design Copyright Š 2020 Art Freaks Global Inc., Mississauga, ON, L5B 4B1 All right reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-9990928-2-5 Printed and bound in India by United Offset

Art Freaks Global Inc.

#1804 - 135 Hillcrest Avenue, Mississauga, ON, CANADA L5B 4B1

w w w.artf reaksglobal.com

AFG

ART BOOK 2

Art Freaks Global Inc.

Contents

AFG ARTBOOK 2

INTRODUCTION 9

Preface

About Art Freaks Global

ARTISTS PROFILES A

Bob Ivens

40

Dario Guion

68

Britt Berg

44

David John Hilditch

72

Burghita Oberholzer

46

Debora Levy

74

Dev Brat Mahanta

76

Diana Paredes

78

Dipayan Ghosh

80

Aasmita Patil

12

Adri Barnard

14

Adris Frety

16

Alena Wils

18

C

Alka C Harpalani

20

Cæcilie Kaas Jørgensen

48

Angela Millar

24

50

Anjum Siddiqui

26

Carlos Arahna

28

52

Aranka Székely

Chang Kai-Yung

E

Arvo Aun

30

Chang Kuoerh

54

Esa Victorios

84

Avani Shah

32

Christopher Gunkel

56

Evelyn Ocón Cao

86

Christopher Pollari

58

Ewa Helzen

88

Claudia Araceli

62

F

B Bea Danckaert

34

D

Beata Pflanz

36

Damyanti Sharma

64

Bernd Hau

38

Daniela Dimoska

66

Fatna Chanane

90

Ferdinando Todisco

92 5

AFG Art Book volume1 - 2019

Kevin Mcoy Jackson

128

Khassal Zohra

132

Krupa Shah

134

Krupa Wojciech

138

L G

Ishita Choudhury

Gaurangi Mehta Shah

94

GF- Lin

96

Gisela Kentmann

98

H

J

110

Jadranka Šarić

112

James Hall Jr.

114

Jean Venet Senatus

116

John Bacon

118

Lalita Sharma

140

Langer Reiner

142

Leonor Trinidade Sousa

146

Lina Forsdahl

148

Linda Abrahamsson

150

Lucia Baltazar Borges

152

Hans Doller

100

Joyce C Mayer

120

M

Hiral Artist

102

Jung-Chih Chang

122

Mahmoud Alkaaki

156

Manuela Barbosa

158

Marcello La Neve

160

I Ida bagus Alit

104

Ignacio de Mattos

106

Ilona Jetmar

108

AFG

ART BOOK 2

K Karen Brockbank

124

Mária Csajághy

162

Katerina Kaloumenou

126

Maria Andersson

164

Marija Hećimović

166

Marleen Stegeman

170

Ramesh C Sharma

210

Meenakshi Wadhwa

172

Reena Chaudhary

212

Minaaz P Khera

174

Richard P. Buxani

214

Roger Perrier

216

Rose Abordo OHara

218

Rukshana Hooda

220

Rupal Buch

222

N

T Tasse Geldart

252

Teresa Wiggins

254

U

Nabin Das

176

Naeem Sachedina

178

Neena Singh

182

Néma Noaly Onésime

186

S

Nenita Zohren

188

Sahla Tello Kaziha

224

Władysława M Fedasz

260

Satyajit Shergill

228

Wu Peng Huang

264

Y

P

192

Shailly Lall

232

Paul Henderson

194

Shakun Harris

234

Prakash Ambegaonkar

198

Shampa Sircar Das

236

Priyanka Parhi

202

Shao Wen-Feng

238

Sofia Murvanidze

240

Spiros Gelekas

242

Stephen Watkins

246

Susan Cantor-Uccelletti

248

Sylvie Amesse

250

Qureysh Basrai

204

R Rachana Karia

206

256

W

Patricia Spoon

Q

Uta Gramke-Hansmann

Yadira Soto

268

Yvonne Goldstone

270

8

INTRODUCTION Good art does not need interpretation. it only needs representation. seeing some fabulous artworks done

being simple, lucid and coherent. And

After the success of our AFG Art Book

by our artists.

the text, though brief and concise,

Volume 1, we bring to you this Volume

AFG Art Book Volume 2 is as varied

conveys each artist’s vision, while

2. A colorful book featuring ….. artists

and colorful as its predecessor. Each

from the world over and more than

artist is like a unique flower, carefully

2,000+ color plates of their paintings

chosen and lovingly strung together in

into their creative heads.

and artworks.

this garland in form of a book; where

Although it may not be so important

Art Freaks Global is an online Art

each bring with it their own fragrance

for us to understand the exact nature

Gallery, showcasing works of artists

with an aplomb!

of working of their inner minds, it is,

from all over the world. ‘For the love

Putting together an Art Book of this

however, important to understand

of art’ being its driving ideology, it is

stature was not an easy task! Taking

aimed at creating a platform for a free-

the obvious cultural and geographical

flowing creative exchange between

barriers into account, the language

the artists and his audience. Here

was another spiky barrier to overcome.

gallery owners and art buyers can get

Online translation apps came to the

in touch with the artists directly and

rescue! We were able to communicate

mesmerizing art for us to view.

commission works. It is a buzzing

the details of the project to the artists

This Second Edition of AFG Art

hangout for artists to connect with

and get them to submit their works.

Book is a labor of love. Our in-house

other fellow artists around the world,

Handling the more complex challenge

designer and writer burnt a lot of

PREFACE

exchange ideas and collaborate on projects.

of giving it a structure and putting it in the form of a book, was carried out

We have managed to create a truly

by our in-house designer and writers.

Global Art Community. This AFG Art

This was essential to make sure that

Book, a testament to this endeavor,

critiques should have the one voice

was an idea that came about after

and tone. The language was aimed at

giving enough of their backstory to understand their work. Like a window

what shapes an artist’s oeuvre.

Understand their angst, passions, and most importantly, be in-the-know of their life’s journey which reached them here to create this wonderful and

midnight oil and in the process almost burnt themselves out to bring you this issue. We hope you enjoy leafing through this book and connect with artists via emails provided in the Special Index at the end of the book.

For any comments, inquiries, appreciation or just light banter write to us: editorials@artfreaksglobal.com 9

AFG Art Book volume1 - 2019

Artists

“Art is not, as the metaphysicians say, the manifestation of some mysterious idea of beauty or God; it is not, as the aesthetical physiologists say, a game in which man lets off his excess of stored-up energy; it is not the expression of man’s emotions by external signs; it is not the production of pleasing objects; and, above all, it is not pleasure; but it is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life and progress toward well-being of individuals and of humanity.”

- Leo Tolstoy, in his essay ‘What Is Art?’

India

Aasmita Patil “Painting to me is like my inner emotions outpouring on the canvas.”

Indian artist Aasmita Patil is a BSc graduate and also a Post-Graduate in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management. She did not have formal training in art, but creativity was always deep in her and poured from her one day, starting with pencil sketching. And after discovering the joy of working in oils and acrylics, there was no looking back for this prolific artist! She has since participated in several shows and received tremendous response from these exhibitions which has solidified her faith in her inner calling. “Life is very beautiful and when it comes on canvas, where it becomes more real,” she says.

Her art style is very kitsch, and also does abstracts when

THIS PAGE: KAMDHENU - acrylic on canvas - 36 x 24 in OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: KAMDHENU - acrylic on canvas - 36 x 24 in

in the mood. “When I am painting, it is like my emotions

BLUE - acrylic on canvas - 24 x 24 in

are flowing in this river of imaginations, waiting to come

MELODY - acrylic on canvas - 24 x 24 in

out,” she says with a dreamy look. “Bringing with it a wave

AMARSPARSH - acrylic on canvas - 24 x 20 in KAMDHENU - acrylic on canvas - 30x 24 in MELODY - acrylic on canvas - 24x 24 in

of positivity that creates a dam of energy around me.”

Her muse if a cow, is Kamdhenu, the celestial cow in Hindu mythology, the giver of all wishes, and is also mentioned in the Vedas. Mother Earth is represented as the goddess Kamadhenu. Aasmita canvases, although, strikingly bold in her use of primary colors masterfully brushed on the canvas, have a dreamlike quality to them.

A vein of reverence runs through all her works, as she creates these vivid montages as a homage to the divinity of the cow form. In some ways, it is creating hope to fulfil all that the human heart could possibly want.

12

Aasmita canvases, although, strikingly bold in her use of primary colors masterfully brushed on the canvas, have a dreamlike quality to them.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

South Africa

Adri Barnard “I want to share my love for art and my artwork with people with the same passion for art. I am still chasing my dream and passion for my art.”

South African artist Adri Barnard was born in Western Cape, South Africa. She did not get a formal art training but It was her love to paint that made her pursue her dream and which has made her a full-time artist for more than two decades.

Adri paints what she feels and puts a part of her soul in every painting. Being completely self-tutored in painting technique and medium, her works do not follow any form of dogma belief. She is a true artist at heart. “There is no story or deeply-layered meaning behind my paintings.

My passion for art is my inspiration”, says Adri, with a twinkle in her eye. She paints because it gives her joy and hopes to evoke the same pleasurable sensations in the viewer. That is all the inspiration she needs!

Her works are beautifully and richly executed. Most of her paintings are done on canvas board and in oil paint.

She has done a whole lot of seascapes, landscapes, and recently, some street scenes, but her first choice

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: COMPLEX LEBĂDĂ PANTELIMON - oil on canvas - 55 x 65 cm AUTOPORTRET - oil on cardboard - 55 x 70 cm BISERICA SF.MERCURIE - oil on canvas - 40 x 49 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE: COMPLEX LEBĂDĂ PANTELIMON - oil on canvas - 70 x 50 cm METEORA - oil on canvas - 80 x 60 cm

has always remained still-life. Beautiful fresh bouquet of flowers with drapery, shiny vases with exotic flowers set against old books and artefacts on a table, bowls of fruits and conch and seashells are some of her favourite and preferred subject.

14

Adri paints what she feels and puts a part of her soul in every painting.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Australia

Adris Frety “A canvas gives me the true freedom to express my creative ideas and experiences into the language of painting.”

Australian visual artist Adris Frety, an alumnus of the University of Sydney and also a founder member of CASS Australian Academic Society, is currently a Managing Director of a Company.

Music and essence of a woman are his two current muses. “A woman is the ultimate representation of strength and mercy,” says Adris. “Her empathy makes the earth sweeter and her resilience is like music reverberating through time; that which is

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE: YOU SAID - acrylic on canvas - 45 x 45 cm

not heard but is felt. In these paintings, I have tried to capture

OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

the essence of all these elements.” This woman protagonist is

THE SILENT TUNE - acrylic on canvas - 166 x 120 cm BEHIND MY MIND - acrylic on paper - 45 x 45 cm

seen creating music; and as she does, she takes her audience

BONDI BEACH - acrylic on canvas - 90 x 70 cm

on a journey to through multiple dimensions. Here, the music

CORAL IGNITION 1 - Ink in Paper - 20 x 20 cm

COOGEE BEACH - acrylic on canvas - 90 x 70 cm

is a metaphor of the true spirit of a woman, reaching out, spreading love, happiness and boundless compassion and he expresses this through the colour and painted strokes.

A canvas gives Adris the only true and authentic freedom to express himself - the key to deciphering his most creative ideas, experiences, feelings and moments as they get translated into the language of painting. Mainly an abstract painter, he experiments with many techniques, using various mediums such as pastels, watercolours, acrylics and oils. He is inspired by his Babylonian heritage, with its mythological stories and legends that influence his art with rich symbolism. His main inspiration though comes from Mother Nature in Australia, where he currently lives.

16

Adris is inspired by his Babylonian heritage, with its mythological stories and legends that influence his art with rich symbolism. Music and the essence of a woman are his two current muses

17

AFG Art Book volume 2

Denmark

Alena Wils “The colors of nature, the patterns of nature, the music of nature are my inspiration” Alena Wils is a trained visual and ceramist artist.

She is also a danish writer and illustrator of the

book Nøglen til hjertet and illustrator of the book Sofus fra Bornholm.

She went to the Arts college in her hometown Irkutsk, Siberia and then to the Academy of Arts and Crafts in Saint Petersburg, Russia In 2008, she went to Del Danske Kunstakaderni

schools for Architecture, Design and Conservation, Copenhagen, Denmark as an exchange student.

And trained as a potter and ceramic artist at the Danish Design School Bornholm, Nekso.

“I am a colorist - all my art is about colors”, she says. Watercolors being her preferred medium of choice, she also loves the process of ceramics, especially enjoys working with the various glazes.

Portraits and landscapes form a big part of her oeuvre. Her paintings at times are created as a

spontaneous response to a beautiful colored radiant sky or, a shimmering its reflections in the water. Like a magician, she conjures the visual interplay of the atmosphere in her paintings. The dull greys can turn into something spectacular when they manifest in her artwork.

18

Portraits and landscapes form a big part of her oeuvre. Her paintings at times are created as a spontaneous response to a beautiful colored radiant sky or, a shimmering its reflections in the water.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP: BALTIK SEA - watercolor - 21 x 29.7 cm SELF PORTRAIT - watercolor - 59.4 - 84 cm COPENHAGEN - watercolor - 29.7 x 42 cm DREAMLAND - watercolor - 42 x 59.4 cm OPPOSITE PAGE: ROCK PRINCESS - watercolor - 59.4 x 84 cm

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AFG Art Book volume 2

India

Alka Chadha Harpalani “As my feeling, form and technique are in a constant flux, my painting continues to change and grow at every step” Alks Chadha Harpalani was born and raised in Punjab, India.

She got her education from Chandigarh, and then later in the holy city of Varanasi. Alka is currently settled in Bangalore, Exposure to contrasting cultures and myriad aspects of Hindu religion in Varanasi, added a positive charm to her

personality - a perfect blend of conventions and modernism.

This condensed sensations started getting imprinted in her paintings and became an intense concoction of words and images. One can see the extracts from culture, poetry and

even prints of religious books. A simple thing like a flower, a platform ticket, an envelope, boats on the banks of the Ganges, birds or even the art on a calendar can inspire her.

There is a sensitive orchestration of simple forms from reality to recreate a new altered reality. Like a master magician, she takes different mediums and merges it together in her ‘painted installations’, that create an open dialogue with the viewer.

Her art is an amalgamation of images and calligraphy - like a

pictorial diary, where each page reflects a thought, stimulating the viewer’s imagination a little further. She says, “In my art, one can see intensification, clarification and interpretation of experiences in various degrees. My brushwork is a declaration of my personal freedom where mixed media creates a visual variety. it’s a perfect correspondence between feeling, form and technique, where my painting changes and grows with every stroke of my brush.”

20

THIS PAGE: TREASURED MEMORIES - mixed media - 6 x 8 in - 6 x 6 in OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: YOU & ME - UNFINISHED STORY NOSTALGIA - 33 x 42 cm KNITTED TOGETHER - mixed media - 24 x 24 in YOU & ME - 133 x 20 cm

As Alka began to write poetry her paintings became this intense concoction of words and images.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PRECIOUS KEEPSAKES - mixed media - 22 x 22 in | 10 in (hut) TOGETHERNESS - mixed media - canvas, wood, fibre - 17 x 34 in YOU & ME - 133 x 20 cm YOU & ME - 133 x 42 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE: TRAVEL DECOUPAGE - mixed media - 8 x 10 in | 6 x 6 in | 10 in hut

Alka’s art is an amalgamation of images and calligraphy like a pictorial diary, where each page reflects a thought, stimulating the viewer’s imagination a little further.

22

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Australia

Angela Millar “My art finds its inspiration in nature, spirituality, and mythology.”

Angela Millar is an Australian, self-taught, and highly intuitive artist. Her art is diverse, reflecting nature, spirituality, and mythology. And it has been globally received, to around 17 countries around the world as she participated in several art festivals, an accomplishment that she had never imagined possible and is so humbled by it. A published artist, Angela’s Buddha series painting has also graced the cover of an inspirational book.

When inspired, Angela steps out of her comfort zone, throwing open the doors of creativity, and its these such moments that keep her grounded in the present without much worrisome contemplation of the final outcome of her painting. Her artwork have a set idea or a creative chaotic process, which is intuitive, free, joyful, and playful, depending upon the type of artwork to be created. She enjoys letting the colors flow freely, and create something truly organic and unique.

Angela’s artwork is not bound by any specific style or color scheme. It aims to nourish the viewer’s spirit, giving him renewed sense of well-being and peace. Her inspirations source is multifaceted, and her the painting series eclectic. Like Angels, Buddha, Phoenix, Ganesh, Women warriors, The Hamsa, to name a few. She fills the canvas layer by layer, adopting bold, vibrant hues, alluring textures, and conceding the painting to evolve naturally. She incorporates the use of epoxy resin in her artwork, and more recently, she breathed life to pages of old books by repurposing them into stunning collages.

24

Angela’s artwork is not bound by any specific style or color scheme.

It aims to nourish the viewer’s spirit, giving him renewed sense of wellbeing and peace.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ANGEL - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm AN INNER JOURNEY - paper, acrylic, gold leaf, epoxy resin - 40 x 50 cm PHEONIX - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 30 cm NEW BEGINNINGS - mixed media on wood - 40 x 50 cm OM GANESH - acrylic on canvas - 25 x 25 cm OPPOSITE PAGE: WHIMSY - acrylic on canvas - 23 x 30 cm

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Canada

Anjum Siddiqui “Symbolism is what my work strives towards, where a single leaf could convey the whole nature in its totality.””

Anjum Siddiqui, is an artist originally from India, but now works and lives in Toronto, Canada. After finishing her school from The Lawrence School, Sanawar, she went on to study at the College of Art – a leading Art School in New Delhi, India, from where she graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Applied Arts. Although she has been working as a graphic designer and a visualizer, she always had a passion and keen eye for the fine arts and has continued to paint in various mediums.

Anjum had the rare opportunity of working with and learning from the late M F Husain, who was one of India’s leading contemporary artists and was dubbed as ‘Picasso of India’ by the Time magazine. Husain was Anjum’s mentor and guru since the tender age of 10 and from him she has learnt the usage of color, form, balance, and painting techniques. She has the privilege of being his only pupil.

Anjum’s ‘Earth Series’, is about global warming and its effects, where she draws comparisons between a modern times delugelike scenario predicted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), with its findings and projections, and the several mentions of the Great Flood in the ancient scriptures.

Her ‘Tea Series’ explores the strong tea culture of her roots with unabashed joy and bonhomie. Being a tea lover, she decided to integrate its mystique into her art. “This is my ‘Ode to Tea’”, says the artist. Her large canvases, watercolors, and drawings are compelling and present well researched concepts about tea

26

Anjum had the rare opportunity of working with and learning from the late M F Husain, who was one of India’s leading contemporary artists and was dubbed as ‘Picasso of India’ by the Time magazine.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: WAH USTAD! - oil on canvas - 110 x 96 cm TEA READINGS - oil sticks and pen ink on paper - 23 x 30 cm TEA READINGS - oil sticks and pen ink on paper - 23 x 30 cm TEA READINGS - oil sticks and pen ink on paper - 30 x 23 cm OPPOSITE PAGE: THE NARCISSIST TEA 1 and 2 - oil on canvas - 81 x 96 cm

27

AFG Art Book volume 2

in the socio-cultural fabric of South Asia and how it has influenced many other cultures.

Anjum works in acrylic, watercolour, conté and charcoal.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT:

She also paints with silk acid dyes on 100% silk cloth

TEMPERATURE ANOMALY 2 - color pencils and pen ink on paper - 50 x 65 cm

panels and has had several Group and Solo Shows.

28

TEMPERATURE ANOMALY 1 - color pencils and pen ink on paper - 50 x 65 cm 2035 - acrylic on canvas - 76 x 114 cm

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: ESSENCE OF A WOMAN - acrylic on canvas - 76 x 114 cm STOREHOUSES 1 & 2 - acrylic on canvas - 61 x 91 cm CHAI GARAM (HOT TEA) - oil sticks on paper - 65 x 50 cm LU CHAI (GREEN TEA) - oil sticks on paper - 65 x 50 cm

Anjum works in acrylic, watercolour, conté and charcoal. She also paints with silk acid dyes on 100% silk cloth panels.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Hungary

Aranka Székely “It gives me great joy to be able to express my feelings on a canvas.”

Dr Aranka Székely was born in Unirea, Transylvania (Romania).

Having graduated from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, she relocated to Hungary. A doctor by profession she is an artist by her passion and creative mind. She currently runs her private medical practice in Alsózsolca and Miskolc, Hungary.

Aranka had a very inquisitive, imaginative and innovative mind as a child. She experimented with a number of creative craft techniques and after trying her hand in many such creative pursuits, she came across an online tutorial teaching painting, which kindled her interest in fine arts. And after having a few art exhibitions painting become her life. It gives her unfathomable joy and relieves the every-day stresses.

Her works do not follow any particular genre nor can be slotted into any isms. She tried her hand in different styles of painting, from realistic to abstract. “I enjoy working with colours. It gives me great joy and to be able to express my feelings on a canvas”, says Aranka. Its the sheer joy of working towards creating an art piece that is rejuvenating and gratification enough for her.

Aranka’s colour palette is very vivid and at the same time, very feminine. Her paintings carry in them the imagery of spring, blossoms and everything happy! She is able to infuse these scenes of nature and foliage with tantalising narrative detail, making everything that is ordinary and commonplace come alive like a lyrical poem. Dry pastels, oil pastels, acrylic and watercolours are some of the mediums she takes delight in working with.

30

She experimented with a number of creative craft techniques and after trying her hand in many such creative pursuits, she came across an online tutorial teaching painting, which kindled her interest in fine arts.

OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: FLOWER-COMPOSITION - :acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm WOMEN’S AGES - mixed (acrylic and pastel) - 50 x 60 cm THIS PAGE- CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: SOLITUDE - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm FRAGRANCE OF THE SPRING - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm ROSES-WALTZ - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 40 cm

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Estonia

Arvo Aun “If you copy other artists, then you are no one in art. You have to find your way” Arvo Aun is an Estonian artist who had no plans to become an artist. He graduated from the University of Tartu, the national university of Estonia, with a degree in mathematics! It was after the age of 40, he got his calling as an artist.

A self-taught artist, Arvo when he started out to, he was imitating the style of other artists. Copying other the master’s works. Until he met Renaldo Veeber, a well-known Estonian sculptor and graphic artist Arvo took under his tutelage and it was he who was instrumental in Arvo finding his own style. “If you copy other artists, then you are no one in art. You have to find your way”, says Arvo.

Arvo Aun (pseudonym el Esto) started naming his works ‘cosmic bag’, which is characterized by a dark background to achieve image depth. And then later Stochastic, which

CHRISTMAS NIGHT 2005 - mixed medium - 56 x 86 cm GALAXIES WAR 2017 - mixed medium - 160 x 240 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP RIGHT:

refers to the randomly a random probability distribution

COLOR GEOMETRY 2007- mixed medium - 210 x 600 cm

process he adopts while creating his artwork.

EXPECTATION 2019 - mixed medium - 100 x 100 cm

As his audience accepted this authentic style, Arvo got deeper into it. He found the term Tachism and added the word Cosmic to it. His paintings are an exploration of space. They take you into a dark void and then take you on a tizzy trip with the million speckled stars splattered all over his canvas. Each canvas is a different trip, a different galaxy. This Cosmic Tachism works!

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THIS PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM:

MANHATTAN 2017- mixed medium - 120 x 180 cm

Arvo’s paintings are an exploration of space. They take you into a dark void and then take you on a tizzy trip with the million speckled stars splattered all over his canvas.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

India

Avani Shah

“I am inspired by Indian culture and it’s spirituality, my paintings depict the journey of a seeker of truth”

Avani Shah is an artist and a Spiritualist from the city of Vadodra, Gujrat, India. Her artistic journey began very early in her life. Her most coveted birthday gift as a 7year old was a color box and set of brushes! It was a natural progression that she takes an Arts program at the University. And not just any University, she is Bachelor of Fine Arts from the prestigious M. S. University, Vadodara.

Her works stem from an intense spiritual premise. Avani believes that a strong force is what that keeps us together.

And every experience of her life, in every situation, every time, she has experienced the cool shadow of ultimate bliss - the Divinity. And it features in most of her works.

Her paintings explore the force that resides in her. An inner reflection of her experience in the deep silence of meditation, which moves her like nothing else. As seen in the painting ‘Wings to Freedom’, where a blue angel seems to be in a trance. “I am inspired by Indian culture and it’s spirituality, my paintings depict the journey of a seeker of truth”, she says. Her paintings burst forth in bold sweeps of intense colours which demonstrate a wide range of emotions. The vibrations of reverberating ‘aum’

WINGS TO FREEDOM - oil on canvas - 72 x 96 in

resonate from a burst of deep ochre sunshine.

THE INDIVISIBLE - oil on canvas - 36 x 24 in

Avani has had many solo and groups shows. She has

OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

received a grant at National Level and also an

FLYING BACK TO ETERNAL ABODE - bronze sculpture - 36 x 24 in

International Grant for a solo show in New York.

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THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

LAHRI MAHASAYA- oil on canvas - 72 x 96 in FLYING BACK TO ETERNAL ABODE - bronze sculpture - 36 x 24 in OM - oil on canvas - 72 x 96 in WINGS TO FREEDOM - oil on canvas - 72 x 96 in

Avani’s paintings explore the force that resides in her. An inner reflection of her experience in the deep silence of meditation, which moves her like nothing else.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Belgium

Bea Danckaert “Spontaneity inspires me. It is through the emotion of the moment, I create, through my love for God, man and life.”

Bea Danckaert, an experienced meister-pinter was born and raised in Leuven, Belgium. She studied painting at the Art Academy Lei in her hometown and then under the veteran artist, Joost Laroy and then continued her apprenticeship under master painters Paul Marien, Frank De Wael, and Hilde Overberg.

Curiously, Bea started out as a figurative artist, and did many portraits and landscapes in Fauvist colors and brushwork. Later in Brussels, under the guidance of Charlotte Vindevoghel, her work evolved and became more non-figural and eventually found her niche in abstraction. A style through which she is fully able to express her emotions, in technicolor, on her canvas in a fervent brushwork!

She prefers working with acrylics on canvas, her art features a unique ‘color and light’ interplay, and it springs forth from emotion straight from her heart and her love for God, her fellow men, and for life itself. In her new paintings, Bea uses the acrylic pouring technique, where liquefied paint is poured into each other on the canvas and the paint is distributed on the entire surface by tilting the painting surface.

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Bea prefers working with acrylics on canvas, her art features a unique ‘color and light’ interplay, and it springs forth from emotion straight from her heart.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Poland

Beata Pflanz “My work is about time - its duration, its continuity, and our determinant of it.”

Beata Pflanz is a Polish multifaceted installation artist, poet, and painter. The world around her inspires her and comprises of techniques and subjects, with which she creates an organic reality based upon memory and the inner life. She graduated from the Painting Faculty at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan.

Beata is always on the lookout for fresh stimuli to revitalize her creative urge, and so is continously experimenting. The artist in her open to various forms of art- from traditional canvas painting to video art. She is adept in oil painting, drawing, and

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400METERS/SQ-PAINTING ON THE BUILDING (A SMALL PART)

graphics. She simplifies the shap e and deliberately avoids

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figures and while uses color to achieve her contemplation.

CYCLE THE SIXTH DIMENSION - COSMOS #1- oils on linen canvas - 185 x 100 cm

Some of her works are atmospheric with diffused hues; others are semi-cubist, while in some paintings the forms are

ARTEIDY’S - oils on linen canvas - 135 x 125 cm

ED COLLISION - mixed media techiique on canvas - 150 x 110 cm

COSMIC’S ENERGY, SILVER BLUE - mixed media techiique on canvas - 100 x 100 cm

galvanized into a cohesive whole with the bold black strokes.

Beata is intrigued by cosmos and the concept of time and space. She says, “I feel that I have experienced other worlds, but is this just my experience, or do others feel the same way?” A highly sensitive artist, in her attempt to portray different dimensions in in paintings, she wonders if will others see and feel the work as she does.

This innovative and dynamic artist currently lives inside her own painting after transforming the 400m2walls of her own house into a single painting in 2009.

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Some of Beata’s works are atmospheric with diffused hues; others are semi-cubist, while in some paintings the forms are galvanized into a cohesive whole with the bold black strokes.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Germany

Bernd Hau “I believe everything has potential to become beautiful and magical, you just have to look for it.”

Bernd Hau is an artist, a digital artist, a compositor and an amateur photographer currently live in Cologne, Germany.

He has an equal passion for painting and photography... and transforming his photography into very unique artworks. This groundbreaking, trendsetter artist fell in love with photography and since it has gone on to become a peaceful, tranquil escape for him.

After recently discovering the magic of digital aspects, Bernd diversified and added pouring art, resin art and combining it with gems, added it to his art practice. Like his painting titled, ‘Miss Emily’ is a special piece of art where he combines acrylic-resin art with amethyst gems Bernd art reflects his very soul. He believes everything has the potential to become beautiful and magical. He also finds that art is a never-ending learning experience, and sincerely hopes that we love what we see. He desires that that his unique creations put a smile on our faces and that they bring to us a sense of wonderment.

Whether the entire scenes in his painting is real or imagined, we do not know... we cannot know. The treelined shore is full of bright green, leafy deciduous trees reflecting on the surface edge of the shoreline’s glassysmooth waters in this beautiful picture. Like most great artists, they’d rather keep us guessing.

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Bernd art reflects his very soul. He believes everything has the potential to become beautiful and magical.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP: MISS EMILY - acrylic, resin, amethyst gems - 40 x 30 cm MOMENTS OF PEACE - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 60 cm WINTER DREAM - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 30 cm OPPOSITE PAGE- TOP TO BOTTOM: BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 50 cm THE AWAKENING - acrylic on canvas - 50 X 60 cm

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Hungary

Bob Ivens “I always start from vague sketches, but as the canvas progresses, I let my imagination run free” Bob Ivens, was born in Antwerp, Belgium. His creative drive took him to the Art Academy of Antwerp, where he trained in Advertising. At the age of twenty-two, he set up his own company where he did general advertising work and also screen-printing. Gradually screen-printing became the company’s main activity and painting still remained his passion.

Bob’s adventurous spirit took him wandering around the Himalayas for two months. Upon his return, he sold his shop and at the age of thirty-five converted a barge into a houseboat for artists to exhibit their works in. Hanging out with other fellow artists, Bob reverted back to his former passion - painting, and he fervently took to painting large works.

“My works, mainly oils on canvas, for the most part, are humorous yet seasoned with eroticism”, says Bob. Further, explaining the process behind his ingenious and unorthodox canvases, he says, “I always start from vague sketches, but as the canvas progresses, I let my imagination run free, as a result of which the original design changes considerably by the time the painting is done. Giving a title to my paintings is a necessary evil, it partly deprives the spectators of their own imagination and interpretation.” He is right! Putting a title to his work could take a little bit of mystery away from his

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THIS PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: THE SCENT OF GRASS - oil on canvas - 160 x 100 cm FAIRYTALE - oil on canvas - 70 x 80 OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: OVULATION - oil on canvas - 80 x 80 cm STAIRS - oil on canvas - 70 x 70 cm.

Bob says, “I always start from vague sketches, but as the canvas progresses, I let my imagination run free, as a result of which the original design changes considerably by the time the painting is done.”

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AFG Art Book volume 2

artwork. But with or without titles, these mind-bending and brilliantly colored forms of Bob’s paintings, are astonishingly peculiar. And highly suggestive. The freakish, surreal and eccentric subject matter is meant to shock and awe the viewer. “They could seem coarse to one and yet come across as funny or ludicrous to another,” explains the artist with a short laugh.

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Bob currently lives in Pécs, the ancient and picturesque city

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in southern Hungary, and enjoys his peaceful retirement in the

SULTRY LIPS - oil on canvas - 80 x 80 cm

beautiful nature.

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The freakish, surreal and eccentric subject matter is meant to shock and awe the viewer.

THE FLOSH - oil on canvas - 100 x 80 cm THE TELEPHONE - oil on canvas - 90 x 90 cm BALLETSHOES - oil on canvas - 100 x 80 PIJPEN - oil on canvas - 90 x 90 cm.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Sweden

Britt Berg “Spirituality and self-realization are the pillars of my art practice.”

Britt Berg is a self-taught intuitive Swedish painter and an author. She runs a Healthcare center in her home town Falkenberg/ Sweden, where she conducts regular courses in intuitive painting, meditation, toning and also holds lectures on heightened sensitivity. Her book, ‘Yet I Speak’, has her paintings alongside poems, and other stories from her life.

“My paintings often show different worlds and different life forms,’ she explains. Her life’s mission is to get people to ‘open up’ because the soul is extensive and limitless.

Her art is inspired by inner realization. Freedom of expression and knowledge are the tools she uses to paint her inner soul emboldened on an empty canvas. She doesn’t make preliminary sketches but allows her creativity to spill on the

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canvas.

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Britt works primarily with acrylics. Blue dominates in her

THE UNIVERSE - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 80 cm

artworks; and sometimes grey cool tones, hence her

ENDLESS - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 80 cm

THE LAGOON - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 80 cm A PROTECTED WORLD - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 80 cm.

paintings are serene and mentally calming. The brush strokes either absent or delicate, add to this tranquillity.

Britt is an effervescent, self-motivated, and highly sensitive artist who believes in life’s infinite nature; its endless wealth and its unparalleled opportunities. She aspires to kinder spirituality in others’ lives through her art practice. “When I paint, the entire world vanishes; problems cease to exist; and all there’s left is an unadulterated soul,” confesses the artist.

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Freedom of expression and knowledge are the tools Britt uses to paint her inner soul emboldened on an empty canvas.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

South Africa

Burghita Oberholzer “God is my inspiration. No matter where I am in the garden or field, I am always amazed to see a new freshly painted canvas every day created by God our Heavenly Father.”

Burghita Oberholzer was born in Germiston, a small city in the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa. She later moved to a small rural town, Swartruggens in South Africa.

Being primarily a farming town, a lot relied on nature and its benevolence. Burghita grew seeing nature at its purest. It is not tall buildings or concrete cities that grace her canvases, but delicate and colourful flowers! Most of Her works are a tribute and portrayal of nature. These paintings display a freshness of direct observation and her love for nature.

And gradually, as Burghita grew in this town, she became

THIS PAGE - ABOVE: THE BEAUTY OF RED AND YELLOW ROSES - oil on canvas - 10” x 12”

very religious and a deep believer in Jesus. She has

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named these series of paintings,’God’s Creations.’ “He is

GOD’S GREAT ELEPHANT - oil on canvas 3.5” x 5”

my inspiration”, she says. “I choose this theme because

JOHN 3:16 - FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD - oil on canvas - 10.5” x 7” THE DELICATE BEAUTY OF PROTEAS -oil on canvas - 24” x 30” MY PINK ROSES FOR LORD JESUS - oil on canvas - 3.5” x 5”

no matter where I am in the garden or field, I am always amazed to see a new freshly painted canvas every day created by God our Heavenly Father.”

Every canvas she paints is dedicated to God. She feels every paintings she makes was painted by God’s Hand while she remains just a brush in his hand. Her existence as an artist she ascribes to God and feels blessed every day to have been given this talent that she now uses in His service.

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Every canvas she paints is dedicated to God. She feels every paintings she makes was painted

by God’s Hand while she remains just a brush in his hand.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Denmark

Cæcilie Kaas Jørgensen “I wish to express what the essence of nature is for me. Intuition is my strongest tool.”

Danish artist, Cæcilie Kaas Jørgensen grew up in the beech forest of Stevns in Denmark. She was completely in love with these amazing and wonderful artworks of nature, created by evolution and time. “One little stone could tell a story of color, life and form. One little plant could whisper tales of ancient life,” says Cæcilie, her eyes sparkling in wonderment.

Cæcilie is a true artist in a complete sense, she is a widely exhibited ceramist/sculptor, photographer and an illustrator. She graduated from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation.

Cæcilie marvels at the limitlessness of our imagination.

In the realm of fantasy, there are no restrictions or boundaries. This is the essence of her art. “Creation is a pure adventure,” she says. “Intuition is my strongest tool.”

She approaches each of her artwork with a fresh mind, and essence of nature her inspiration and main muse.

As her artwork progresses, it grows organically. Much like nature, from the inside out. “In the process, I meet an endless road of possibilities. Originality and diversity of

SEIBUTSU - pen & ink - 70 x 50 cm

nature is the genesis of my work. Strange organic shapes,

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odd structures and mystical creatures arise from a deep

IMYNDUN - pen & ink - 70 x 50 cm

fascination with the wonders of the natural world.”

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VERNOREXIA - pen & ink - 70 x 100 cm EVOLUZIONE - pen & ink - 70 x 50 cm SUAVE - pen & ink - 70 x 50 cm

CĂŚcilie marvels at the limitlessness of our imagination. As her artwork progresses, it grows organically. Originality and diversity of nature is the genesis of her work.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Canada

Carlos Aranha “My works are like an exploration, a ‘Circle of Life’ that swirls and meanders falling eventually into its own rhythm.”

Carlos Aranha, International Art Award Winner, is a Canadian contemporary artist of Ecuadorian descent.

He is an artist in the true sense, in addition to being a painter, he also creates environmental installations, organic sculptures, and has produced art documentaries.

He has illustrated poets’ manuscripts and his artworks have been featured in several prominent art books and magazines.

Carlos works in acrylic on canvas. His pieces have a lyrical quality, with bold graphic pictograms that swirl and rise up like a less austere version of the works of the modern American painter, Franz Kline.

At times one feels it is painted calligraphy of an unknown language. In some works, you see an outline of a human family or a group of people, or is it the viewer’s imagination playing tricks! Whatever may be the artist’s intent, there is a strong connection to life. Like a study of flora, with vine-like plants rising up above the ground, swirling upwards, like a melody rising up to a crescendo, ending in a high pitched bright red note.

He has more than three decades of experience as a professional artist and a long list of solo and group exhibitions worldwide. Carlos’ artwork can be found in permanent collections in several Art Museums around the globe as well as in public and private art collections.

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Carlos works in acrylic on canvas. His pieces have a lyrical quality, with bold graphic pictograms that swirl and rise up. At times one feels it is painted calligraphy of an unknown language.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SOLITUDE - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 30 in LIFE AND TIME - acrylic on canvas – 42 x 48 in RAIN FOREST - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 30 in ARRIVING - acrylic on canvas – 48 x 60 in TOWARDS THE SUN - acrylic on canvas – 30 x 30 in OPPOSITE PAGE: FAMILY - acrylic on canvas – 48 x 60 in

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Taiwan

Chang Kai-Yung “My works represents an individual style, with creative strokes that make reality blend seamlessly with illusion.”

Award-winning Taiwanese artist/painter Chang Kai-Yung is

a Classical/Realist painter, his works are deeply affected by the classic Western masters. Using diverse materials, he

integrates the classical with the contemporary. The artist

combines tempera and oils to illustrate his subjects with a classical appeal.

Chang’s works are mainly the illustrations of contemporary subjects in a surreal setting. From the picking of the

materials of his choosing, the technique he utilizes right to his choices of subject and to putting them in their unique setting, Chang selects each step of his painting process

carefully. The surreal characters and objects created with his techniques project a sense of loneliness and mystical

illusion. His paintings have an ethereal quality. The viewer gets a sensation of weightlessness and puts them in a dream-like trance.

His works have an individual style as he blends reality with illusion. This unique and very visual language can only be understood by absorbing his paintings utilizing all of our

senses. He has an uncanny knack of making the viewer a

part of his paintings, compelling us to interact with it, engage with his subjects, and feel the same sensations as they do.

Chang has exhibited widely in Taiwan and abroad and currently residents in Taoyuan, Taiwan

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THIS PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: LADDER - oil on canvas - 80 x 65 cm THE LOVE STORY - oil & tempera on canvas - 116.5 x 90.5 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE: GUERNICA, WAR AND PEACE - oil on canvas - 116.5 x 74 cm THE OCEAN DREAM -oil on medium density fiberboard - 100 x 56 cm METAPHYSICAL GIRL - oil on canvas - 91 x 72.5 cm

Chang combines tempera and oils to illustrate his subjects with a classical appeal.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Taiwan

Chang Kuo-erh “I search for themes from daily life.

And I like using realistic ways to express the soul of painting.�

Taiwanese artist Chang Kuo-erh typically searches daily life for artistic themes. He likes realism as a regular mode of painting and is a full-time painter since graduating from the Tokyo Design College. He has won several awards, coming always in the top three position in The Republic of China’s international Art Association Exhibition, Da Dun Arts Exhibition, Taiwan National Oil Painting Competition, Mantou Yushan Fine Arts Exhibit and so on.

Chang is a very perceptive and strongly observant artist.

He is a painter who specializes only in oil painting, excelling in impasto technique and likes the thick touch of oil-paint and the expressiveness that it affords him.

He is a master in this medium and knows it is most suitable for the presentation of his superb images.

Most of his subjects are nature, as natural and as scenic, because he adores the color changes caused by each season. He also loves the vital life that nature reveals to him and experienced by him during the ongoing chain of his years. Seeking themes from daily life offers a realistic approach to express the very soul of each and every painting, and so he promises his many admirers to continue with these ideas and pursuits on his creative path.

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THIS PAGE: MORNING TIME - oil on canvas - 108 x 123 cm OPPOSITE PAGE- CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: NEW PARADISE - oil on canvas - 162 x 130 cm GREEN NOTE - oil on canvas - 162 x 130 GREEN GRASSLAND - oil on canvas – 162 x 130 cm AUTUMN - oil on canvas - 116.5 x 91 cm

He is a painter who specializes only in oil painting, excelling in impasto technique and likes the thick touch of oil-paint and the expressiveness that it affords him.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

USA

Christopher Gunkel “I present the world solely from my own perspective, distorting it radically for an emotional effect.”

Christopher A Gunkel is a American artist, living in downtown Fort Pierce, Florida. Christopher obtained a degree in Art, majoring in graphic art and course study in photography. His professional career started in commercial graphics studios and retail advertising, work that he enjoyed immensely.

Christopher’s family have for two generations been rooted in printing, advertising, plus fine arts and; was lucky to have at home in his formative years, before pursuing a formal education in the arts.

Christopher has extended education at Birmingham Art Association, Michigan; Art Center College OF Design, Los Angeles; and Glassell School of Art, Houston MFAH. Christopher’s works are purely expressionistic, abstracts, at places where he presents the world solely from his own perspective, distorting it radically for visual emotional effect. The result is always subjective, we’re the viewers are encouraged to take in their own experiences by soaking in the visual spectacle of his art piece. He engages the viewer with a high-frequency palette that pretty much has all the colors possible in one space, the results being dreamy and mesmerizing.

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THIS PAGE: Second Street OPPOSITE PAGE- CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: DAWN THE AUDITION LAURENS POND INDIGENOUS

Christopher’s works are purely expressionistic, abstract at places where he presents the world solely from his own perspective.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Canada

Christopher Pollari “Painting is like therapy for me. It

allows me to create fantasy worlds, an outlet to express myself.”

Christopher Pollari is a Canadian artist living in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada. A self-taught and highly sensitive artist, he has been painting now for over 5 decades.

He suffers from severe bouts of debilitating depression, and painting is a therapy for him.

“Painting allows me the outlet to express myself as I do not function well in the outside world”.

He is fighting this depression by creating a world of romantic fantasy. He paints on canvas or on masonite, using oils.

Christopher’s art is biographical. “I mainly record my life in my art. My own experiences... the ups and the downs... and the people in my life,” he says with a wide smile. His works are surreal and are set in an imaginative and fantastic domain. The strong allegoric views of the edifices and its depicted imagery posed in the dreamlike surreal landscape along with various objects of desire reveal a deep dark secret of a functioning thought. A deconstructed memory - arising from perhaps his own childhood memories, embedded somewhere in his subconscious, where the demons and other mythological feline creatures

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THIS PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: MY WORLD - oil on canvas - 36” x 36” RAINBOW - oil on canvas - 20” x 36” OPPOSITE PAGE- TOP TO BOTTOM: BE STONG LITTLE FLOWER - oil on canvas - 30” x 40” DESIRE - oil on masonite - 24”x 24”

Christopher’s vision and vividly colorful large canvases of an imagined dream-like chilling landscapes, play with the mind of a spectator.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

come alive and narrate the tale of a forgotten folklore on this surreal landscape.

His vision and vividly colorful large canvases of an imagined dream-like chilling landscapes, play with the mind of a spectator. Overwhelming the viewer with its strong symbolic THIS PAGE: FRANKENSTONE’S USED CAR LOT - oil on canvas - 22” x 28” OPPOSITE PAGE- CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: DEEP SEA READING ROOM - oil on canvas - 30” x 36”

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language that subversively represents a continuity of a free reigned spirited mind and ideals. The complexity of which is disquieting and yet beautiful.

The strong allegoric views of the edifices and its depicted imagery posed in the dreamlike surreal landscape along with various objects of desire reveal a deep dark secret of a functioning thought.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

UK

Claudia Araceli

“I am inspired by the energy that a place emanates and compels me to paint it.”

“I am inspired by the energy that a place emanates and compels me to paint it.” British watercolor artist Claudia Araceli says she aims to capture the essence of what she sees. She tries to represent it in her artwork with the bare minimum of information to retain the drama which captivates and inspires her in the first place. “I don’t paint pretty watercolors,’ she explains. “My paintings are large, edgy and dramatic, with the focus being on the tonal values more than the color most of the time.”

Claudia is happiest when near water, and it is evident in her paintings, as she loves painting water, including the sea, harbors, boats and the open skies. She prefers painting onsite - a plein air painter setting up her easel and painting from direct observation However recently, due to the pandemic, she started painting in her studio and discovered she loved it as she was able to create larger works in the controlled environment. In this forced isolation, as she watched the news and images from around the world, she was moved and compelled to capture the essence of this bizarre crisis and will exhibit them together as a

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complete series of works.

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She has exhibited both nationally and internationally

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NEARLY THERE - watercolor on paper - 20 x 13 in

and her paintings are in private collections around the

THE SKYS THE LIMIT NO 1 - watercolor on paper - 20 x 13 in

world.

THE PERFECT WAVE - watercolor on paper - 20 x 13 in

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING - watercolor on paper - 20 x 13 in

Claudia tries to represent it in her artwork with the bare minimum of information to retain the drama which captivates and inspires her in the first place.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

India

Damyanti Sharma “My inspiration comes from life itself.”

Damyanti Sharma, was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, and graduated with a BFA degree in Advertising Designing from Delhi College of Arts, New Delhi, India. She started out as an illustrator for Children’s’ book and soon switched to painting. For many years she owned and managed a successful Art Gallery in New Delhi, curating art shows for Indian artists. She is attributed to creating the AIDS awareness campaign via art, right from the conceptualization to curating art events in collaboration with the Health Ministry. A full-time artist, Damyanti lives and works in Noida, India.

As an artist, she is deft in oils, pastels, charcoal, mixed media, ink, and watercolors on different surfaces like canvas, rice paper, etc.

She also experimented in design, fashion, and lifestyle with handpainted fabrics. Damyanti’s inspiration stems from life itself, and its people – the good, the bad and the not so good. Her present

THIS PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: KRISHNA - watercolor and ink - 19 x 27 in

artworks on the Krishna theme are a mosaic of complementary

OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: KRISHNA - watercolor and ink - 19 x 27 in KRISHNA - watercolor and ink - 19 x 27 in KRISHNA - watercolor and ink - 19 x 27 in KRISHNA - watercolor and ink - 19 x 27 in

colors rendered in watercolors and inks on paper and inspired by sunspots. The colors and composition lead the eyes to move from one element to the other, spellbinding the viewer in its circular rhythm. The artist made effective use of the medium’s transparency to enhance a mystery and spirituality creating an ethereal feel. The paintings are reminiscent of European Cathedrals’ stained-glass windows and give vibrancy to the walls where they adorn.

Damyanti held several solo shows at prestigious galleries in the Indian metro cities. And has earned fame for philanthropic activities, like fundraising for the Gujarat earthquake, mental health campaign, and received accolades for adding value to lives of less fortunate through workshops for street children.

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Damyanti’s present artworks on the Krishna theme are a mosaic of complementary colors rendered in watercolors and inks on paper and inspired by sunspots.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Macedonia

Daniela Dimoska “I love free-styling and using only my imagination to create pieces that will make you see hidden images, meanings and optical illusions.�

Daniela Spasovska Dimoska was born into a Macedonian middle-class family on the 12th of April 1975. Daniela was always drawn to art with a passion and talent for painting and drawing. Although pressures of life and raising a family she never had the opportunity to pursue art as a profession.

Daniela emigrated to Australia in 1998 and worked a variety of jobs from working on the casino tower as a room attendant to a factory job building seatbelts and then finally as a security guard at the National Gallery of Victoria. This last job was pivotal in bringing out the artist within Daniela. Seeing the beautiful artwork from so many artists through this role, her passion for painting became an overwhelming urge and she started painting in every possible spare moment she got.

Inspired by the work of the masters, she has studied them extensively to learn and understand their unique style and techniques. Very soon Daniela who has cultivated her own artistic style that is both striking and bold and makes her pieces captivating. She uses a variety of mediums. Her simplified forms and saturated colors draw attention to the inherent flatness of the canvas. The resulting visual impression of the work is strong and unified.

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THIS PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: WITHOUT WINGS I CANNOT FLY - oil on canvas - 120 x 120 cm COSMIC LOVE - oil on canvas - 120 x 120 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: IMAGINATION - oil on canvas - 150 x 60 cm FUTURISTIC AQUARIUM - oil on canvas - 150 x 60 cm WORLD - oil on canvas - 150 x 60 cm

Daniela’s simplified forms and saturated colors draw attention to the inherent flatness of the canvas.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Italy

Dario Guion “My art is an expression of life beyond the physical form. It is the merging of the aesthetic and scientific.”

Dario Guion is an Italian born expressionist, who now lives and works in Germany. He graduated from V.H.S. (Volkshocschule) in Remscheid, Germany, with a three years course in Acquatinta (Radierung) or Aquatint Etching. The aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that only produces areas of tone rather than lines. The starting material for an aquatint etching is a metal plate made of zinc or copper, and its mostly used conjunction with etching, to give outlines. He then went on to do a one-year course in learning watercolours techniques.

Although he now works mostly in oil on canvas, Dario’s medium has traces of a marriage of two techniques which form a basis for his art oeuvre - strong printmaking skills and watercolor prowess. He uses bright colours and doesn’t shy from experimenting.

Having a steady hand at drawing, his forms are very lucid and expressive. His portraits are expressive is many ways and have an underlying sensitivity in their expression. They are also on light delicate grounds, decorative, geometric forms are gathered in vivid colors, playing a cheerful, animated play.

He has a clear preference for portraits and landscape.

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BERG ELTZ (Germany) - oil on canvas - 80 x100 cm OPPOSITE PAGE-CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT:

REALITY IN THE SHADOW - oil on canvas - 80 x 100 cm SCHMETTERLING - oil on canvas 50 x 60 cm

SCHLOSS BURG (Germany) - oil on canvas 50 x 60 cm

Although Dario now works mostly in oil on canvas, Dario’s medium has traces of a marriage of two techniques which form a basis for his art oeuvre - strong printmaking skills and watercolor prowess 69

AFG Art Book volume 2

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One would not refer to him as a speculative painter,

of figures; but they do have a certain vivacity and

but a painter who is characterized by emotional,

dynamism to them. The kind that has an element

intuitive impulses. Dario may not display an

of surprise, in its form, action or even the colour

impulsive spontaneity in his artworks, they appear

combination used, that makes the viewer pause in

well thought out and thematic in the treatment

admiration and exclaim “ah� is amazement.

OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COREAN GIRL- - oil on canvas - 50 x 60 c GIRASOLI - oil on canvas - 50 x 60 cm

THINKING GIRL - oil on canvas - 50 x 60 cm THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

Nativo Brasiliano - oil on canvas - 50 x 60 cm ORIENT SUN - oil on canvas - 50 x 60 cm

SCREAMS OF SILENCE - oil on canvas - 80 x 100 cm

Dario’s portraits are expressive is many ways and have an underlying sensitivity in their expression.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

England

David John Hilditch “Initial underlying structures are derived from natural phenomena; layers of colour and brushwork are then superimposed instinctively until complex subliminal forms emerge.”

British abstract artist, David John Hilditch was born in

Wolverhampton, England. He completed his schooling and

early education from Birmingham, a culturally rich city, and then went on to do a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Camberwell School of Art, London, England. He had a full career in Art and

Design for many years, and now, is a keen student of Philosophy and paints full-time from studios in London and Shropshire.

David’s art evokes an almost divine sensation. His interest in

Philosophy, particularly the writings of Spinoza, Kant and Hume, inspire him to create these large dream-like canvases. The

consistency of his works, especially in colours and the paint

application, keep the big cottony mass of the forms translucent, curvaceous, throbbing, and endlessly various.

His watercolours and large-scale oils reflect on perception,

impermanence and identity in a way that is deep, engaging

and open to endless interpretation. There is an inherent need

to look beyond this cloudy mass, eyes strain to peep between

the cracks, waiting for a meaning to reveal itself. Just when you think you see a faint outline of a form; in an instant it is gone!

And you are left peering into a coloured abyss.

These intentional multiple perspectives keep the viewer engaged in this game-like looped replay. This visual interplay is dreamy, unfathomable, and mystical. It puts the viewer under its spell

and transports one to a phantom world of the supernatural and the mystical.

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David’s art evokes an almost divine sensation. interest in Philosophy, particularly in writings of Spinoza, Kant and Hume, inspire him to create these large dream-like canvases.

OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP TO DOWN: WATERCOLOR L322 - watercolor on Khadi paper - 70 x 50 cm SQUARE 4 - oil on canvas - 95 x 95 cm THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE: MEDIUM B1 - oil on canvas - 125 x 95 cm WATERCOLOR L341 - watercolor on Khadi paper - 70 x 50 cm MEDIUM 29 - oil on canvas - 125 x 95 cm

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Mexico

Debora Levy “My paintings are about the human condition in its most natural form and behavior. I demonstrate its inner emotion, intricacy and how that plays out in everyday life�

Debora Levy, is a Mexican artist, who studied Art History and paints prodigious expression of her inner emotions through art. Her human portraits are unconventional in the sense that it portrays the inner character or subconscious externally. However, she connotes human condition in the most natural form.

She experimented with abstract imagery that alludes to human emotions through color and forms. The individual paintings are in direct conversation with the viewer unraveling the story conveying intangible messages. The portraits have a surreal abstraction of human emotions.

Debora works in mixed media with simple compositions, but her technique incorporates patterns in a unique way that creates a sense of rhythm and intricacy. She uses all kinds of materials, from gold leaf, acrylic, oils, cold wax, inks, and dry media. Each mark or brush stroke leads to the next, creating unanticipated revelations.

The concentric circles in her paintings are quite impressive. They have layers of meaning, which represent the interrelationship of the internal and external human mind, wholeness of nature and universe, and stories emanating to which the viewer is visually tied.

Debora uses muted grey extensively in her paintings, representing the balance of intellect and compromise, and the colors are conservative, elegant, calm, and giving a mysterious feel. The colors appear to negotiate between intense saturation of hues and greys.

She currently lives in San Diego, California, where she continues her art career and has received several awards.

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She works in mixed media with simple compositions, but her technique incorporates patterns in a unique way that creates a sense of rhythm and intricacy.

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India

Devabrat Mahanta “As a painter I pour my feelings onto canvas whilst keeping in mind that abstraction has a direct association with poetry.”

Devabrat Mahanta, is an Indian abstractionist from Assam, India. He is an English professor and Head of Department at a Women’s College. Since childhood, painting had always been a hobby for him. He started out as making detailed pencil portraits of various prominent artists and singers. Unable to keep this passion to merely a hobby, Devabrat did a two-year course in Fine Art at the Guwahati Fine Art & Craft Society, Assam, India, and under the guidance of some established artists he soon found his real métier.

He is at utmost peace when painting and/or surrounded by colours. About his works, he says, “Throughout my beaten

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UNTITLED - acrylic on paper - 14” x 14”

path as a painter I touched upon several stages of abstraction;

UNTITLED - acrylic on paper - 12” x 12”

varying from figurative to non¬figurative depictive manners. The

UNTITLED - acrylic on paper - 16” x 20”

more I avoided defining shapes, the more freedom I am able to give my viewers to interpret my world the way they like to.

UNTITLED - acrylic on paper - 10” x 10” OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM:

UNTITLED - acrylic on paper - 12” x 12” UNTITLED - acrylic on paper - 12” x 12”

Hence, leaving them feeling liberated and at peace.”

A deeply spiritual artist, Devabrat connects this instilling of a freed spirit to evoking divinity. He feels it was this which resulted in him being called upon to be part of a group exhibition at CAM (Casario Contemporary Art Museum). “Rarely could I ever imagine that one day I can display one piece of my art collection in Casario in Italy - the centre of the art world”. Since then there has been no looking back for Devabrat as he continues to make his mark in the International world of art!

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Devabrat says, “The more I avoid defining shapes, the more freedom I am able to give my viewers to interpret my world the way they like to. Hence, leaving them feeling liberated and at peace.”

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Peru

Diana Paredes “Through my art I try to express the importance of having a connection with the divine, which essential in everyone’s lives.”

Diana Paredes was born in Lima, Peru. She is a child prodigy of sorts as she started painting with oils when she was only 8 years old. Continuing her art education she attended several art academies and then, later on, did studied advertising design.

She currently resides in Miami, Florida, USA. Diana feels her art is influenced by Latin American culture, with its lively choice of colors and at the same time the use of a tropical palette. Most of her works are done with oils over canvas which is the perfect medium to create painstakingly detailed work.

She takes flower painting to another level. She juxtapositions objects in of space of hyperrealism and conveys and create spaces that are more universally understood. “I consider my art to be Magical Realism,” she explains. “At the same time as I would say, Healing Art, by which I try to express the importance of having a connection with the divine, which essential in everyone’s lives.” They are like a window to an inner world.

Diana’s art is soul touching. There is no satire and social critique in her works. They are mysterious and deeply meditative. Like the scattered remains of a stanza from a long and deep poem.

In a realistic yet emotional language, they symbolize a sense of displacement – a moment suspended in time.

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UNTITLED - oil on canvas - 12 x 12 in UNTITLED - oil on canvas - 12 x 12 in

Diana’s art is soul touching. Its mysterious and deeply meditative.

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India

Dipayan Ghosh “I am deeply entrenched in the emotions and beliefs of India and her people and my art is an expression of these traditions.”

Dipayan Ghosh, is an Indian artist, drenched in the vibrancy of art & culture. He holds a Visharad Diploma from Rabindra Bharati University, West Bengal.

His art journey commenced in his early childhood drawing inspiration from the quintessential illustration of the European Renaissance era, manifested in many of his old paintings. As he grew, his inspiration also widened.

Dipayan’s art, today, is a blend of Cubism, Impressionism, and Realism. “I aspire to represent the myriad emotions of the human soul through wild expressions and use art to bring about that positive change,” says this passionate artist. His primary medium of expression is acrylic and oil pastels on roughly textured stretched canvas.

THIS PAGE: SOOTI - acrylic and oil pastels on canvas - 30 x 40 in OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: AANANDAMAI (SHEATH OF BLISSFULNESS GAINE DE BÉATITUDE) acrylic and oil pastels on canvas - 20 x 20 in

Most of Dipayan’s painting series are aligned with spirituality.

They are steeped in emotions and underlined with subtle elements of nature. His use of Indian red, Indian yellow, pyrrole orange, shades of terracotta, ochre, and sienna create a link to the Indian rituals, as they take pre-eminence in his paintings. Each of his series has specific leitmotif marking its theme or the central protagonist. The series, ‘Reflections’, is a journey of emotions, expressions and expectations of a woman.

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Dipayan uses symbols from Indian mythology and combines it with bold earthen hues to express the traditions and emotions represented by each sheath.

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His work, inspired by ‘Pancha Kosh,’ which literally means ‘five sheaths’ represents the covering of the soul. Analogous to the ‘Onion Metaphor’, which attempts to unveil the soul’s true nature. Here, Dipayan uses symbols from Indian mythology and combines it with bold earthen hues to express the traditions and emotions represented by each sheath. The gradation of hues from the more vibrant to the muted and subtle represents the closeness to the soul as each sheath unveils. Each painting reveals a particular sheath starting

Dipayan’s use of Indian red, Indian yellow, pyrrole orange, shades of terracotta, ochre, and sienna create a link to the Indian rituals, as they take pre-eminence in his paintings.

from the physical body, moving through life, emotions, knowledge, and finally culminating to the enlightened through a consciousness that is the nearest to the soul.

Dipayan has exhibited his artworks in the USA, London,

VIGGYAANAMAI (SHEATH OF INTELLECT) - acrylic and oil pastels on canvas - 20 x 20 in SAMPRIKT - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 30 in

PRAANAMAI (SHEATH OF VITALITY) - acrylic and oil pastels on canvas - 20 x 20 in

Netherlands, Paris, and India’s various cities. He is a member

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of several international Art Societies and Guilds. He is also

SWAPNAJA - acrylic on canvas - 24 x 24 in

involved with Kala Sakshi Memorial Trust.

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PRANAY - acrylic and oil pastels on canvas - 66 x 42 in AANANDAMAI (SHEATH OF BLISSFULNESS) - acrylic and oil pastels on canvas - 20 x 20 in ANNAMAI (SHEATH OF NOURISHMENT) - acrylic and oil pastels on canvas - 20 x 20 in

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USA

Elsa Victorios “There is no strict compulsion in art because art is free.”

Elsa Victorios is a Florida based artist who began her career in her native Colombia where she represented Colombia at the Tokyo and Paris Biennials of 1984. She studied at the National University and in the late 80s, she moved to the United States, where she currently lives and also teaches art. Her artwork has been featured in museums and galleries in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

She mostly works with oil and acrylic on canvas and her current work mixes abstract and figurative art techniques to depict individual struggles for well-being.

She focuses on symbolism, where she uses forms, or suggestive forms, to convey a meaning behind the obvious and the seen. The allegorical imagery of bicycles and ladders dominate her oeuvre, symbolizing mobility and ascension. These visual metaphors emblematize her philosophy to move outward from the limitations which society imposes.

Elsa’s works are very personal and unearths the jovial happiness and bridled joy of freedom somewhere inbetween the realm of reality and fantasy. A state where the subconscious is highly active and attentive, inviting us to reflect on our universe. Her beautifully saturated provocative surreal dreamscapes exude a particularly joyful emotion and assume an almost spiritual tone.

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Elsa’s works are very personal and unearths the jovial happiness and bridled joy of freedom somewhere in-between the realm of reality and fantasy.

OPPOSITE PAGE: DESTINATIONS - acrylic on canvas - 60” x 40” THIS PAGE- CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER-acrylic on canvas - 30” x 24” HAPPY CITY - acrylic on canvas - 64” x 64” CIRCLE OF LOVE AND LIFE - acrylic on canvas - 71” x 64” CONFINED - acrylic on canvas - 30” x 30”

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Germany

Evelyn Ocón Cao “My painting arises as a spontaneous expression of my feelings.”

Evelyn Ocón Cao was born in Berlin, Germany. She studied Graphic Design and Painting Hochschule für Bildende Künste (HfBK) which is one of the oldest training institutions for fine arts in Europe. After graduation, she joined as a professional designer at an advertising company, and then worked as a manager in a startup industrial company and carried out numerous contract work for industry and in private.

She, however, continued her fine art practice and since 2002 has had numerous individual exhibitions and activities at home and abroad Evelyn’s colours bursts with crackly lines of vivid hues on her canvas. “I have no fixed styles or preconceived forms in my mind. Many a times my painting arises as a spontaneous expression of my feelings,” says the artist. She mainly works with various blending techniques with her unique ‘chaos and deliberation’.

She removes, scrapes and adds paint until she has unearthed what she wants and as her work progresses, it changes many shapes before her eyes.

In her works, we see a multitude of blended forms that are abstractions of unfamiliar shapes, clearly right out of our periphery of any recognisable form.

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Evelyn removes, scrapes and adds paint until she has unearthed what she wants and as her work progresses, it changes many shapes before her eyes.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: ERNEUERUNG (Revival) - acrylic on canvas - 99 x 79 cm KONTINENTE IN FLAMMEN (Continents in flames) acrylic on canvas - 80 x 100 cm DYNAMIK (Dynamic) - acrylic on canvas - 70 x 100 cm COME TOGETHER - acrylic on canvas - 150 x 150 cm OPPOSITE PAGE- TOP TO BOTTOM: Meditation am Meer - acrylic on canvas - 150 x 150 cm Frauen (Women) - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 70 cm

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Sweden

Ewa Helzen “I paint anything that inspires me, whether in color or shape.”

Ewa Helzen is Swedish watercolor artist par excellence. She has been constantly updating and adding to her skills as an artist by attending and taking as many courses by various established artists.

Ewa manages to capture the personality in her portraits especially the expression in the eyes. “I am inspired by anything I find exciting to paint especially if it stands out in colour or shape or both,’ she explains. She tries evoking a pleasant and thoughtful atmosphere in her paintings by using quiet and still lines interrupted by layers of explosive energetic colors. Her florals, her still life steeped in honeyed sunlight is vibrant and expressionistic in flavor. “I find watercolor exciting because I can experiment endlessly with this medium”, says Ewa. “The way the color spreads on paper and blend together giving totally unexpected results.”

Part of her charm is the nonchalant appearance of her subjects. Which is no surprise, after having illustrated two books of poetry, her artworks take on a synaesthetic level.

The winter landscapes and the way her paint swirls, one can almost feel the chill! The viewers are left with a feeling of being just outside the realm of the event as it unfolds in front of them.

She has a flair for the chromatic. Her brushstrokes are translucent layers of varying degrees of pale and warm colours, teasing the senses; and even though the subject is clearly evident, there is a lingering mystery of its perception.

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Ewa tries evoking a pleasant and thoughtful atmosphere in her paintings by using quiet and still lines interrupted by layers of explosive energetic colors.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: BALLET DANCER - watercolor on paper - 45 x 45 cm HYDRANGEA - watercolor on paper - 30 x 40 cm LEMONS - watercolor on paper - 45 x 56 cm HIGH HEELS - watercolor on paper - 45 x 56 cm OPPOSITE PAGE- TOP TO BOTTOM: WINTER IN NORTH SWEDEN - watercolor on paper - 45 x 56 cm DRY MARTINI - watercolor on paper - 45 x 57 cm

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Afrique Art Gallery - Ivory Coast

Morocco

Fatna Chanane “In my art I like to capture the beauty of my culture. Everything the surrounds me intrests me.”

Born in the romantic city of Casablanca, Morocco, Fatna Chanane

graduated in Program Analysis and Marketing. In 2005 she started training and interning in art and touched on several techniques,

including figurative and abstract. She is the Vice-President and Art Advisor for the Ambassadors of Peace through Cultures and the Arts.

Her interpretation of the surrounding reality is as unique as a

snowflake flying in cold misty winds. Among the contemporary graphic design and realism, her work stands out because of

her ability to scrutinize reality. Her work is a take on a realistic

portrayal of women characters with a mix of patterns, personalized

symbolism, and gestural touches. She has a perfect understanding

of human anatomy, which transcends into her work seamlessly. The depth of dynamic compositions, decorative jewelry, and detailed drapery adds to the elegance of the characters portrayed. The

woman’s face, framed by a unique headdress stands out boldly

against the background and the emotions exhibited by the facial expression and gestures in each painting narrates a story. The

lowered eyes suggest a quiet dignity that leaves the observer with a vivid impression of the kind of person the women are.

Fatna works in an oil medium and uses assiduous space management to translate silent poetry that inhabits her

consciousness. The aesthetic aim she pursues is an intrinsic

fluidity that renders fleeting beauty in the mind of art enthusiasts.

The opulent use of color and a combination of bold and soft brush strokes capture the spirit of the scenes of life mesmerizing the viewers.

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Fatna’s work is a take on a realistic portrayal of women characters with a mix of patterns, personalized symbolism, and gestural touches. She has a perfect understanding of human anatomy, which transcends into her work seamlessly.

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Italy

Ferdinando Todisco “My art goes beyond reality and what transforms into matter are my sensations, my emotions and my visions.”

Italian artist Ferdinando Todisco and discovered his

artistic talent at a very young age. As a child, he would engrave shapes onto stones with a chisel and hammer and yearned to be an artist. His family’s financial

conditions did not permit him to pursue this dream. But

as his financial conditions improved, life’s stresses began to dissipate and his inner artist came into his own.

As he began to paint and experiment with various

mediums, his paintings became textured and vibrant

colored; directly indicative his consciousness. Many of his paintings include relief work created with paper-mache and glue on canvas or wooden panel as support. He

THIS PAGE: THE SPHERE OF HOPE - enamel and oil on canvas – 70 x 100 cm OPPOSITE PAGE-- CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: THE FUSION OF LOVE - enamel on canvas – 50 x 70 cm BEING BRIGHT OF ANOTHER – enamel, wadding and polymer on canvas – 50.70 cm THE MESSAGE- enamel on canvas – 50 x 70 cm OT ONLY ART, BUT ALSO FASHION – enamel, polymer on canvas – 70 x 120 cm

uses square or rectangular support with circular patterns covering almost the entire canvas, including a few

random symbols. His paintings, reminiscent of Mandala art, are soothing; giving off a sense of belonging and connectivity to the viewer.

The visual elements of his artwork endorse peace and harmony and contribute to higher energy within. In

every painting, the visual charm, the color scheme, the brushstroke, and the overall composition penetrates

the mind in such a way that the inner clamor ceases;

and a profound quintessence envelopes the spectator; prompting a higher cognizance or mindfulness. His

paintings can be seen as hypnotic, giving freer rein to the thoughts arising in the creative hemisphere of our brain.

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Ferdinando’s paintings, reminiscent of Mandala art, are soothing; giving off a sense of belonging and connectivity to the viewer. The visual elements of his artwork endorse peace and harmony and contribute to higher energy within.

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India

Gaurangi Mehta Shah “Through my art I can express my feelings and all the other qualities which make me human.”

Gaurangi Mehta Shah, born in Mumbai, India, is a completely self-taught artist. She has travelled extensively, and her life for over a decade, although exciting, was full of challenges that provided her with the space to introspect and explore her inner world.

Gaurangi has an affinity for acrylic and oil mediums and their usage has been inspired by the ideas of Freud and Jung to give voice to her inner landscape, through her brush. Her paintings abstract in style, use texture to a superlative degree.

The complementary use of red, the color of fire and warmth, and greens associated with nature create a psychological effect on the viewer. It connotes the balance between the masculinity of red and femininity associated with the green.

Each painting validating her emotion through the faces is an ongoing transformation, like a caterpillar’s metamorphosis to a butterfly. Every face has a unique story that can transform into a collection of lines, colors, forms, symbols, and strokes, taking the viewer into a trance.

Her works are an expression of her life experiences. They explore the inner feelings and emotions rather than describing outward appearances. The faces are pulled out of shape and bear symbolic colors, lines, and texture with no apparent reference to reality. The purpose seems to be to express the inexpressible, to articulate through shapes and colours, emotions and feelings that words cannot capture adequately

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Gaurangi’s works are an expression of her life experiences. They explore the inner feelings and emotions rather than describing the outward appearances

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CONSTANTLY FEELING A LOSS - acrylic on canvas - 35.5 x 43.5 in OVERLOOKING THE OBVIOUS - acrylic and charcoal on watercolor paper – 11.7 x 16.5 in NONCHALANT YET AFFECTED - acrylic and charcoal on canvas - 12 x 12 in SELF-IMPOSITION - acrylic and charcoal on canvas - 41.5 x 42 in OPPOSITE PAGE: LISTEN TO YOUR VOICE - acrylic and charcoal on watercolor paper – 11.7 x 16.5 in

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AFG Art Book volume 2

Taiwan

GF-Lin “I combine my experiences with modern and street art. Expressing my mind with mockery and reflection of current society.”

GF-Lin, as this Taiwan based artist calls himself, is a

modern contemporary artist. He travelled around the world

at a very young age. These travels exposed him to different world cultures, their art and their icons. “I have been

inspired by multi-culture media around the globe. Especially Walt Disney and other cartoons,” he says. “Cartoon mix

with modern is the best form of art and what I believed to connect with the world.”

His works at on the surface may look light-hearted and

perhaps even amusing. But as you continue to gaze, you

see strains of a very subtle social statement – a reflection of the current society, that which is ridiculous, gritty and loud.

“I combine my experiences with modern and street art.

Expressing my mind with mockery and reflection of current

society,” explains GF. The ideology of social status, political power struggles and metaphysics are all sources of his creation.

His paintings borrow from the mass culture objects that is the very basis of Pop Art movement. Likened to the

ideology of Lichtenstein, the 20th-century American artist, who was often accused of shocking his viewers with the garish impact of popular culture, GF too feel there is no

hierarchy of culture in art. He does not simply copy comic characters directly; he crops and layers the images to create entirely new and dramatic compositions.

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GF’s paintings borrow from the mass culture objects that is the very basis of Pop Art movement.

He does not simply copy comic characters directly; he crops and layers the images to create entirely new and dramatic compositions.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: HELLLLLLO MY NAME IS NOT MICKEY Charcoal Acrylic Oil pastel Paint on Paper - 50 x 36 cm ALICE - Charcoal Acrylic Oil pastel Paint On Canvas – 72 x 94 cm HELLLLLLO MY NAME IS NOT MICKEY Mix Media On Canvas 72 x 112 cm I DON’T REALLY FUCKING CARE Charcoal Acrylic Oil pastel Paint On Canvas - 72 x 94 cm OPPOSITE PAGE: ICON - charcoal acrylic oil pastel paint on canvas – 100 x 148 cm

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Germany

Gisela Kentmann “I am enthusiastic about nature and obsessed by art!”

Gisela Kentmann is a senior German artist. A professionally trained artist, she has a degree in Fine Arts and an extensive Museum education. This gave her the opportunity to get a non-formal education in Art which has helped in developing and strengthening her vision as an artist. She freelanced at the Mittelrheinisches Landesmuseum Mainz and Museum Kunsthaus Heylshof Worms.

Nature is Gisela’s muse! She is enthralled by nature and the changing seasons seem catches her fancy.

This intuitive feeling of the subject is evident in her landscape paintings. Her works are an impression of direct observations and much as she relies on the painting the traditional settings, her execution continues to differ in every artwork.

The considerable skill in expressive brushwork that represents the essential character of each topographical element in her work is commendable.

The layering and the disjointed elements of her landscape suggest many stages of development – a thought out process of textural variety. And yet there is spontaneity and fearlessness in her colour application which is both exhilarating and refreshing.

Gisela has been teaching Art and French for more than 20 years, and continues to live in Germany.

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INDIAN SUMMER - mixed media monotype and featherdrawing - 29 x 41 cm OPPOSITE PAGE-CLOCKWISE TOP:

IT’S SNOWING - etching handcoloured with aquarell - 26 x 19.5 cm

FARFALLA BLU - mixed media monotype and featherdrawing - 27.5cm x 27 cm MYSTICAL FOREST - watercolor on silk - 15 x 15 cm BLACK RAINBOW - acrylic on canvas - 65 x 85 cm

NIGHT OVER THE CITY - acrylic on cardboard - 50 x 70 cm

The intuitive feeling of the subject is evident in Gisela’s landscape paintings.

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Germany

Hans Doller “My art is surreal visions of my philosophy and societal critiques.”

The German-born painter, Hans Doller is a visionary artist.

Educated in art theory and its application from Munich, Germany, he was gifted with a vivid imagination since his childhood. He had the opportunity to travel and live in various countries. This interaction with different cultures has given Hans’ artwork a global appeal. His painting series, ‘Humanity in Progress’ is a direct result of his travels. As is his work ‘Global Warming’, an outpouring marked by his concern for the environment. “It is my intent and my obligation as a global citizen to sow a seed for an attitude change towards our environment,” says this eco-conscious artist.

A surrealistic artist, using bold colors and fantastic forms, his artwork though strikingly aggressive, is strangely calm, harmonic and pleasing to the eye. To enter his world, one must put aside the ordinary. For Hans, a mountain is a tree is a man, and it all retrogresses to pure energy, the starting point of creation.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then an exhibit of Hans’ work is virtually a library of thoughts and ideas. He is able to unleash his imagination where his psyche has the power to reveal the contradictions. The viewer may be offended by his works but is still compelled to see these surreal visions as sincere messages of his philosophy and societal critiques. All in technicolor for the world to see, to feel, to understand and to eventually learn from.

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THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MY EDEN - oil on canvas - 95 x 135 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: LOVE WITHOUT LIMITS - oil on canvas - 88 x 105 cm HOPE - oil on canvas - 95 x 135 cm YOU TOO CAN FLY - oil on canvas - 105 x 120 cm MELONCHOLY - oil on canvas - 85 x 10s cm ME - oil on canvas - 95 x 135 cm

A surrealistic artist, using bold colors and fantastic forms, Hans artwork though strikingly aggressive, is strangely calm, harmonic and pleasing to the eye.

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India

Hiral Artist “My Paintings are interpretations of nature through my eyes… as I see it..”

Artist Hiral, a self-taught Indian artist from Gujarat, India, is an architect by profession. She makes different kinds of paintings like abstract, portrait, contemporary, and Modern Art. Her meditative and spiritual paintings radiate a lot of positive energy as do her landscapes, which are expressively fascinating. The straightforward forms itself showcases her understanding of the subject. Art means a step towards nature leading to infinity. The artist is more at ease when she derives her inspiration from nature. Her landscapes canvases inhabit the urban as well as the countryside. The beauty of the colourful, open countryside fascinates her, and is apparent in these works. A distinctive technique, complementing effervescent colors and masterful strokes, which mesmerizes the viewers, distinguishes her from other artists.

Hiral’s thick application of saturated colors is in complete harmony with the muted hues to balance the composition.

The paint is applied in swift, sweeping strokes, and in some parts, the broad flat brush strokes endure precisely. These bold brushstrokes and textural effect create a yearning to touch. The painting has a unique look because it reveals a familiar subject in a completely different way. It appears as though the exterior denuded away to see within the subject, and more emphasis is on the physical action it took to paint it. Red dominates these landscapes, representing energy and passion, is well-balanced with intense greens. Her painting is a perfect confluence of colors and feelings moulded to beauty.

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Hiral’s meditative and spiritual paintings radiate a lot of positive energy as do her landscapes, which are expressively fascinating.

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x x x x

24 24 18 18

in in in in

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Indonesia

Ida Bagus Alit “A real artist is free and strives to create his own unique work.”

Balinese artist Ida Bagus Alit aka Gus Alit, as he is affectionately known, is a painter, sculptor, photographer, event organizer and art collective leader. President of the Bali Indonesia Sculptures Association (BIASA), Gus Alit is also a collector of beautiful sculptures and carvings which he proudly displays throughout his family home, Griya Satria Art House, where he often gets visitors. Off late, young couples and also newly-weds, dressed in traditional costumes, stop by for a professional photoshoot against the backdrop of his beautiful house.

His passion for photography has drawn him along two distinctive paths - documenting Balinese religious ceremonies and capturing the unique traditional costumes that characterize separate villages. A self-taught artist, his initial inspiration came from studying his artist father, Ida Bagus Agung. Beneath his eccentric persona, there is an aristocratic air about him, especially when he adorns his traditional costume and reading glasses.

Gus Alit’s canvases are like looking at Bali through a kaleidoscope - a unique combination of the ritualistic, the imaginative and the surrealistic. “True art must come from the heart,” he says. He mostly works in acrylic on canvas and creates lyrical, dreamlike scenes where his protagonists are a creation of his imagination. His large compositions, some measuring over 4 meters in width, have themes taken from his culture, for example, Tri Hita Kirana, the Balinese philosophy of three-fold harmony between man, nature and the gods.

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THIS PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM: ANOTHER WORLD - acrylic on canvas - 120 x 180 cm FRIENDSHIP - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP BLUE HARMONY - acrylic on canvas - 120 x 180 cm SUMMIT MEETING - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm FREEDOM - acrylic on canvas - 120 x 180 cm

Gus Alit’s canvases are like looking at Bali through a kaleidoscope - a unique combination of the ritualistic, the imaginative and the surrealistic.

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Uruguay

Ignacio de Mattos “My paintings have an important connection with nature and a spiritual inner world without abandoning the aesthetic language.”

Ignacio De Mattos is a Uruguayan abstract, independent painter. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital, and raised in Tacuarembó, he was very interested in art history and attended several workshops such as those developed by veteran fine artists. His early works are experimentation with various mediums and techniques while giving importance to colour as a prime compositional element. He says, “Colour is very important for me and the reaction it gets in people.”

The patterns he developed are far from being reticent or constraint. They seize an unusual variety of formal ambiguity, falling in two conflicting categories. One set, he applies layers upon layers of paints – with a brush, with a knife, and even dripping it on to his panel, letting his inside Pollock out. And the other set, he painstakingly scrapes the paint, removing the top layers, in thatch-like patterns, to reveal the colours beneath. Appearing very tactile and sculpted, you feel an impulse to trace your fingers along its contours to perceive it genuinely and accurately.

Analysis of the abstract and looking beyond the visual idiosyncratically, we find in Ignacio’s paintings a connection with nature and a spiritual inner world, which, without abandoning the aesthetic language, gives off a feeling that something or a space is deliberately covered up, and in parts excavated in haste; the vagaries of which leave the viewers guessing in wonderment.

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Ignacio’s paitings appear very tactile and sculpted, you feel an impulse to trace your fingers along its contours to perceive it genuinely and accurately.

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Australia

Ilona Jetmar “My paintings attempt to connect with a lost heritage whilst revealing the dislocated cultural practices of the Hungarian diaspora.”

Ilona Jetmar was born in Vienna and immigrated to Australia with her family in 1970. She has completed her practice-led PhD at Deakin University in the School of Communication and Creative Arts, Victoria, Australia, where she had also taught for the eleven years, and for the past three years, is teaching at Eastern College Australia in the Bachelor of Visual Arts degree.

Her contemporary art practice is an exploration of her East European cultural heritage, which was also the topic of her PhD thesis. “In my experience, growing up in Australia after emigrating from Europe I have observed the reification of cultural practices by those in the Hungarian diaspora,” she explains. It is through her artwork she attempts to reconcile and connect with a lost heritage while revealing the dislocated

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cultural practices of this diaspora, which not only works to test her own foundations in a lost culture but interrogate her belongingness to her adopted country.

Ilona’s painting practice is autobiographical and realistically rendered. Her art practice is an attempt to reconcile and connect with a forgotten heritage through engaging with family archival data such as story-telling, transferred memory, objects and cultural practices whilst revealing the dislocated cultural practices of the Hungarian diaspora. It is an exploration of her own spiritual journey and the questions of identity, place and displacement.

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It is through her artwork Ilona attempts to reconcile and connect with a lost heritage while revealing the dislocated cultural practices of this diaspora and interrogate her belongingness to her adopted country.

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India

Ishita Choudhury “My art is my language; an insight onto my innerworld.”

Indian portrait artist Ishita Choudhury did a Master’s in Visual Arts from Assam University, Assam, India, and currently works as a freelance artist. Her work spins around the portrayal of women in various moods. Women’s freedom, sense of pride, identity, melancholy, desperation, and belligerence despite insurmountable opposition have been expressed adequately through the use of elements like clouds, birds, storms, butterflies, blossoms, wings. Her work is bold and her depiction of women is quite captivating. The colour palette and styling is reminiscent of the Hungarian-Indian 20th Century artist, Amrita Shergill.

Each painting of hers speaks in one tone, one voice – the artist’s own. The facial expressions of her protagonists’, painted in great detail, are the main focus of every painting.

Their sombre faces are turned outward; open to the viewer

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and open to interpretation. They are all calm and hold the

UNTITLED-II- Charcoal on Paper

viewer’s steady gaze. Unflinching. Perhaps with an intention to

DREAM SERIES-VIII - acrylic on canvas

DREAM SERIES-V - mix media on paper

make him uneasy.

Ishita has made effective use of complementary colors to emphasize emotions, and her portrait is the window to the subject’s soul. Each portrait painting is an entry into the culture and indicative of a moment in time. She uses dark outlines around shapes. The face has been painted with finesse, while the other parts of the art have bright colored paint applied in dabs. The artist paints in acrylic medium, charcoal, and mixed media.

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Each painting of Ishita’s speaks in one tone, one voice – the artist’s own. The facial expressions of her protagonists’, painted in great detail, are the main focus of every painting.

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Croatia

Jadranka Šarić “My ability to paint I consider an innate gift that am very thankful for and do it with great pleasure.”

Jadranka Šarić was born in the town of Bjelovar. An amateur painter, she considers herself lucky to have this innate gift. Whilst doing her graduate studies in Agronomy Engineering, in Križevci, Croatia, she alongside pursued a 3 months intensive painting course. However, marriage, children and other family responsibilities dissuaded Jadranka from following a full-fledged painting career earlier in her life, but she has come back to it now. “After her children have grown up and become quite independent, I decided to renew my gift and have been painting intensely for almost two years now,” she says happily, and sincerely hopes to perfect her talent and make up for the lost years of non-painting.

Nature is her muse! Living in a picturesque and scenic surrounding, Jadranka is happiest when walking alongside the river Novčica, which is just 30 metres from her home, just soaking in nature’s beauty. She takes many photographs from various angles and at various times of the day of this beautiful scenery and then, back in the studio, creates her own compositions from these photographs.

Her medium of choice is oil paints, which suit her detailed and realistic style of work. One literally ‘feels’ the changing seasons of her paintings – the warmth from the inviting and sprightly lush greens of the summertime, to the cool waft of the greys, sombre ochres and reddish browns of autumn.

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COLORS REDUCTION - oil on canvas BALM - oil on canvas

ALONE WITH MYSELF - oil on canvas AFTER THE FIRE - oil on canvas

Jadranka’s medium of choice is oil paints, which suit her detailed and realistic style of work.

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USA

James Hall “I love painting nature. Particularly water, and include it in many of the landscapes I paint.”

James Hall is an American artist who while studying at Waterford High School in Connecticut fell in love with art. This was the time he started doing sculptures of animals in stained glass and plaster of Paris. His first painting was done at the St. Gregory’s Abbey, Oklahoma, USA, where he was studying to become a monk, which was his first calling. Responding to the second calling painting, James started taking art classes at the Abbey, and then later at Oklahoma Baptist University. “The Abbey introduced me to paintings from all over the world,” he says.

The death of his mother in the early 90s was a tragedy put James into a severe depression. And he stopped painting for almost 20 years! He resumed painting after moving into a large apartment and which he made into an art studio.

In his early years, the Impressionists made quite an impact on James. Later, while he was studying to be a monk at the Abbey, he was struck with admiration for the works of Late Rev. Gregory Gerrer, an artist and an art historian, who was also commissioned

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to do a portrait of Pope Pius X.

Fall in Connecticut - oil and canvas - 48” x 30”

James loves water, so it’s no surprise that many of his landscapes are focused around water. His landscapes are dramatic where every stroke is put down with a lot of passion; every colour applied with reverence of his spiritual background. The landscaped vistas of jagged mountainous seashores, the sea, the waterlilies and all of nature’s creations are lovingly illustrated by the artist onto his canvas.

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The Stream - oil on canvas - 36” x 36”

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Wilmington, North Carolina - oil on canvas - 48” x 36” Christmas in Connecticut - oil on linen - 30” x 24”

James loves water, so it’s no surpise that many of his landscapes are focused around water

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Haiti

Jean Venet Senatus “Art is what helps us to understand life and appreciate the World.”

Jean Venet Senatus is a Haitian Artist inspired by his elder brother Jean Louis Senatus, a renowned artist. He learned drawing from his brother and other family members, including father, brothers, sister, and cousins, all being in the art profession.

Jean began as an Art Teacher in College St Etienne in Haiti, teaching drawing and ceramics. After which he went to New York Institute of Technology and received a BFA in Graphics Design, followed by an associate degree in Photography and Mathematics.

Jean is unable to think of his life without art and does not spend a single day without his brushes. Within his art-space exists an entirely another world. He learned different techniques and

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styles filled up with experimentation. He started with chimerical landscapes with blue and green dominating his artworks. Then he experimented with contemporary arts, which gave him the real recognition. The Modern Art Museum in Martinique, Paris, under the auspices of Haitian Galerie Monnin, displayed his artworks.

Life’s reality and the world around him provoke the theme; next, his imagination takes over altogether. He works in an acrylic medium to explore imitation of the prevalent events incorporated with the internal thought process. The exaggeration and distortion technique he adopted to emphasize the human emotions adds a spark to his artworks. He uses intricate line work to create rhythm and convey his message. Although themes are realistic based on his experience, the treatment of it is creative, where there is a clear distinction between ‘art’ and ‘life.’

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The exaggeration and distortion technique he adopted to emphasize the human emotions adds a spark to his artworks. He uses intricate line work to create rhythm and convey his message.

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USA

John Bacon “I want to create an empathy with the viewer; have them ‘feel’ the painting before seeing it.”

John Bacon is an abstractionist from Idaho, USA. He resides in Coeur d’Alene, ‘the Lake City,’ and is a practicing orthopaedic surgeon and an avid collector of abstract art. He continued his medical profession but his love for art, grew more profound with passing time and led to actualize this passion.

John’s paintings are characterized by a distinctive use of color and form. He predominantly paints in acrylic but does not shy from using natural earth pigment in oil. The curvilinear lines dominate the artworks, leading the eye to wander continuously thought-out the canvas. He creates intuitively without a preconceived idea, and throughout the process, the painting speaks as it grows. Depending on the direct emotions, he creates without inhibition with infinite possibilities. The

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spontaneity on the canvas transpires through the brush strokes,

OUT OF FOCUS - acrylic on canvas - 48 x 72 in

which is more to be felt than seen.

MISSY - acrylic on canvas - 36 x 48 in

STRANGE COUPLE - natural earth pigments in oil - 36 x 48 in THE GHOST OF PICASSO - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 40 in

The viewer connects at the conscious level and feels empathy.

Although John’s paintings are non-representational, his compassion towards humanity can be felt visibly through his creations. The closeness to life and death associated with his medical profession is noticeable in the paintings. His inner soul has subconsciously poured on the canvas with a muted grey, choice of earth colors, cold blues to connote acceptance to the duality of life. His art perception is evident in how he uses the medium to communicate to the best of his advantage. It is an epitome, which leads the spectator to think, feel, question, find out, realize, and acknowledge.

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John creates intuitively without a preconceived idea, and throughout the process, the painting speaks as it grows.

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USA

Joyce C Mayer “My art is for everyone! If I do the shading and color mixing just right, even a color-blind person can perceive the essence of my painting.”

Joyce C Mayer is an American artist who got back to art a 30year break and rediscovered the magic of Colored Pencils. It was a workshop she took in 2015, which re-introduced her this medium in an entirely different way. “The instructor encouraged me to exhibit my art”, she says. “So my first artwork from that workshop studio was entered in an exhibition the very same year.

It hung along with a group of extraordinary artists of the Colored Pencil Society of America.” This jump-started her art journey!

From there on, there was no stopping her. She has now shown her work in many art events and won many awards while having her art published.

The core purpose of her art is color study using colored pencils.

Each artwork is a painstaking application of layers of colours.

She uses the transparent and textural quality of the medium to create astonishing effects. The viewer feels subtleties of the rendering of her subjects through her paintings.

It is Joyce’s goal is to use colors and shading so effectively, that every person viewing her paintings is able to enjoy the entire spectrum. “If I do the shading and color mixing just right, even a color-blind person can perceive the essence of my painting,” says Joyce.

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Her subjects are varied; from geometrical abstracts, to still life,

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to landscapes. Having only one thing common- the use of vivid

GRAPES OF WRATH - Berol Prismacolor pencils on Bristol Vellum - 20 x 20 in

color applied with great sensitivity, reflecting her inner artist.

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SITTIN BY THE DOCK OF THE BAY - Prismacolor premier pencils on Strathmore 400 paper - 28 x 22 in ACADIAN SPLENDOR - Prismacolor premier pencils on Gray Matboard - 24 x 32 in FIRST KISS - Berol Prismacolor pencils on Bristol Vellum - 14 x 17 in

IN ABSTRACTO - Prismacolor premier pencils on Duralar paper - 12 x 12 in

The core purpose of Joyce’s art is color study using colored pencils.

Each artwork is a painstaking application of layers of colours.

Joyce uses the transparent and textural quality of the medium to create astonishing effects.

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Taiwan

Jung-Chih Chang “Painting is a way for me to express my feelings and thoughts of all the beautiful and interesting things I see in my life.”

Jung-Chih Chang is a young Taiwanese artist for whom painting is sharing artistry, virtuosity, and inspiration with art admirers. She is a kindred soul; in touch with and inspired by nature.

Acrylic is her medium of choice, with which she able to express every feeling or thought of all the beautiful and exciting things in life. Her everyday experiences, while shopping, at the park, or the scene of a dog guarding the fowl, almost anything seen around her, becomes a subject for her painting Chang has a unique style of painting, where lines dance with colors. Her every artwork is a deep love affair with nature.

The joy of sharing is the underlying narrative of her oeuvre, where she takes elements as simple as a fruit to demonstrate it. “Life is full of instances showing how to share,” she says.

“This simple yet powerful thought I try and incorporate into my paintings.”

Each of Chang’s painting is a story in itself. Even though the inspirations are from her experiences, the execution of these ideas is ingeniously incorporated in an emotional expression of the theme. Her images come into action on her canvas. Like a memory overlap, superimposed atop each other, and play out as a movie reel, spinning a tale of fantasy. When the mind flies cheerfully as a butterfly the colours follow that path, tracing a billowing trail behind in vibrant and varied hues.

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Chang’s images come into action on her canvas. Like a memory overlap, superimposed atop each other, and play out as an movie reel, spinning a tale of fantasy.

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USA

Karen Brockbank “I am drawn to painting the face. I like capturing the essence of the subject, getting to the personality behind the visage.”

Karen Brockbank is an American artist living in Southern California. Family ideologies and obligations led her to be pushed into getting a regular career. She got herself a real estate license and worked many years in sales working for developers, helping families purchase a new home.

Her interest in painting developed gradually when she was in her late 20’s when she slowly started spending more and

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OLD WORLD ARCHITECTURE - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 40 cm

more time painting. This is when she realised her calling. She

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educated herself in the finer points of painting, learnt some

LIBERATION - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 40 cm

new techniques and has been painting since.

TUSCANY GARDEN - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm CARMENS FANTASY - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 40 cm MORNING COFFEE - acrylic on canvas - 55 x 71 cm

Portraits are the mainstay of Karen’s art. Most frequently it’s only a solitary figure, set in everyday usual situations.

Sometimes even her compositions have a portrait-like appeal to them. Dramatic poses that are intense and surreal at times, conveying the whiff of a personal world.

“I love drawing people and I am particularly drawn to the expression, especially the eyes where one sees the soul reflected,” she explains. “I am always striving to capture that essence. It is not just the beauty of the painting but a feeling one experiences as they view a piece. It is in that feeling where the story lies.”

Aside from just catching the likeness, Karen manages to catch a perfect moment, an atmosphere of languor and relaxation, with the figures being very real, rather than ideal.

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Sometimes Karen’s compositions have a portrait-like appeal to them.

Dramatic poses that are intense and surreal at times, conveying the whiff of a personal world.

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Greece

Katerina Kaloumenou “My painting are subjective, arousing differing emotions, depending upon people’s individual experiences.”

Katerina Kaloumenou was born in Athens, Greece and graduated from the School of Fine Arts in Painting. She has studied Hagiography, Mosaic and Scenography and is also a member of the Chamber of Fine Arts in Greece.

Katerina started her creative journey working for a publishing house as an Illustrator. She has experience with mosaic and has worked at creating mosaics artworks for churches and done several other commissioned works. She also engaged in the art of making portable Byzantine Icons.

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She believes in ‘Healing through Art’ and with this vast experience

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in varied fields has strengthened her artistic prowess, as she

FEELINGS - collage with paper - 150 x 100 cm

aspires to make a difference in people’s lives with her art. Being

STREAM - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 60 cm

her own interpretations of Greek landscapes they, at times, burst

In her paintings, colors emerge from a white bright light, churning and casting forth, in a pattern; rolling, swirling and billowing like a large undulating mass. It’s the unrest of the artist manifesting here in these landscapes, the artist’s discord and discontent.

forth with electrifying energy and at times, are calm and peaceful.

“Occasionally, the inspiration may come through listening to a song or a religious hymn, or just by seeing a beautiful scenery in front of me,” says Katerina. In her paintings, colors emerge from a white bright light, churning and casting forth, in a pattern; rolling, swirling and billowing like a large undulating mass. It’s the unrest of the artist manifesting here in these landscapes, the artist’s discord and discontent. Each moment rippling and heaving as a wave in the sea, and then crashing on the shore, drenching the rocks, each splatter is a rapid brush stroke, applied with fluidity, matching the energy of the scene.

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DEW DROPS - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 80 cm

BETWEEN THE WAVES - collage with paper - 100 x 70 cm

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USA

Kevin McCoy Jackson “My art is very spiritual. It allows me to explore the limits of creativity, all while embracing life to its fullest.”

Kevin McCoy Jackson is an artist born in Texas, USA, who sees art in almost everything. Although he has a technical background professionally, he continues his art practice as a parallel vocation.

A highly spiritual man, Kevin sees a silver lining in even the toughest situation. “I always look on the bright side of life,” he says with a smile. Walking this spiritual path allows him to explore the limits of creativity, an attitude which perhaps emulates in his artwork.

Kevin’s digital art is like looking through a kaleidoscope, with colours bursting forth; forms shapeshifting, intersecting to an all-encompassing perspective which goes beyond any conventional marker. Creating its own identification device. It is as if he puts a spotlight on a disjointed memory, where light sparkles on its multi-faceted diamond-like surface, dazzling and overwhelming. Awestruck with its intensity, the viewer continues to gaze at it, like a deer staring transfixed at the light source.

Kevin’s art ranges from digital abstract, which he prints out on metallic paper, to photorealism drawn by hand. “As a craftsman, I often create art from reclaimed and recycled mediums thereby limiting my footprint on our beautiful Earth,” this environmentalist artist proclaims.

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Kevin’s digital art is like looking through a kaleidoscope, with colours bursting forth; forms shapeshifting, intersecting to an all-encompassing perspective which goes beyond any conventional marker.

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again - digital art on metallic paper - 30 x 40 in

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coldplay - digital art on metallic paper - 30 x 40 in

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REMEMBER digital art on metallic paper 30 x 40 in

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CONTENT digital art on metallic paper 30 x 40 in

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Afrique Art Gallery - Ivory Coast

Morocco

Khassal Zohra “Nothing fascinates me more than taking my brushes and directing my energy onto a canvas.�

Khassal Zohra, an artist of Moroccan origin, currently resides in England. Her parents noticed her interest in art, and sent her to Brixton college, where she studied painting and art history, followed with graduation in Graphic Design and Communication from Goldsmiths University, London.

She commenced her professional career as a fashion journalist for various magazines and worked alongside with leading fashion designers, photographers and models. Khassal is recognized as one of the most renowned fashion and music reporters in England and the USA. Throughout her professional career, her love for art never abridged, her artistic talents over the years reigned.

An abstract artist and a sculptor, Khassla works with a brush, but in many of her paintings, water and a gust of wind, is all she requires! She blows the paint particles on the canvas and configures them as stalactite lagoons in other desired shapes.

Two essential elements of life – water and the air, are her prime source of inspiration. Light too is the focus in many of her artworks.

When creating, her instincts take lead and precedence over the mind; the artistic process consumes her. She proceeds unplanned and knows when to stop precisely. The bright colors, texture, and rhythm are the main characteristics of her artworks; they move through space and directly impact the spectator. Her wood painted sculpture resemble masks with an ethnic touch.

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mine d’Or - acrylic on canvas – 70 x 100 cm Red Moon - acrylic on canvas - 100x100 cm

An abstract artist and a sculptor, Khassal works with a brush, but in many paintings, water and a gust of wind, that is all she requires!

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India

Krupa Shah My works stem from the deep spiritual thread that runs through us and binds us in this universe.

Krupa Shah is an abstract artist from the bustling city of Mumbai, India. An art aficionado, a philanthropist, an entrepreneur, and a mentor to the young generation, she has been artistically inclined since a little girl. She developed her own individualistic style as a teenager.

Krupa is not only a successful painter but also a commissioned and successful sculptor. Her sculptures, primarily in fibreglass and stainless, are an extension of her

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KNOWING YOUR INNERSOUL - acrylic on canvas - 24 x 72 in COMPASSION AND LOVE - acrylic on canvas - 36 x 48 in

thoughts, grace many gardens, exuding positive vibes, and creating a relaxed mood. She is deeply influenced by the Indian culture and religion. As seen in her signature collection, Abhiscka, based on a conch shell, and features both in her sculptures and her paintings. “The conch symbolizes prosperity, wisdom, longevity, and revered as a cleanser of sins,” she explains. “It is the manifestation of the string that binds us together. It’s spiralling contours is a part of human consciousness. its sound reverberates through the universe capturing cosmic energy of the earth– only if one listens closely.”

She makes brilliant use of an analogous color scheme, which endows harmony to the overall composition. The bold and broad-brush strokes, the flow, the effect of texture binds the concept effectively. The warmth of yellow is balanced with the cool blues, demonstrated in the greenish tones

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Krupa’s sculptures, primarily in fibreglass and stainless, are an extension of her thoughts, grace many gardens, exuding positive vibes, and creating a relaxed mood.

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and the luminosity of her artwork radiates happiness, optimism, enlightenment, and spirituality. It weaves within itself the sea’s calmness, cosmic spirituality, and the iridescent colors of the human condition. The vibrant yellow hues muted slightly, contribute to the mysterious and surreal environment.

A socially conscious and aware artist, she has conducted art workshops for the visually impaired kids and for girls from war torn areas, enabling them to create masterpieces with organic colours and special tools. A champion of women education and emancipation has she has been instrumental in raising funds for it through her art and has received several awards for her philanthropic efforts. She was the only Indian woman to be on the panel of Women Economic Forum, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

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Krupa makes brilliant use of an analogous color scheme, which endows harmony to the overall composition. The bold and broad brush strokes, the flow, the effect of texture binds the concept effectively.

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Germany

Krupa Wojciech “The target of my art is to capture moments, and harmonize it using light and shadow.”

Krupa Wojciech, a Polish cardiac surgeon residing in Germany, got interested in art quite recently. About ten years ago, he took a new job challenge, and every weekend he travelled by train to see his family. The boredom of the railroad led him to draw. That was the hour of his transformation, leading to the birth of an artist. He never graduated as an artist, but his sense of light and shadow in the landscapes and composition is incredible.

He started drawing with charcoal, pastel, and watercolor, but now he paints in the oil pastel medium. As a landscape artist he captures light and shadow deftly and these landscapes, with its sparkling color and freshness, have a sense of quiet charm. The vibrant sunny fields, a stream of sunlight breaking through to light up the forests, the grassy meadow, the rustle of leaves as a soft breeze stirs the trees perceives the viewer through his artworks. There is a sense of expressionistic naturalism with a touch of surrealism in his paintings. The sparkle of light across dark green leaves of the trees in the shadow and the yellowish greens of the sun gives a feeling of momentary – as though a quick glimpse of nature as it exists at a particular moment.

Two years ago, motivated by his son’s request, Krupa started sharing his artworks on social media platforms and to no surprise soon developed a huge fan following. His paintings now adorn the walls of many homes.

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As a landscape artist Krupa captures light and shadow deftly and these landscapes, with its sparkling color and freshness, have a sense of quiet charm.

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India

Lalita Sharma “Painting is meditative. The day I paint, I feel its been a purposeful and productive day.”

Lalita Sharma is an Indian artist settled in Dubai, UAE, where she is Head of the Art Department at Delhi Private School, Ajman, UAE. She holds a Master’s Degree in Drawing and Painting and comes from a family of artists.

Seeing her uncle and her elder sister paint, Lalita got inspired and soon adopted it as her profession.

Nature and its events, particularly the Northern Lights phenomenon, both fascinate and inspires Lalita. She represents it in many of her landscapes, along with many misty weather landscapes scenes with birds and flowers. “I like winter the most when fog rolls in and everything around looks peaceful and calm”, she explains. “The fragrance of a flower, the trees, the sounds of birds chirping, moonlight on my window, all of it fills my heart with immense joy, and I channel that feeling onto my artwork.”

Lalita’s art is blissful and flawless, like an earthly perfect paradise. Watercolours are her favourite medium. Every

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LAKEVIEW - watecolour on paper - 15 x 22 in

brush stroke is saturated and precise no matter how

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freewheeling compositions might be. “I don’t try to overly

NORTHERN LIGHTS - watecolour on paper - 15 x 22 in

water control colours,” she says. A sensual colorist, her

LAKEVIEW - watecolour on paper - 15 x 22 in SHELTER - watecolour on paper - 30 x 22 in

joyous manner of handling colors lets them find life and flow of their own. Her unique gestural brushstroke and her fearless use of bright and sprightly colors bring her pristine landscape to life. This superior skilful handling comes from the perfect balance between a verifiable understanding of the medium and life’s experience.

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In Lalita’s artwork every brush stroke is saturated and precise no matter how freewheeling compositions might be.

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Germany

Langer Reiner “My works are inspired by the European

masters with their hyper-realistic images and intricately detailed rendering.”

German-born artist Langer Reiner is an outstanding international artist who has been on the art scene for over 35 years. He is a powder-keg of a dynamic, phantasmic, spectral, surrealistic style all of his own – a fusion-melded art-form, which he studied under Professor Lajos Sebök at Düsseldorf/Neuss.

Langer draws his inspiration from the European oldworld masters Albrecht Dürer and Michelangelo, and their hyper-real images and heavily detailed rendering.

The theatrical stance of his subjects in an ethereal and illusory surrounding gives his works a dreamlike manifestation, passing through the many stages of reality takes us into an alternate world.

Langer’s work is deeply cerebral and highly symbolic. In his works, the fish symbolises that life on earth began in the sea. The bird with wings signifies a release, ready to fly towards freedom. And together it shows the infinite circle of life, meaning that when something dies it gives new life to another existence.

His artworks are the concoction of a surprising and a highly intricately executed technique, where patience and skill required to painstakingly make these fine and

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The theatrical stance of Langer’s subjects in an ethereal and illusory surrounding gives his works a dreamlike manifestation

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NO VICTORY - mixed media collage on paper - 18 x 22 cm THE LOVE - mixed media collage on paper - 20 x 25 cm MYSTERIE- mixed media collage on paper - 30 x 30 cm OPPOSITE PAGE:

MYSTIK/THE DREAM - mixed media collage on paper - 18 x 22 cm

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minute strokes to achieve a breathtaking etchinglike quality. He combines collage, with his drawing and watercolours which results is an creating an exceptionally unique texture reminiscent of old masters’ prints

Langer draws his inspiration from the European old-world masters Albrecht DĂźrer and Michelangelo.

His art is united with his stance against the horrors, atrocities, senselessness and futility of war. He believes that all sides lose so much in the end. This

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personal conviction results in a visual mantra often

Swanlake - mixed media collage on paper - 6 x 9 cm

foreshadowing his art.

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MEDUSA - mixed media collage on paper - 14 x 18 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

THE GOOD FRIEND - mixed media collage on paper - 10 x 15 cm

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Portugal

Leonor Trindade Sousa “My painting is a direct reflection of me and my inner self.”

Leonor Trindade Sousa interest in art awakened right about the time she finished her high school from the Dr Manuel Laranjeira High School in Espinho, a city in which she grew up. She did not have a chance to get formal training in painting, yet, she followed her passion, and with sheer hard work saw her creative self emerge to the forefront.

In her paintings, Leonor dabbles with various oil and acrylic techniques. She uses the power of her brush as a tool to transmit her thoughts and feelings on to the canvas or, at times, her hands. The artist savors the light and texture in all her compositions with elegant tones. Her style oscillates between figurative to abstract. Like all good art, her works are highly subjective, entailing a specific point of departure from the real world. Each painting conveys messages, and her entire work results from perseverance and conflict.

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Her art is a tribute directed towards harmony, unbiased

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freedom, and justice. Women frequently appear as subjects

TRÊS MARIAS - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 120 cm

in their artworks. Her selfless narrative focuses on women and their plight. The forms are simple but convey deep emotions and the presentation is forceful. The hardships Leonor faced shaped her character, her personality, and her inner artist, which is evident in her artworks. Her painting is in the permanent collection of the European Art Museum, Frederiksvaerk, Denmark; and the Caribbean Museum, Colombia.

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EGO - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 120 cm MULHERES DO MUNDO - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 120 cm ANJOS COLORIDOS - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 120 cm CARETOS - oil on canvas - 80 x 120 cm

In her paintings, Leonor uses the power of her brush as a tool to transmit her thoughts and feelings on to the canvas or, at times, her hands.

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Sweden

Lina Forsdahl “My art aspires to possess the power of evoking a multitude of emotions in its viewer.”

Lina Forsdahl is a Polish artist who lives in Sweden since 1981. Her first step to art was to participate in the Talent Test in Famous Artist School “FAS” with commendable results. She started off as a watercolor artist, then switched to oils and now mostly works in acrylic. A big part of her oeuvre is experimenting with hands-on digital manipulation of her original paintings. She has also, simultaneously, earned a considerable reputation as a landscaper and a photographer.

Her paintings narrate stories, encompassing romance, passion, mystery, and poetry. The color nuances make her artwork come alive. Her paintings have a perfect balance of light, harmony, and rhythm and create a positive aura around the audience. “I am fascinated by how much positivity a beautiful piece of art brings to a person’s mind,” she says. “It is capable of can instilling a variety of emotions.”

Her inspiration is anything that is unique in nature, music, fashion, or poetry. Her art harbors a kindled spark and, at the same time, appears soft and dreamy with the cool blues hues she incorporates in her paintings. Lina’s brush strokes are bold and have rhythmic vitality. The deep colors of the background show through the sheer over-layers.

Some of her pictures use glazing techniques, while others have a 3D textural feel.

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Lina’s paintings narrate stories, encompassing romance, passion, mystery, and poetry. Her paintings have a perfect balance of light, harmony, and rhythm and create a positive aura around the audience.

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AN UNFORGETTABLE SCENT - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 80 cm UNIVERSAL BALANCE II - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 80 cm

WHISPER TO YOUR HEART - digitally enhanced of an original oil painting MIGHTY DREAMS - acrylic on canvas - 75 x 100 cm

THE UNFORGETTABLE KISS - digitally enhanced of an original oil painting OPPOSITE PAGE:

DREAMS ABOUT YOU - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 70 cm

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Sweden

Linda Abrahamsson

“I love talking to people with my paintings in a hope to heal the world in the long run.”

Linda Abrahamsson, a Swedish artist whose inner self speaks through art, has been painting since her teens and continually fighting against racism and violence against women, and strives for peace and humanity. She runs a successful business of interior design, but her real passion lies in art.

Linda paints in the oil medium through which she speaks.

She showcased her artwork in galleries in Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, through diverse exhibitions following 1995, and through her gallery. Her painting doesn’t have any specific technique; she pours her soul and lets the canvas do all the talking. Her paintings have a soothing, healing effect on the spectator due to the subtleness, calmness, and trust of blues. Many curvilinear lines are used in artworks to give a sense of rhythm and the eyes navigating throughout the canvas.

Each painting reflects a mood, and even though most of her paintings have a limited palette, her monochromatism taps into human emotions and spirituality. Her artworks provoke personal experiences, dissolving material thinking, opening the mind and spirit to oneness with the infinite universe. Her artwork explores the very nature of art itself in its purest and most objective sense as a reflection of endless space that the viewer can sense.

Non-figurative, non-representational art broken into the simple expression of thoughts without any accurate depiction of visual reality is the essence of Linda’s paintings.

A proud mother of 4 kids, Linda loves skiing, gardening, growing David Austin Roses as much as she loves creating artworks.

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Each of Linda’s painting reflects a mood, and even though most of her paintings have a limited palette, her monochromatism taps into human emotions and spirituality.

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WALK AS YOUR ARE 1 - oil on canvas - 120 x 120 cm WALK AS YOUR ARE 2- oil on canvas - 120 x 120 cm TRUTH - oil on canvas - 40 x 40 cm

MIGHTY POWER DAGLÖSEN LAKE FILIPSTAD - oil on canvas - 120 x 120 cm OPPOSITE PAGE-TOP TP BOTTOM:

PURE HEART - oil on canvas - 80 x 80 cm

THE STARS OF BÄSCKALUND SUNNE - oil on canvas - 120 x 70 cm

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USA

Lucia Baltazar Borges “Art is a continuous process for me, and this urge to paint is a gift bestowed upon me.”

Lucia Baltazar Borges residing in Massachusetts, USA, is a self-taught artist who was lucky to have discovered the pleasure of oil painting in her childhood. She was still living in her home country, Brazil, then. ‘I am not sure how it all began really. I knew I had something inside of me that needed to come out,’ she explains how the artist in her was born. “I believe this inherrent urge to paint is a gift bestowed upon me, to share my experience and inspire others.”

Her artworks express the artist’s inner thoughts and emotions, which compliments her cheerful, effervescent personality. Lucia’s themes are varied and eclectic, ranging from florals, to seascapes, to landscapes. She pretty much paints what she fancies, what catches her attention.

Adopting a realistic style, she colors her paintings with fresh, vibrant hues “It is to spread positivity around”, she says. Lucia transposes her thoughts and emotions into colors, light, and shapes. The subtle brush application blends the color to soft edges which, especially seen in her landscapes. It conjures up a sensation of countless joyous

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WHITE HORSE - oil on canvas - 16 x 20 in OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MARINE - oil on canvas - 21 x 25 in

BIG MOUNTAIN - oil on canvas - 18 x 24 in

AFTER SNOWING - oil on canvas - 20 x 24 in

moments the artist spent out in nature.

Her art seems to tell a story where the artist prevailed, things she has encountered, and emotions they evoked in her. It her way of letting the viewer connect with the artist in her by seeing things through her eyes. “Art lets you see the world through another person’s perspective,”

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Lucia’s themes are varied and eclectic, ranging from florals, to seascapes, to landscapes.

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she explains. It is essential therefore to go beyond the recognition of what is seen with our eyes, which may even include the visual idiosyncrasies that render an artist’s work immediately identifiable. Her ideas are well-executed, have a single purpose - spreading happiness through art. As seen in are her sturdy compositions, her forms are not only accurately rendered, but are sitatued in a space which is,

Lucia’s art seems to tell a story where the artist prevailed, things she has encountered, and emotions they evoked in her.

in some ways, contrived and imagined by the artist. Her methodology remains a secret as her chromatic intensity portrays beauty, and enthrals.

A member of the Brazilian Poetic Academy of CuritibaPR. Occupying the chair number 42-Commendam Patron Thiago de Mello titles for teacher to American children’s

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Art’s Class-Consulesa of the Academy in USA. She is an

RELAXING OASIS - oil on canvas - 16 x 20 in

ardent philanthropist, Lucia donates her artwork every year

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to cause that is close to her heart. She believes sharing for

FISHERMAN - oil on canas - 24 x 46 in

a greater good cradle the best way of giving back.

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QUIET PLACE - oil on canvas - 16 x 20 in

SUNSET - oil on canvas - 20 x 40 in

BOUQUET OF FLOWERS - oil on canas - 16 x 20 in ROSES - oil on canvas - 18 x 22 in

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Lebanon

Mahmoud Alkaaki “My art is a psychological process where my subconscious interacts with the environment and breeds a milieu of ideas to paint” Lebanese artist Mahmoud Alkaaki is a Fine Art graduate. He has been working professionally as a makeup artist also. He has a tight grip on his colour spectrum, and like a master lion trainer, he makes sure that the colours of his artwork follow the brush directions and respond to the textural interactions of the canvases he uses.

As an abstract artist, Mahmoud’s colour palette rally around vivid greens, blazing reds and countless hues of light blues and bluish greys. The movement he creates on his canvas just with his shapes and forms is quite admirable. One sees a multitude of recognisable shapes. And just when you are sure of what you see, it blends to form another shape or becomes a part of a larger form. The choppy sea becomes morphs into sailboats, or one begins to see silhouettes of faces or a bird in the ripples of a cascading waterfall. The view in front is no longer that which is seen in the first glance!

Mahmoud’s painting takes the viewer on a hunt for visuals. After gazing at his painting for a while one begins to see a recognisable shape in the abstract forms. It is not always easy to interpret the meaning of his works. Sometimes these billowing hues don’t take on any identifiable form, relying predominantly on the astute viewer’s perception - open to a subjective interpretation. “I manifest in my drawing human suffering, powerlessness and psychological conflicts,” explains the artist.

His works just draw you in. As one follows the trajectory of his quick, purposeful brush strokes they emulate the thrill of a rollercoaster experience, leaving the viewer enthralled and breathless.

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EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION - oil on canvas - 75 x 75 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM:

HURRICANE - oil on canvas - 50 x 50 cm

LIFE SHADOWS - oil on canvas - 50 x 60 cm

Manuela loosens the rein of her imagination on the artwork. Her current series is inspired by nature and dedicated to the preservation of this wonderful planet.

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Portugal

Manuela Barbosa “My inspiration appears in the moment and its transferred directly onto the canvas.”

Manuela Barbosa is a Portugal born artist who, after having been living in Hamburg, Germany, for over three decades, is now settled in Bornholm, a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, just off the south coast of Sweden.

Interestingly, Manuela’s art career started out as an actor performing in the Hamburg Theatre scene. Simultaneously she was also writing stories for children books and many poems and essays.

Painting mostly with acrylic on canvas, a medium that goes well with her spontaneous and instinctive art-making process, Manuela loosens the rein of her imagination on the artwork. Her current series is inspired by nature and dedicated to the preservation of this wonderful planet. “It is about life’s energy, that we are one with planet mother (Gaia), and in a state of constant flux,” she explains.

Her inspiration arises within and is transferred directly to the canvas. This inspiration, for the most part, comes from a mixture of characters and symbols. A vivid narrative of perplexing and mysterious stories that arise from the life of these characters. A range of mythical characters finds their expression in a multi-tude of colours on her canvas. This spiritual imagery connection puts Manuela’s art in a metaphysical realm.

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Manuela loosens the rein of her imagination on the artwork. Her current series is inspired by nature and dedicated to the preservation of this wonderful planet.

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MANA, MAMA - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 100 cm ALL IS ONE - acrylic on canvas - 20 x 20 cm

TRANSFORMATION - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 100 cm RESURRECTION - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 100 cm WE ARE ONE - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 80 cm OPPOSITE PAGE:

FRED SOUL - acrylic on canvas - 70 x 50 cm

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Italy

Marcello La Neve “My art is figurative, but not in the classical sense. I use figures only to tell the story.”

Marcello La Neve is an Italian artist who currently lives and works in Cerisano, in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. He graduated from the “Umberto Boccioni” State Art School which is centrally located in the lively city of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy. A highly applauded and sought-after artist Marcello has many commissioned works under his belt. He gifted of one of his works, titled ‘Rosa Mistica’, to His Holiness Pope Francis.

Marcello’s works are figurative. But not in the classical sense. The artist in his works, therefore, goes beyond the classic academic figuration and comes to develop his own expressive language. His stylistic sensitivity makes the bystander participate in what he observes.

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THE DIVINE DRAWING - oil on canvas 60 x 80 cm

The soul is the protagonist in his works. The feelings of a

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soul aware of its present metaphysical reality alienate itself

FOGLIE AL VENTO - oil on canvas - 50 x 70\

from it, wanders in the labyrinths of the psyche. And the

THE GAME OF DESTINY” oil on canvas 70 x 70 cm THE PHILOSOPHICAL BEAUTY - oil on canvas - 50 x 70cm THE RAIN OF ROSES - oil on canvas - 70 x 70

maestro Marcello, narrates the tale of this enlightened soul through his artwork, interpreting its trials and tribulation to the viewer with each of his brushstrokes.

The works of the Marcello explore an ideal state of being, where nature and the human figure become its elements of investigation and go beyond the simple representation and purely visual pleasure. His stylistic sensitivity encourages participation in what he observes. They make its viewer not only aware of his surroundings but encouraging him to seek and reflect on the hidden reality that is beyond.

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The artist in his works, therefore, goes beyond the classic academic figuration and comes to develop his own expressive language.

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Hungary

Mária Csajághy “Through my paintings, I want to give a message of peace, tranquility, and harmony.”

Mária Csajághy was born in Enying city in Hungary but currently lives in Balatonvilágos, Hungary, near Lake Balaton.

She is a painter and also a writer of fiction and fantasy stories.

Mária, a self-taught artist, loves nature and the outdoors.

“The moods of nature are enchanting, but the portrayal of the human body is no stranger to me either.” Many of her paintings are a depiction of parks around her hometown and of sailboats on the Lake Balaton which is close to where she now lives.

Mária’s works, in essence, are in the Luminist style, which advocates that one must immerse oneself in nature in order to experience the true divinity. Her works are marked by a certain rendering of light, a uniform glow that infuses and spreads through her entire canvas. Her paintings realistically rendered,

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reveal no or very little markings of brushstrokes.

SUSET ON THE BEACH - oil on woodpanel - 40 x 50 cm

Oil paints are her medium of choice. “the softness and

AUTUMN MIRROR - oil on canvas - 50 x 70 cm

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smoothness of oil paints help me achieve the effects I

PINES IN BACKLIGHT - oil on woodpanel - 50 x 70 cm

desire”. Mária’s landscapes are not domineering or awe-

SAILING ON THE WAVES - oil on canvas - 50 x 70 cm

inspiring. Instead, they evoke a quiet spirituality and create a contemplative and luminous effect. This quiet radiance is very effectively recreated by the artist with the use of simple slight tonal modulations. The resulting artwork emulates a peaceful and almost meditative quality - a message that Mária is striving to get out into the world through her paintings, a message of peace and harmony.

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SPRING ON THE LAKE BALATON - oil on woodpanel - 50 x 70 cm

FAIRYROSES - oil on canvas - 50 x 70 cm

Mária’s landscapes are not domineering or awe-inspiring.

Instead, they evoke a quiet spirituality and create a contemplative and luminous effect.

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Sweden

Marie Andersson “I paint everything that inspires me.”

Marie Andersson, a self-taught artist is an accomplished watercolorist from Östersund, Sweden. She has been painting all her life, drawing inspiration from everything around her, starting from cities, nature, mountains, people, animals.

She has been using watercolor for the last 30 years. Her style is experimental, and her art captures the subject’s soul with passion, boldness, and elegance. Her compositions instil a mood, a subtleness that enthrals and lures the beholder into the tranquillity and serence scenery. She displays a compelling and awe-inspiring style with a prodigious interpretation of light effects that capture the essence of places she paints.

The Swedish mountains and Storsjön’s lake are many nature’s sources for her inspiration in many of her paintings. In most of her artworks, cool blues dominate, imparting serenity, vastness, and divinity. There is a perfect balance of warm colors, too, creating excitement and optimism in her paintings.

The adroitness of creative compositions is equivalent to her amicable landscapes. The colour and form are as important as

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THE FIRST ICE IN JANUARY - watercolor on paper - 56 x 76 cm SPRING EQUINOX - watercolor on paper - 38 x 56 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

MOUNTAIN ARE CALLING AND I MUST - watercolor on paper - 56 x 76 cm WHITE WINE ON THE ROCKS - watercolor on paper - 56 x 38 cm NORTHERN LIGHTS - watercolor on paper - 38 x 56 cm BLUE MAGPIE - watercolor on paper - 38 x 28 cm

WINTER PATH IN THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS - watercolor on paper - 56 x 76 cm

the object she painted. The blue magpie painting reminds us of Eunice Cheung’s portrayal of the most famous Taiwan blue magpie placed in blue and white porcelain vessels, wishing peace for Taiwan and China.

She loves to hold workshops. ‘It’s a privilege to see the light in the eyes of the participants when they understand that nothing is impossible when it comes to painting,’ says the artist.

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Marie’s style is realistic and her art captures the subject’s soul with passion, boldness, and elegance.

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Croatia

Marija Hećimović “My painting is an echo of my thoughts and inner experiences.”

Marija Hećimović was born in Croatia. She did not start out to become a painter but followed a career in corporate finance. It was only after retirement, she became interested in art, especially painting. She took private lessons and attended several workshops to improve her hand.

When Marija started painting, she started with smaller works, almost miniature like. And over time, gaining confidence after entering international exhibitions, and receiving high accolades for it, she started painting in a larger format.

Her landscapes are drawn through the layers of the history of European modern painting to postimpressionism. But they are not always a result of direct observation. They are reflective of an ideal world. The oak tree which once defined a village skyline, ravaged by war, stands no more; but she

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DEAD NATURE - oil on canvas - 30 x 40 cm OPPOSITE PAGE:

HUM - oil on canvas - 60 x 60 cm

finds a way to commemorate it, restoring it to its former glory, resplendent on her canvas. Oh, the tales it could have told!

In some of Marija’s paintings, as she assesses the subject from her immediate perception, a modern abstract form emerges. Here, breaking all traditional rules, she paints in alla prima, which literally means

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In some of Marija’s paintings, as she assesses the subject from her immediate perception, a modern abstract form emerges.

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‘at first attempt’. This spontaneity, at times, sees her paint in rich reds and vibrant yellows; brushed on expressively in hued impasto onto her canvas. And, at times, a more sombre palette comes to the forefront with a detailed chiaroscuro approach. Her motives are more than often inspired by her own environment, which metaphorically symbolize the warmth and beauty of the environment she is in.

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THE COLOR OF THE YOUNG WHEAT - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 70 cm AWAKENING - acrylic on board - 70 x 70 cm THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

IBREŠIĆI 1970 - oil on canvas - 40 x 60 cm SOURCE - acrylic on canvas - 90 x 70 cm

WILD POMEGRANATE - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 50 cm

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Marija’s landscapes are drawn through the layers of the history of European modern painting to post-impressionism.

But they are not always a result of direct observation. They are reflective of an ideal world.

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Netherlands

Marleen Stegeman “I paint because I find painting to be a respite from the burdens of responsibility in the world.�

An artist, poet, sculptor, and a writer, Marleen Stegeman is a multitalented personality who had taken Social Studies as her major in University.

A self-taught artist, she works with acrylic on canvas and mixed media on aquarel paper. Her works show fewer literal qualities and are more abstract and non-objective. Abstraction allows her to see with the mind what she cannot see physically with her eyes, providing its spectators with an intangible and emotional experience. Her art enables to extract the infinite out of the finite being the liberation of the mind and exploration into unknown areas. Her paintings are made with bold and energetic brush strokes and muted hues. In a few artworks, she also uses texture, symbols, and simple geometrical shapes to display the emotion and bring out the subject with conviction. Her pictures are an investigation into obscure zones of the brain. Marleen also creates sculptures in all sizes from various materials- from driftwood to marlstone to steel.

Her poems are in Dutch and English, and here is one of them, I live my life With coloured wings Reach for the stars Oh what beauty it brings Live life to the fullest So no opportunity missed Living my life With coloured wings

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LADY FROM UPSTAIRS - mixed media on aquarel paper - 50 x 70 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

A WALK IN THE WOOD - mixed media on aquarel paper - 50 x 60 cm FLOWER POWER - mixed media on saga paper - 50 x 60 cm TENDERNESS - acrylic on canvas - 70 x 100 cm INNOCENTS - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 40 cm

Abstraction allows Marleen to see with the mind what she cannot see physically with her eyes, providing its spectators with an intangible and emotional experience.

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India

Meenakshi Wadhwa “I paint only for the sheer joy of constantly rediscovering and reinventing my art.”

Meenakshi Wadhwa, a New Delhi, India, based artist, has a Masters in English Literature but paints for sheer joy. A passion that has taken a professional expression leading to various credits and accolades in this space. A contemporary artist, her painting style has Realistic inclinations.

It was during her travels as she explored the world that she discovered ‘doors’. Meenakshi was impressed by their grandiose symbolism and what they must have represented in ancient times. A protective threshold and a welcoming gateway - both represented by the same structure, the duality of which made her greatly appreciate this often

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ornate and richly decorated pathways.

ENCHANTED FAIRY TALE - acrylic on canvas - 18 x 36 in

Whether it is an open door, or a window to a world beyond or a latch left open, the ‘door’ acts as a metaphor of

THE STILLS SOULS - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 40 in OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

DOORWAY TO A DREAM - acrylic on canvas - 20 x 36 in FROZEN TALES - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 36 in

SILENT WATCHERS - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 36 in

different stages of life in her paintings. It is a middle ground between concrete and abstract dualities such as life and death, youth and adulthood etc. “A door expresses an intent on my canvas and opens a dialogue on positivity, dreams and opportunities,’ she explains. “These doorways symbolise a choice - to stay or to go through.”

Meenakshi’s artistic pursuit continues to remain in a constant flux. The experimentation of which sees a bewildering melange of colours emerge as she reinvents her art and expresses it through a myriad composition, colour and texture. This, in turn, curiously alternates between beautiful ecstatic energy and a quiet meditative quality.

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Whether it is an open door, or a window to a world beyond or a latch left open, the ‘door’ acts as a metaphor of different stages of life in Meenakshi’s paintings - a middle ground between concrete and abstract dualities.

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India

Minaaz P. Khera

“People make me want to create. There is a thrill to be able to portray a person just with an expression or a silhouette.”

Minaaz P. Khera is an Indian artist who has been painting for over 25 years. A graduate from the Rajasthan University, India, she went on to do a course in Commercial Arts, and then a Diploma in Multimedia for 2D & 3D Animation.

With a sound art education, Minaaz practices a delightful

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combination of the two disciplines - the commercial art and

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the fine art. She paints in watercolour, charcoal, pencils,

UNTITLED - Acrylic Ink on Linen Canvas - 20 x 44 in

pastels, oils on canvas and oils on porcelain, and each medium has a unique experience for her.

THE LONDON BLUES A - acrylic ink on linen - 24 x 24 in TIBETAN - water colour on paper - 15 x 22 in I THINK - oil on canvas - 36 x 48 in

THE MONK - pastel on printed paper - 22 x 15 in

Her works are figurative and her drawing skills versatile and fluid. “The right colour palette creates a certain magic”, says Minaaz. “There are certain colours that I could never paint with. I know my brush wouldn’t move even if I tried.” Her process is instinctive, and her inspiration comes from the world around her. It could be someone sitting next to her, their striking clothing or even a fleeting image caught from moving car all create her painting narrative. Portraits are her speciality. She loves to bring out the natural character of her subject models and draw that onto her canvas, either with marked expressions of their face or portraying it with suggestive powers of color and a vivid paint palette.

Along with human figures, one often sees writings on her paintings. This is where her graphic art sensibilities come in play, as she draws inspiration from both human and textual forms, imbibing both in her painting.

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Minaaz’s process is instinctive, and her inspiration comes from the world around her. It could be someone sitting next to her, their striking clothing or even a fleeting image caught from moving car all create her narrative.

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India

Nabin Das

“When I was a child I used to draw a lot of different characters - tortoise, umbrella, girl, fish amongst others. All of them now grown up are with me in this world of fantasy that I create.”

Nabin Das is a self-taught artist from West Bengal, India. He creates elaborate and thematically engaging works. He uses common elements to create an extraordinary painting. With flawless precision and complexity, the different components are arranged together – like a puzzle – to create a homogeneous unity. He weaves stories around his paintings.

Surreal in forms, Nabin’s creations entwine thought and use various inspirations from childhood to create unity in multiplicity. All those characters he drew as a child are grown up with him in a world of fantasy, the girl becomes a lady, fishes have a different look, tortoise acquire wings for instance, and they are in a different world but still touching the childhood. In one of his paintings, the Artist’s childhood memories are spread everywhere in the path as he is leaving for a new destination. Some of the imaginary characters take care of all the art materials like colors, canvas, and pencils. In excitement, the Artist removes his mask to disclose the innocence symbolized with the animal face.

He works in acrylic medium, and the unconscious mind—which produced dreams—is the source of artistic creativity. There is a creative freedom that he seeks to explore. The unconscious mind is what creates; resulting in dreamlike bizarre imagery. The core of his paintings focuses on automatically illustrating the mind’s deepest thoughts when they surface. His mode of expression involves the uncensored recording of the ideas and images that emerge into consciousness.

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SUDDEN FREEDOM - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 36 in OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: FANTASM - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 24 in

THE DREAM - acrylic on canvas - 30 x 32 in MIND WEB - acrylic on canvas - 72 x 60 in

THE AUCTION - acrylic on canvas - 32 x 36 in

There is a creative freedom that Nabin seeks to explore.

The unconscious mind is what creates; resulting in dreamlike bizarre imagery.

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Canada

Naeem Sachedina “My paintings are highly spiritual - an out pouring of my own emotions stirred by elements of nature.”

Naeem Sachedina is a Toronto, Canada based artist. A completely self-taught, he started painting as a healing therapy, choosing art over managing a highly successful business. This soon became an obsession. Initially, he experimented with abstract expressionism and drip art and later took to working in calligraphic forms and writing the divine and profound name of “Allah” the merciful.

As his creative passion grew, it attracted the attention of his friends, who started appreciating his abstract expressionist

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CONFUSION - acrylic and zinc - 90 x 120 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

style and vigorous gestural forms. This early appreciation

DESERT VISION - drip art, acrylic on canvas - 100 x 150 cm

from art lovers, collectors and art critics led him to take his

TRANCE - abstract drip art - acrylic on canvas - 90 x 120cm

art seriously and further develop it. Since his inaugural solo

WOMAN ON CAMEL - acrylic on canvas - 90 x 120 cm TRIBAL DANCE - acrylic on canvas - 90 x 120 cm

exhibition in Toronto, Naeem’s work has grown exponentially.

Naeem’s canvases are alive as they radiate light, energy and motion. His action painting technique can only be experienced and cannot be described. It is truly a pleasure to see him at work. The process, though messy –with all pouring, splattering and dripping paint, the output is brilliant! It allows Naeem to bridge the subconscious and the conscious states and transcend from an abstract to a physical plane.

As energetic and compelling his paintings seem to be, they are not created with complete abandonment. They are neither meticulously planned either. It’s a prudent mixture of the

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Naeem is a non-objective and sensitive painter, who is driven purely by his own unique sensibilities. His sole interest is in pouring out his emotions on canvas.

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two – a balanced game of chance and control; of letting loose and then pulling back. He doesn’t hegemonize the outcome of his art piece, nor does he ever let it get out of his control. Like steering a boat out of rough waters; Naeem at times lets it ride the waves, and at times, deliberately manoeuvring it. The end result is a balance of angst and tranquillity, both in the same space, marked by him and his own shift in gears as and when inspiration comes to him.

Naeem is a non-objective and sensitive painter, who is driven purely by his own unique sensibilities. His sole interest is in pouring out his emotions on canvas. A Sage artist, a Sufi, he follows his inner calling. His paintings exhibit spiritual healing and sensitive emotions that touch the innermost depths of your heart.

By Ali Adil Khan Founder and Director, South Asian Gallery of Art, Toronto

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DESERT VISION - drip art, acrylic on canvas-100 x 150 cm

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NETWORK - mixed media on canvas - 100 x 150 cm

NAKED VISION - Abstract drip art -Acrylic on canvas -100 x 150 cm DOG DAY - Abstract acrylic on canvas - 90 x 120 cm

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India

Neena Singh “I paint because I love to create. There is no better form of meditation that satiates the soul and gives peace of mind” Neena Singh was born in the city of Kanpur, India, but spent most of her years in the culturally rich city, Jabalpur in central Indian state, Madhya Pradesh. An educationist, author and art conservator, Neena started painting at a tender age of 13 and the artist in her has been evolving since. She is an M. Phil in Chemistry; an MSc. Ecology and Environment; and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Fine Arts.

The scenic nature impacts Neena’s aesthetics

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DYNASTY OF MARBLE ROCKS 03 - oil on canvas - 30 x 24 in DYNASTY OF MARBLE ROCKS 01- oil on canvas - 24 x 18 in

sensibilities. A voracious reader and music lover, she assimilates all she can to gratify her creative soul. Oil color is her medium of choice, and is equally proficient in acrylics, watercolor and pastels.

Neena’s landscape paintings examine a familiar subject from a uniquely multifarious perspective. “Intuition is my guide and while improvisation is my companion,” says this versatile and prolific artist. Her sturdy compositions and the strikingly colored hues make the viewer catch their breath at this grandeur of nature she represents in her paintings – so fresh and vibrant. She experiments with various textures, color and light to express the grandeur of the marble rock jutting out of beautiful Narmada river.

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Neena’s landscape paintings examine a familiar subject from a uniquely multifarious perspective.

“Intuition is my guide and while improvisation is my companion,” says this versatile and prolific artist.

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The artist’s methodology and pictorial experience are reminiscent of the Himalayan landscapes of the Russian painter Nicolas Roerich’s that instil in the viewer the same sense of wonderment.

Neena displays the same sensitivity and dexterity in her portrait and paintings on social issues. An innovator, she holds a patent for ‘Almond Shell Ink’ developed using a traditional technique for

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DYNASTY OF MARBLE ROCKS 26 - oil on canvas - 24 x 18 in

conservation of archival material. She currently

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resides in Pune, India, and is close to her Indian

DYNASTY OF MARBLE ROCKS 37- oil on canvas - 24 x 18 in

roots and appreciates indigenous folk art.

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An innovator, she holds a patent for ‘Almond Shell Ink’ developed using a traditional technique for conservation of archival material.

DYNASTY OF MARBLE ROCKS 49 - oil on canvas - 36 x 30 in DHUANDHAR WATER FALL 04 - oil on canvas - 48 x 36 in

DYNASTY OF MARBLE ROCKS 09- oil on canvas - 11 x 8 in

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Afrique Art Gallery - Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast

Néma Noaly Onésime “Through my works I want people be made aware of the suffering in the world.”

Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) artist Néma Noaly Onésime, studied painting in the Regional Conservatory of Arts and Crafts of Abengourou (CRAMA), then the Technical Center of Applied Arts of Bingerville (CTAA) and the National Higher Institute of Arts and Cultural Action (INSAAC).

Néma is part of the new generation of young contemporary artists campaigning for our societies’ noble values. The central theme of his paintings is the representation of exploitation of children and their miserable condition around the world through his artworks. He aspires to make aware the sensitive people to acknowledge the unjust, cruel, and harmful treatment towards children prevailing in different societies.

He works in mixed media, that includes acrylic, ink, pastel, and collage. He paints in a figurative genre in a classic and

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FILLE DE JOIE - acrylic and collage - 130 x 110 cm LA PRIÈRE - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 60 cm

TÊTE HAUTE - acrylic and collage - 50 x 60 cm ESPOIR - acrylic and collage - 50 x 60 cm

LE REGARD - clay on canvas - 100 x 100 cm

imaginative style. The use of muted hues like blue-greys, earth colors snowballs to the point that the artist aims to bring forward. The use of bar codes as a component of each painting is unique that manifests the commodification of children. The composition uses only part of the canvas for illustration, and the remaining art is mostly empty, with few elements to balance the overall form. The paintings portray despair, loneliness, poverty, and suffering of children through the authoritative use of color, texture, composition, and with confident brush strokes, all indicative creating a powerful intent and convey his message across the audience.

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Néma works in mixed media, that includes acrylic, ink, pastel, and collage. He paints in a figurative genre in a classic and imaginative style.

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Germany

Nenita Zohren “The process of painting is the purest joy of creation and infinitely more important than the finished product.”

Nenita Zohren is a Philippines born artists, currently residing in Germany. She graduated from the Angeles University Foundation, Philippines, with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences.

A self-starter, Nenita starting painting much later in her life, but ever since she did, it has been her first love. Very cleverly and instinctively she creates her

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canvases with just a simple handful of colours, then

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letting her imagination carry her it to the finish line.

NATURE`S EYE - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 50 cm

THE LAST DRAGON - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 80 cm

A recent departure from her figurative works, Nenita has started doing pour acrylic paintings. It gives her more freedom to be painting as it were spontaneous acts, without preplanning.

Air is one of many muses. “It is one thing we cannot survive without,” she says explaining. “The thing that inspires me about is that we are unable to see the wind but we feel it.” She is right, it caresses our skin every so lovingly, and, in its fury, has the power to destroy our habitats. It can be gentle and powerful both at the same time. “Nature inspires me a lot in my artistic world. It´s like inhaling good air when I think about it while painting or creating.”

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Very cleverly and instinctively Nenita creates her canvases with simple handful of colours, then letting her imagination carry her it to the finish line.

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Nenita enjoys the process of painting. She does not obsess on her drawing and painting goals, she just enjoys her practice for its own sake. She rarely makes a sketch before starting out with a new canvas. “Have fun”, she says. “The journey is more important than the destination. The painting process is more important than the finished product.” And she

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is right! Cause once completed, a painting becomes

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a commodity, to bought and resold in the market or auctioned off at great stakes.

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HOT SUMMER - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 40 cm BROKEN RECORDS - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 60 cm UNTITLED - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 50 cm WIND - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 50 cm

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USA

Patricia Spoon “I enjoy colors around me, they are my inspiration to create beautiful works.”

Patricia Spoon is an artist from Virginia State who grew surrounded by art. A medical graduate, always intrigued by art, Patricia was a very active child and a handful to her full-time working mom. It was art that kept her grounded. she painted everything she saw, flowers, rainbows, and landscapes.

Patricia paints in acrylic medium, and her art defies rules and conventions. She makes use of Triadic color schemes.

None of her paintings represents reality, and the brush strokes are random. The process of painting and the experience there off is essential to her than the actual outcome. Her art is all about emotion, and the only element of art used in her artwork is color. All three qualities of color - hue, intensity, and value, come together to create a balanced and vivid composition. The painted surface seems to have a life of its own as it reaches out to stimulate your emotions through color.

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Although the artist’s focus is on playing with colors to create a tranquil array of motion, there is another thing that attracts our attention. The thick handling of paint has induced texture in all her paintings, which gives variety to the artworks, and is an additional contribution to the emotion, spontaneity, and intuitiveness.

She is bestowed with several art awards and has acquired professional recognition internationally.

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All three qualities of color - hue, intensity, and value, come together to create a balanced and vivid composition.

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USA

Paul Henderson “I love to experiment with different mediums and try out various creative methods. It keeps me fresh and invigorated.”

Living in the Northwest, USA, Paul Henderson has always been inspired by his natural environment. He starting sketching and drawings what he observed around him. Soon his drawings became finer and more detailed. After his graduation, he began to seriously study art and attended several college-level courses in art. While working full-time, Paul spent most of his time experimenting and improving his art and later took a course in taxidermy.

Paul was always drawn to the abstract and surrealistic art. In addition to taking college-level art courses, he dedicated his evening and weekends to study under several accomplished artists and gain some invaluable experience. Don Crook, a realistic painter of wildlife, took Paul under his wing and taught him the finer points of composition and colour shading and detailing. Further inspired to improve his art, Paul attended sought out workshops conducted by Daniel E. Green, one of America’s leading portrait painters and pastel artist.

Paul has taught art to high school students and other

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Paul dedicated his evening and weekends to study under several accomplished artists and gained invaluable experience.

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young artists. He works in a variety of medium -

Iconic American Indian images.

acrylic, oil, watercolour and even paints using coffee

“I love to experiment with different mediums and try

as his colour to paint with. Paul also prints available of his original art, which are a great success. His style varies from the abstract to hyper-realistic; from wispy, loose landscapes to fantasy almost surreal compositions; from the Western cowboy images to

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out various creative methods. It keeps me fresh and invigorated,” says Paul. He paints from abstract to super detail, from loose landscapes to creative fantasy spaces, from typical western to iconic American Indian images. “After all variety is the spice of life,’ he says.

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Paul’s style varies from the abstract to hyper-realistic; from wispy, loose landscapes to fantasy almost surreal compositions; from the Western cowboy images to Iconic American Indian images.

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India

Prakash Ambegaonkar “Interpersonal relationships, human connections as well as metaphorical imagery, are the main source of my inspiration.”

Prakash Ambegaonkar is an Architect by profession. After a successful and rewarding architectural career in the USA, he is pegged to painting. His passion for painting led him to travel and study worldwide art movements. He has an immense sense of composition, form, space, and intra-relationships owing to his architectural experience. This background has given him the mature dexterity which forms the backbone of his artwork. Now settled in India, he devotes his full time to painting.

Prakash creates paintings digitally, using non-conventional tools. In his vibrant abstract art work, the emotive charges displayed justify the adherence to an expressionist methodology. His abstract expression is not limited to the derivational, but form created through the baffling coercion of soul search and insights from the subconscious’s depth.

This artist engages you by invoking interest of your mental and cerebral receptors and then takes you on the journey of myriads of possibilities, through his creations. In his work, he uses vibrant hues, objective and non-objective forms, transparencies, solids and voids, the juxtaposition of forms, all blended in a harmonious visual whole.

While explaining his work ethics, Prakash says he strives to satisfy the seeing eye as well as feeling eye, quoting from Paul Klee’s famous expression, “One eye sees while the other eye

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IT IS ONLY MY T SHIRT - hand painted on digital canvas - 32 x 32 in PIPED DREAMS- hand painted on digital canvas - 32 x 32 in

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feels.” He terms his work as “Caspers of the Mind.”

A subtle tone of humor and a deep concern about the quality of life fathoms his works. The effects of urbanization, lack of human interactions, the value of real friendships, meaningful relationships, as well as metaphorical imagery, becomes a source of inspiration for this artist. The forms provide the impression of infinity, abstraction, and purity.

He gives the viewer an opportunity for deep thought and

Prakash’s abstract expression is not limited to the derivational, but he creates form through the baffling coercion of soul search and insights from the subconscious’s depth.

reflection that eventually, everything should fit together in the end. The artworks display a sense of excitement associated with freedom as if trying to stop the particular time of liberation.

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ARTIST & MODEL - hand painted on digital canvas - 32 x 32 in

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India

Priyanka Parhi “Creating a piece of art purely from my imagination or from my life experiences is a way for me to convey my thoughts and express myself.”

Indian artist Priyanka Parhi is a paradox of sorts. A science graduate and currently pursuing a doctorate degree, she continues to fuel her creative side with equal zeal. She started painting at an early age. And after winning a few art competitions at the high school level, gained confidence to continue with this passion. Getting strong encouragement from her parents, she was soon trying her hand in different art materials.

Priyanka creates her art piece from what she observes. “From my imagination or my life experiences,” she explains. “It is way from me to convey my thoughts and express myself.” It

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MORE THAN BROKEN - mixed medium on art paper - 11.7 × 16.5 in

isn’t a mere copy of the world around her, but a reflection of

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it, which has been purified by her senses and has emerged on

DEEP BLUE - acrylic on art paper - 11.7 × 16.5 in

her canvas as an uncluttered expression of that experiences.

PISCEANS - mixed medium on art paper - 11.7 × 16.5 in GLASS HEART - acrylic on art paper - 11.7 × 16.5 in VASES - watercolor on art paper - 11.7 × 16.5 in

She is constantly learning new techniques. “There is still a lot about the art world that’s new to me,” she admits quite frankly. Priyanka, is a true artist who continues to paint from her experiences, and posts it on her Instagram or her blog and receives deluge of positive response and compliments.

Hers is a very unique blend of artistic merit and academic genius... a quite rare, doubly-perceptive, and an outstanding combination in the world of art. Her art speaks volumes to art admirers and serious critics alike.

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Priyanka is a very unique blend of artistic merit and academic genius... a quite rare, doubly-perceptive, and an outstanding combination in the world of art.

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India

Qureysh Basrai “I am living the breathing my passions through my painting.”

Qureysh Basrai, an Indian artist, is an interior designer by profession and passionate about drawing and painting since childhood. He won several competitions at the school level; at 14, he held his first exhibition in the Taj Art Gallery, Mumbai, and was applauded for his creations. He passed Elementary Drawing Examination with distinction but preferred to join his family business.

After 30 years gap, he picked up a brush and now living his dream of being a full-time artist! He is best recognized as an equine artist. The way he portrays strength, swiftness, majestic beauty, and, at the same time, sensitivity and vulnerability of a horse is venerated by all.

He paints in the oil medium, and as he entices inspiration

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WILD SPIRIT - oil on canvas - 50 × 36 in

from the sacredness, nobility, indomitable energy, and beauty

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of the horse, there is also something else he feels - an

MAJESTIC - oil on canvas - 65 × 32 in

element of freedom hidden under the mane which energizes him to paint. The painting style is realistic, tinged with fantasy.

BLACK THUNDER - oil on canvas - 30 × 3624 in MAJESTIC - oil on canvas - 65 × 32 in

SOUL MATES - oil on canvas - 57 × 40 in SOUL MATES - oil on canvas - 57 × 40 in

He endorses experimentation in his technique. One of which he is proud of is combining coffee with oil paints. This blend of two entirely different mediums is quite exhilarating. The contrasting colors exaggerate emotions which symbolize this noble animal’s untamed ferocity and demonstrate the animal’s symbolic traits and show the qualities of motion, grace, and harmony of proportions. In turn, inspiring awe and conveying a sense of perfect admiration for nature.

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The way Qureysh portrays strength, swiftness, majestic beauty, and, at the same time, sensitivity and vulnerability of a horse is venerated by all.

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India

Rachana Karia “Colors bring joy to my soul as they help me find balance in this chaotic world.”

Rachana Karia is a Canadian abstract artist, born and raised in the artsy city, Vadodara, India. An intuitive artist, she has

developed her own unique style, which is complex, layered, and

distinct. Although her interest in sketching developed early when

she was a little girl, she didn’t start her career with art. She began with a degree in Sociology from the MS University of Baroda,

India, and managed several responsibilities in her family-owned

business. She always had a keen eye for art and aesthetics, her passion for art grew till she realized this was her true calling.

She decided to educate herself in this creative field, all while

experimenting new techniques. After doing a one year course

for professionals in Interior Design from MS University, she did a year Diploma in Fashion Designing from Indian Institute of

Fashion Designing, Vadodra, India, and developed a style that was an amalgamation of various principles learnt. “Learning

must never stop,” she says, “for art is the essence of life and is

a journey into discovery and fulfilment. An eternal quest into the essence of being.”

Rachna is a vibrant and talented upcoming name in the art

world. The duality of the state of being- the mind and body, are

in perfect balance in her paintings. Having studied architectural

illustration, she is inclined to sketching architectural monuments, particularly. As much as she loves playing with acrylics, she

prefers charcoals or black ink for these architectural sketches.

“Black gives depth and represents power, mystery, strength,

and elegance,” She explains. “Its in black & white one sees the clear, unobstructed view of the form these magnificent these

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Abstraction remains Rachna’s strong love, “because of the freedom it delivers”, she says. “We build boundaries around when we feel threatened. When that threat is no more, you expand fearlessly.”

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monuments deserve.”

Rachana has reinvented herself as an artist many times over; however,

abstraction remains her strong love, “because of the freedom it delivers”, she says. “We build boundaries around when we feel threatened.

When that threat is no more, you expand fearlessly.” She favors the

abstractionism of Rothko, which is apparent in her work. Also influenced

by Malevich, Richter and Kandinsky, her work involves a variety of

experimentation with various techniques (acrylic, oil pastel, mixed media, watercolor, charcoal). She takes commission works for paintings and her clients are based in India, USA, Spain, Canada, Dubai and Brazil.

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India

Ramesh C Sharma “Bustling life and people is what inspires me and gets my creative juices flowing.”

Professor Ramesh Chandra Sharma is an artist from Hyderabad city of India. After doing his Diploma in Fine Arts from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, he taught media designing at his alma mater.

Ramesh is a recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Lalit Kala Academy Hyderabad Award, Hyderabad Art Society Award, to name a few.

Ramesh is of a cheerful disposition, which is clearly reflected in his use of vibrant colors and texture, combined with his unerring sense of composition harmonize and contribute to a unified design. His landscapes are dynamic, with an active interaction of crowded streets to temple premises. Effective use of complementary colors, the pleasant warmth of summer sun, the inviting coolness of the light blues muster his work to stand out and hold the spectators’ attention.

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There is a variation in technique from one painting to another from use of bold strokes, to intricate line works to blurring the edges of the elements used in composition, but the composition and colors captivate the eyes within the canvas.

Still now, after retirement he is actively creating. He travels extensively worldwide to share his artworks and experience manifests his abiding interest in arts.

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Ramesh’s use of vibrant colors and texture combined with his unerring sense of composition harmonize and contribute to a unified design.

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India

Reena Chaudhary “Art is a vehicle for me to express my moral and spiritual passions.”

Reena Chaudhary is a professional Indian painter. She holds a Master’s Degree in Drawing and Painting and a Diploma in Textile Design. Working as an art teacher for 25 years she exhibited her works in India and then on gained international recognition in International Art Summit, South Korea, Nepal and Mauritius.

Reena’s art speaks for all women. They portray the yearning and desires of every woman - true love, freedom and equal opportunities. Fighting the outer beliefs and attitudes of a hegemonic patriarchal society. The delayed recognition and indemnification disheartens her but doesn’t break her. In the end, it makes her more resilient.

“Painting is like meditation”, she says. “It unites me with my creator – giving me Nirvana.” She expresses the emotions gracefully through gestural poses which give an impression of the oneness with the ultimate being. It’s not mere form; but a powerful combination of imagination, poetic philosophy and the harsh reality that blends to create a cohesive work of art.

Reena works with watercolors and acrylics. Her paintings are multi-layered and multi planal; a technique which creates a stir and gives life to her paintings. Reena has penned numerous poems published in Hindi newspapers and magazines.

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Reena expresses the emotions gracefully through gestural poses which give an impression of the oneness with the ultimate being.

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INNER BEAUTY - acrylic on canvas - 24” x 24” LOVE - acrylic on canvas - 24” x 26” WAIT - acrylic on canvas - 24” x 26”

GOSSIP 2 - acrylic on canvas - 30” x 36” OPPOSITE PAGE-CLOCKWISE TOP:

IT’S SNOWING - etching handcoloured with aquarell - 26 x 19.5 cm GOSSIP 1 - acrylic on canvas - 30” x 36”

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Philippines

Richard P. Buxani “I have almost totally devoted my art to sculpture. I prefer the rawness of brass by infusing it with a finite form but seemingly evolving feel.”

Richard Buxani is a prolific metal sculptor was born and raised in Manila where he received a catholic education, and then went on to study architecture at the College of Architecture and Fine Arts (CAFA), University of Santo Tomas. This is where he unknowingly had his first influences and lessons in art. In 2009 after meeting Ronald Castrillo, his art took a turn towards sculpture. It was then he discovered a natural fondness for bending, crafting, cutting, welding and molding materials. “I have almost totally devoted my art to sculpture since then.

I prefer the rawness of brass by infusing it with a finite form but seemingly evolving feel.”

Richard uses traditional material, but rather than focusing on casting pieces, he opted on bending and welding the pieces to his concepts. His works are anchored on subjects from the distant past and aims of bringing us back to our childhood innocence and wonder. Some works reference fantastical beings, folklore and myths, reconciling the themes of the present with the past. He is able to create a feeling of familiarity that is both magical and nostalgic.

He has exhibited in the US, South Korea, Malaysia, Egypt and Hongkong; and has regular shows in the Philippines

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Richard uses traditional material, but rather than focusing on casting pieces, he opted on bending and welding the pieces to his concepts.

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FLIGHT - brass - 32” h x 18” w x 14”d ALONE - steel - 31” x 16” x 14”

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THE MASTER - brass - 25” x 22” x 11”

RIDER FROM THE EAST - brass - 28 x 22 x 24

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France

Roger Perrier “I paint every day and my painting is always spontaneous and impulsive.”

Living in the beautiful Martigues region, French artist Roger Perrier is passionate about sports as he is about his art. A self-taught artist, he was a late bloomer at art.

“It was at the age of fifty that the drive to paint like an eruptive frenzy overwhelmed me”, discloses this ingenious and prolific artist.

It was the nineteenth-century artist Felix Ziem which influenced Roger the most. The Impressionists, and particularly the English artist Turner, also greatly influenced Roger. The dreamy landscapes of the Chinese-French artist, Zao Wou-ki’s too fascinated Roger to study this master’s painting style. Roger’s colour application of deep indigos and burnt reds alongside earthy terracotta and subject matter is distinctly closely relatable to this artist.

Roger paints in acrylics and paints every day. He always starts out with a subject, and gradually the sharp forms fade and heading towards a lyrical abstraction, a postimpressionist style emerges. His art has been received positive criticism and with this encouragement, he continues to pursue his passion.

Roger’s favourite subjects are in and around Martigues,

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a commune which has since the 70s come to be his

MARTIGUES COLLINES - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 60 cm

hometown. Because of the charm of its canals, docks and bridges, it has come to be known as ‘The Venice of Provence.’

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MARTIGUES L’ÉTANG - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 60 cm

MARTIGUES CARONTE - acrylic on canvas - 70 x 70 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

MARTIGUES, LES VOILES DE ZIEM - acrylic on canvas - 55 x 45 cm

MARTIGUES AU BORD DE L’ÉTANG - acrylic on canvas - 54 x 65 cm PROVENCE LA SAINTE VICTOIRE - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 60 cm

Roger’s colour application of deep indigos and burnt reds alongside earthy terracotta and subject matter is distinctly closely relatable to this artist.

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USA

Rose Abordo OHara “As an artist, I want my art works to speak, not only for me, but for everyone.”

Rose Abordo OHara is an ardent art lover, living a life of her yearning childhood passion of being an artist. Choosing Nursing instead of attending an Art School, she migrated to New York City and worked as a Registered Nurse at New York Hospital. Here she attended informal Art Classes under some established and known NY artists. After a while, with the work pressure associated with a nurse and raising a family, her passion for art took a back seat, putting aside easel, palette and brushes.

After her retirement in 2011, she moved to Naples, Florida with her husband and her art journey took off with a boom. After almost three decades of interrupted passion in arts, Rose found herself immersed in painting, contented in her comfort zone. The artist believes that love of beauty is a taste and the creation of beauty is an art. She has a true taste in art and the portraits of classic beauties, like Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren unveil the artist’s art in capturing their iconic looks.

Her artwork is diverse which includes portraits, landscapes, seascapes and anything beautiful. Her contemporary landscapes, oil on canvas with layers of bold brush strokes and vibrant colours convey aweinspiring and sublime characteristics.

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LADY AT THE DOCK OF THE BAY - acrylic on canvas - 16 x 20 in OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

LADY IN SECLUSION - acrylic on canvas - 16 x 20 in

THE CLASSIC BEAUTY OF CLEOPATRA - acrylic on canvas - 16 x 20 in MOONLIGHT MUSE - acrylic on canvas - 16 x 20 in

“DAMPA”, a humble abode growing up in the Philippines - acrylic on canvas- 16 x 20 in ART DECO/ART WORK (TWO BEAUTIES) - acrylic on canvas - 16 x 20 in

Rose’s contemporary landscapes, oil on canvas with layers of bold brush strokes and vibrant colours convey awe-inspiring and sublime characteristics.

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India

Rukshana Hooda “I believe that art is the communication of knowledge and our experiences.”

Rukshana Hooda is an Indian artist who has been a homemaker for many years. Although she started out her artistic journey with a degree from the prestigious J.J. School of Art, Mumbai, and a Diploma in Textile Design from Sophia College, Mumbai, she was unable to pursue painting for many years. It was only after her health problems cropped up, she decided to revisit her core and was happy to discover she had not lost her creative abilities!

Rukshana uses charcoal as her preferred medium and says “this is where we all come from. We all eventually return to where we have emerged from”. She believes that we all are in control of our destiny and can eventually get whatever we desire if we work towards it.

Her return to art and doing art shows is a blessing she is forever grateful for. It motivated her and helped her with the healing process.

“As as my health got better, my resolve to continue to paint became stronger”, says this graceful artist.

Finally getting recognition for it by her peers and receiving awards was an added bonus. One of the big challenges she faced was to find her own studio space and get back her creativity, all whilst being a full-time homemaker. She finally overcame that hurdle, and now successfully manages a full-fledged art career.

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Rukshana believes that we all are in control of our destiny and can eventually get whatever we desire if we work towards it. Her return to art and doing art shows is a blessing she is forever grateful for.

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NOSTALGIA - acrylic on canvas - 24” x 48”

MUSCIAL SKETCH - charcoal and acrylic on canvas - 20” x 16” SPARKLES - acrylic on canvas - 16”x 20”

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India

Rupal Buch “I use colour and form to portray the conscious experiences.”

Rupal Buch is a self-taught Indian artist who started her artistic journey as a hobby. A Science Graduate, she took to painting after getting interested in the practice of meditation and mindfulness and started painting to express her thoughts and visions. Over time, this got converted into an all-consuming passion.

Rupal’s works are yogic, meditative and introspective and produced primarily for their aesthetic value and the emotional power invoked. “I believe regular meditation helps us know our emotions better,” says this cerebral artist. “Understanding these emotions help better ourselves and ultimately facilitate personal growth.”

There is always an almost tactile thought behind her paintings. Like ‘thought-graphs’ they are meticulously planned and drafted with the precision of a neuroscientist, with deliberate measured lines and traced angles, showcasing various facets of the human minds and reflect the inner self.

Rupal experiments with vivid colors and textures both of which are dominant aspects, synchronizing well with forms in the given space. With these as tools, she explores and represents consciousnesses and an awareness of our own mental processes. These shifting and ever-changing conscious experiences are what she tries to capture on her canvas.

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Rupal’s works are yogic, meditative and introspective and produced primarily for their aesthetic value and the emotional power invoked.

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THREE DOORS - mixed media on canvas - 30” x 24” THE CORNER- mixed media on canvas - 30” x 24” THE FLOW - oil and acrylic on canvas - 30” x 24”

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USA

Sahla Tello Kazziha “Painting has become a journey through

which my feelings, thoughts, dreams and memories are embodied.”

Sahla Tello Kazziha is a Syrian-American artist, and academically a postgraduate in English Literature from Damascus University, Syria. Initially, Sahla followed her art and painting as a hobby, and her parents nurtured this interest. This made her enrol in History of Art program from Oakland Community College, Michigan, USA. She also holds a degree in Interior Decoration from Certified Interior Decorators Organization and worked many years as an interior decorator with her architect brother.

After her years of dedicated motherhood, she resumed learning oil and acrylic painting at the Bloomfield Birmingham Art Center, Michigan, under the mentorship of Andrea Tama and Leslie Masters. She is very influenced by her art teacher, Timothy Widener, from whom she learned the nuances of art. Under the auspices of his Emerging Artists Group, she was able to get her art noticed participated in several art activities.

Sahla works in oil and acrylic medium in a delightful realistic style. She paints in a variety of genres from figurative to landscapes to florals, and in an eclectic style that oscillates between bold strokes to minute detailed decorative style. A few of her artworks are

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Warm colors in Sahla’s paintings bear optimism, hope, and cheerful disposition.

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reminiscent of old masters’ use of light, brush strokes, and color palette, which probably is telling of her inspiration source.

Warm colors in her paintings bear optimism, hope, and cheerful disposition. Sahla’s feelings, thoughts, dreams, and memories are embodied in her artworks. For her painting is a ritual of growth, healing, and connection with the constant realization that beauty is even in the darkest days. Each painting narrates a story that comes to life with the combination of color, texture and rhythmic flow, unlikely to be forgotten.

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Sahla’s paintings narrate a story that comes to life with the combination of color, texture and rhythmic flow, unlikely to be forgotten.

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India

Satyajit Shergill “Painting is my expression. My outlet.”

Satyajit Shergill is a very senior Indian abstract painter based in Mumbai. He is a passionate and prolific artist who loves spending all his time painting and sculpting in his studio. As a child, he looked up towards his aunt Amrita Shergill, one of the greatest avant-garde women artists in modern Indian art, for inspiration. Blending various styles to create impressive canvases, Satyajit’s mind-bending abstract landscapes successfully impart subtle dramas that unfold in nature. The sculptures created were a part of his early art career.

Though art was not what he studied in his university years, it continues to entirely consume him right through his life.

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As a young man, Satyajit was very often seen sketching and painting village people. Spending most of his time on his family farm where inspiration was everywhere. This was the beginning of his artistic journey. He spent his early formative years in painting figures, influenced deeply by his aunt’s Amrita Shergill’s style of painting. But gradually, he started developing his own unique style, eventually realising that abstraction fitted his oeuvre the most.

A contented person enjoying his retirement years, Satyajit is almost childlike when painting and playing with colors.

He is a spontaneous creator; the picture comes to him in an instant when inspired and without prior planning, it finds its way onto his canvas.

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Satyajit’s paintings in bright prismatic colour include diffused non-articulated forms, that give off but a hint of what is being portrayed.

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Satyajit prefers painting one canvas at a time and continues to work until he is delighted with the outcome. His oeuvre is a contrast of vibrant colours applied in an almost fauvist

it difficult to dry his painting between colour applications, due to Mumbai’s high humidity levels, he decided to switch to

style, is a creation that is a result of an emotional outburst,

working only in acrylic medium.

rather than a contemplative thought out rendering. This is

The proud father of ace Bollywood actor Jimmy Shergill,

what makes his every works different from the one before.

His paintings in bright prismatic colour include diffused non-articulated forms, that give off but a hint of what is

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being portrayed. Earlier, he loved working in oils, but finding

he has a compassionate close-knit family who is very

affectionate and appreciative of his paintings and gives their wholehearted support to his creative ventures.

Satyajit’s oeuvre is a contrast of vibrant colours applied in an almost fauvist style, is a creation that is a result of an emotional outburst, rather than a contemplative thought out rendering.

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India

Shailly Lal “Painting as a medium enables the outflow of my ideas onto the canvas - a language to express my emotions, thoughts and inner conflicts.”

Shailly Lal, a self-taught artist, born and raised in the lush

green surroundings of Madhya Pradesh, strongly influenced

her style and subject of paintings. A science graduate, she was inclined towards painting since childhood.

Shailly works in acrylic medium, assimilating colour and

texture as an integral part of her painting process. Nature and their elements intrigue her. She spent her prime years in the

western coastal city of India, Mumbai, and its sea and skyline both overwhelmed and inspired.

Her ideas, style and quality of work have evolved with each

passing day. She simplifies the elements of a deconstructed

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intuitive reaction. Reality reinforces inspiration but abstract

OPPOSITE PAGE: SEASCAPE - acrylic on canvas – 24” x 24”

landscape scene, coloring it based on an emotional and

expression becomes an emotional reaction to the environment, leading the viewer deeper into the realm of abstraction.

She starts each work with a vague idea, and as it progresses, it moves into a direction motivated primarily by her current

emotional state, which, more than often, gets her unexpected and superior results, often better than originally planned!

Shailly also has a deep passion for music; the undertones

of which work as a colour therapy for the mind. Her artwork received accolades globally and adorns government and private collections.

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Shailly simplifies the elements of a deconstructed landscape scene, coloring it based on an emotional and intuitive reaction.

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U.K.

Shakun Harris “My paintings are a reflection of my travels and interactions with people I meet who inspire me.”

Shakun Harris is a Mauritius born, U.K based artist. She has a BFA (India) and a DEA Pedagogy, Training of Teacher Trainers, from IUFM, France. She also has an MBA in Management and Strategy, an MPhil in Education & Technology from UQAM, Canada, and an Interaction Design, HCI (Human Computer Interaction), from Stanford, USA. She is part of the exclusive academicians and members of the Royal West of England Academy of Art, U.K. Although Shakun’s works as a Global Communication Specialist for the United Nations, she paints and holds exhibitions extensively within the UK and Europe. Specializing in watercolors, the fluidity and the transparent luminosity of which challenges reality in her works, whilst adding an ethereal beauty to her subject. “I believe nature is just too beautiful for me to make it better or more artistic than it already is,” says Shakun. The visual

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interplay creates multiple sensations which, at times, traces back to images from her childhood memories. “Coming from a sunblushed tropical island, I was surrounded by the purest blues and greens around me, which have found their way to my color palette,” she says. “They have become my comfort zone.”

Her handling of the medium and the subject matter is par excellence. She is able to recreate the whole atmosphere that goes with her subject matter, by using innumerable subtle hues and color shade while keeping her forms simple and uncomplicated. Shakun’s style, texture and color palette evolve with her life’s experiences and her surroundings. They are influenced by her immediate environment and resurface each day, each moment with new ideas and a new subject for her to paint.

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The fluidity of colors and the transparent luminosity in Shakun’s works challenge reality whilst adding an ethereal beauty to her subject.

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India

Shampa Sircar Das “My paintings are alive with symbols and reflect the quiet power embedded in them.”

Shampa Sircar Das is an Indian artist who has done a BFA from Delhi College of Art, followed by an MFA from The Jamia Millia Islamia University, India. Her works reflect the rich Indian cultural heritage and philosophy, that which is resplendent with symbols embedded in its common cultural matrix.

She uses acrylic and its fast-drying nature to her advantage.

“As a thin layer or as thick impasto it suits the philosophy of my work,” she says. Shampa’s work process mirrors this ephemeral ideology. She builds up her canvas layer upon layer of paint, applying it painstakingly either with a brush or foam roller and gradually the images and forms begin to take shape. “Just as in life every experience makes us what we are and determines our fate, this layer-by-layer process essentially leads me to discover and reveal the final image.” She then blends it all together using silver and gold archival acrylic water-based pens.

“The canvas is a large area of space, an empty void, where forms are in constant flux, emerging out, expanding and then dissolving into it.” Her work is an exploration of the transient nature of reality and its various manifestations between the actual form and empty space. It is the grand theme underlining the rich variations that exist throughout the cosmos. Replete with cosmic energies and symbolisms floating all over her canvas, her works are a study in the power of the spirit within the domain of human and earthly ancestry. With this synthesis of philosophy and her ethereal sense of aesthetics, Shampa creates her own unique language on the canvas.

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Shampa’s work is an exploration of the transient nature of reality and its various manifestations between the actual form and empty space.

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Taiwan

Shao Wen-Feng “Nature and its beauty inspire me. When I see, it overwhelms me and I am unable to leave without painting it.”

Shao Wen-Feng is a Taiwanese contemporary artist, who studied

Fine Arts at Donghai University. She is an avid traveller, up-heeled

by countryside scenery, and multicultural behaviours. The artist does not merely reproduce the appearance of the landscapes, but is able

to capture its spirit; emphasizing simplicity, spontaneity and harmony with nature rather than direct imitation.

Her paintings depict seasons which are diffused transformation of

an actual glimpse. Mountain panorama is by far the most favourite

of her composition. Trees are very often included, evoking a sense of beauty in their abstract style. Each of Shao’s picture has a profound feel of the natural scenery, the beauty of which is in her expression

of a subtle and well-coordinated color scheme. The dreamy, colorful

performance is like a musical composition, the sound lingering to the soul, stimulating positivity as if chasing the artist’s conception of the diorama.

Inspired by traditional Chinese calligraphy and the ancient Chinese ink wash technique, she replaces the traditional brush with

painting knives, making her process of creation most interesting.

Deconstructed imagery of trees, rivers, and mountains are splashed

onto the canvas with diluted oil paint that are the foundation, followed with layers using multiple media. Her wash painting uses tonality and shading achieved by refined strokes to control the flow. Her single

stroke produces astonishing variations in tonality for each hue. The

abstract landscapes are more than just dark-light arrangement; it is the basis for the beautiful nuance in tonality as a whole.

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Inspired by traditional Chinese calligraphy and the ancient Chinese ink wash technique, she replaces the traditional brush with painting knives, making her process of creation most interesting.

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Spain

Sofia Murvanidze “My art is an exploration of life’s many ups and downs. The straight and curved lines are my perception of its unexpected changeability.”

Sofia Murvanidze is an artist from Georgia and is currently living in Barcelona, Spain. Like all artists, Sofia was always interested in art from her childhood days but was unable to pursue this passion until she was in her 20s. As no one paints or draws in her family history, it was difficult for her to believe in her artistic abilities. Not having a formal art training, she decided to get private lessons to study techniques, colour mixing, composition etc. This was in Thessaloniki, Greece where she was then pursuing an MBA. Once she returned to her hometown in Georgia, she continued her artistic endeavors and also started participating in local art collectives and exhibitions. This gave her the confidence to go ahead and have a solo show at the Press Cafe in her hometown.

She then moved to Barcelona, where she currently resides.

Sofia started out with pencil sketches, just to get the feel of

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the subjects. Encouraged, she started using gel pens quite by chance, as they were handy and available. She knew that this would forever be her preferred medium.

Her paintings aren’t just pretty pictures, there is deep a symbolism hidden in every artwork. She uses just basic three colours – black, blue and red, and with that she creates a myriad of forms, textures and planes. “It gives me an opportunity to work small details, and endlessly”, says this young promising artist.

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Sofia’s paintings aren’t just pretty pictures, there is a symbolism hidden in every artwork.

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Greece

Spiros Gelekas “The driving force of my art is my personal journey for the creation of a new fantasy world.”

Spiros Gelekas is a professionally trained interior designer. Born and raised in Corfu, Greece, his first stimuli to art was the comics.

Now a full-time professional artist, his art embraces the artistic movements of surrealism and realism. Through his art practice he aims to seek their union. He specialises in fantasy art, modern art and the abstract. Anxiety, joy and ecstasy are the three words which describe what he feels every time he stands in front of an empty canvas to start a new piece. A ritual follows - gently by preparing the canvas, the colours, the brushes. It was in 2016 he decided to dedicate himself to painting as fulltime artist and completed an extensive collection of 700+ works housed in the Corfu Gallery, the Mavroudis Olive Museum (Corfu) etc.

Spiros paints in Acrylic medium, and his paintings validate that art can bring hope and smiles to those who need it. His dreamy scenes, the spontaneity of brush strokes, visualize parts of Middleearth, the world extended into his art. His art breathed life into the corners of the fantasy world. He experiments mainly with classical themes and represents them in an altered reality along with surreal landscapes and compositions.

The fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the

Spiros experiments mainly with classical themes and represents them in an altered reality along with surreal landscapes and compositions.

Rings, inspired the artist’s surrealist palette. He initiated a series of exhibitions as a tribute to Professor Tolkien and the author’s fictional setting, Middle-earth, in Greece and Europe under the

THIS PAGE: FANGORN FOREST - acrylic on canvas - 70 x 100 cm

auspices of the Greek Tolkien Society- The Prancing Pony.

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Artists like Salvador Dali, who give realism within the sphere of

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surrealism; and Roger Dean, whose technique for the creation of a world very similar to Spiros’ world, are a great inspiration to Spiros. As time passed, his inspiration came from the 90s fantastic literature, like ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Silmarillion’ and Science Fiction movies such as ‘Star Wars’, and rock music, especially Rock Operas and Progressive Rock. All these together, compose his artistic amalgam which makes him able to produce his purely personal art which is very visual and conceptually finite. Writers like Alan Poe, Tom Robbins, Carlos Castaneda also helped shape Spiros artistic oeuvre.

An emotional artist, Spiros gets attached to his works and once finished, It is a feeling of bitter joy, as he knows it will soon be picked up by a discerning buyer. His soft blending of colors contributes to creating the mystery in the scenes he paints. His mature style, use of bright colors, records with great sensitivity and affection the splendor, wonder and mystery that nature offers to all.

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Spiros’ mature style, use of bright colors, records with great sensitivity and affection the splendor, wonder and mystery that nature offers to all.

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UK

Stephen Watkins “Art is a way to give permanence to those memories and significant, life-shaping events.”

Stephen Watkins is an artist from Suffolk, United Kingdom, with a background in Architecture. He specializes in drawing city skylines in a contemporary style. While in college, strangely he did not excel in his art classes! Mainly because he preferred not to be dictated what to paint.

Stephen focuses his art on city skylines to preserve significant places and memories for people. His artworks lead the viewer to wander in the myriad details and sink into the memories of places they visited. “The places we’ve lived and visited become a part of us, but memory is fickle, and fades over time. Art is a way to give it permanence by converting it into something tangible,” says the artist. Each painting is a story of something, someplace, or someone who changed a person and made them who they are today.

He plays with the vivid acrylic colors, a considerable contrast to the structured architectural renderings, to add a drama to these detailed line artworks. Perspective drawing opened up unseen horizons, not just limited to the precision of lines but to read in between them.

His travel encouraged him to the architectural nuances of various cultures and places.

Stephen focuses his art on city skylines to preserve significant places and memories for people.

Stephen experiments with the acrylic medium on canvas using strong lines. Sometimes his skylines are relatively literal and straight forward, meant only to capture significant places that mean something for his customers or himself. Other times they’re more abstract to represent how we experience a place differently depending on our state of mind.

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USA

Susan Cantor-Uccelletti “When I paint, I think of colours, movement and balance. Then I just let the passion take over”.

Susan Cantor-Uccelletti is an abstract painter living in Philadelphia, USA. A series of unfortunate events not only changed her feelings and outlook towards life, but it also brought changes in her art style and subject matter.

After the diagnosis of Lymphoma in 2009 and losing her granddaughter, she turned to meditation and yoga, which changed her colour palette bringing radiance into her art.

Susan paints in abstract-expressionism style, with intimate themes, preoccupied with explorations of form and space.

Her favored medium is acrylics on canvas, but she loves working with oil and oil sticks quite a bit in recent years. Her tools are large, broad brushes and palette knives, which add vigor to the paint strokes on her canvas. Her deft use of oil sticks for movement and texture creates a unique effect.

Susan calls herself a ‘Spiritual Painter’; and rightly so, as the paint flows from the depths of her soul on her canvas, narrates true identity of her psyche. Her play with subtle hues and bold texture is compelling and creates an impulse; to touch, to feel and to assimilate the painting within the viewer’s subconscious. The expressive brushwork and the depth of paint layers instigate travel through the art piece, challenging rationality while augmenting the impish sense of mystery. The exquisite acrylic paintings on canvas give a

POETIC REPRESENTATION 1 - acrylic on canvas - 24” x 36”

feel of relief impasto techniques; every piece of her art has

OPPOSITE PAGE-CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT:

a message which resonates with the level of consciousness

UNDERGROUND RHYTHM - oil and acrylic on canvas - 22” x 28”

and knowledge of her viewer.

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RAVISHED - acrylic on canvas - 30” x 40”

WILD VALOR - acrylic on canvas - 48” x 36” VISIONS- acrylic on canvas - 30” x 40”

Susan paints in abstract-expressionism style, with intimate themes, preoccupied with explorations of form and space.

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Canada

Sylvie Amesse “Every time I meet new people and really connect with them, they are artists!”

Sylvie Amesse, is a Canadian artist living in Quebec, Canada, who works as a marketing entrepreneur in the health field. It was her artist friends introduced Sylvie to art, when, on her 50th birthday, they gifted her with a box of oil paints. Little did they know, an artist was being born. Sylvie dipped the brush in her first choice of colour – orange and applied on the canvas. And out came her very first painting - flowers in a glass bowl! And the rest was history!

She quickly learned all she could from YouTube videos the colours, the textures, the techniques. Another material which arouses enthusiasm and positive feelings in the viewer through her paintings is resin. The luminosity of the pictures and their depth effect is captivating. She mixes acrylic paint with pouring medium and then pours onto a surface in a variety of ways creating captivating artworks.

She finds acrylic pouring most interesting satisfying to create one-of-a-kind works of art. The liquefied paint is poured into each other or tilted onto the canvas and distributed by tilting the painting surface. The flow of colour, the glossy shine, the process of creating is extremely gratifying. “Depending on the technique, choice of the color, the medium used and the other additives, a fine art-piece is accomplished,” she says smiling.

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She finds acrylic pouring most interesting satisfying to create one-ofa-kind works of art. The liquefied paint is poured into each other or tilted onto the canvas and distributed by tilting the painting surface.

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OCEAN PLEASURE - oil on canvas - 18 x 14 in UNITY - acrylic on canvas - 72 x 60 in

IRIDESCENT - acrylic on wood - 12 x 9 in OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM:

UNTITLED - acrylic and resin on canvas - 30 x 15 in LET ME GROW - acrylic on canvas - 12 x 12 in

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Canada

Tasse Geldart “I paint because there is a compulsive need in me to show that there is beauty in everything.”

Tasse Geldart is a Canadian artist from British Columbia. She studied painting and drawing from the prestigious Ontario

College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada. She is an art curator, a performing artist and a spokesperson for social issues close to her heart.

Tasse paints in oil medium in the realistic genre. She has her

way of looking at things among trees, meadows, and streams as the eye sees them. Her forest floor series is a depiction of

fallen trunks, leaves, and branches. The reflective water bodies, the live trees with saturated and fresh greens, and the muted colors representing dead trees are balanced to give an eye-

catching arrangement. The emphasis on forest floors displays

her skill as a painter of a convincingly changing environment of

naturalistically occurring life cycle on the forest floor. In time, light and atmosphere became a critical part of her works and add a

kind of magic to her pictures. She takes even the most ordinary scene and transforms it into a dynamic breathtaking artwork.

Colour is the most critical element in Tasse’s painting. She uses

solid patches of color side by side, rarely blending them. There is something that rings very real and true about that depiction. An anomalous beauty in this composition of twisted branches and roots. Like they are revealing true self.

Tasse has designed sets of video films, movies, and theatre and

has hoisted sound installations in reputed art galleries in Ontario.

She does lots of private commissions and is the recipient of several grants.

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THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: BEAVER POND - oil on canvas - 16 x 24 in FOREST FLOOR SERIES #1 - oil on canvas - 18 x 18 in FOREST FLOOR SERIES #4 - oil on canvas - 24 x 15 in SKETCH FOR ‘FOREST FLOOR SERIES #4’ - pencil on paper - 9 x 9 in OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: FOREST FLOOR SERIES #2 - oil on wood - 24 x 15 in FOREST FLOOR SERIES #6 - oil on wood - 24 x 15 in FOREST FLOOR SERIES #5 - oil on wood - 24 x 15 in FOREST STREAM - oil on wood - 24 x 15 in

Tasse takes even the most ordinary scene and transforms it into a dynamic breathtaking artwork.

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USA

Teresa Wiggins “Art is my world. I paint to calm myself and I am having so much fun as I do.

Teresa Wiggins, a retired social worker comes from a background of artists. Her mother was an artist herself and who introduced her art through Museums. A cancer survivor, Teresa started painting as a part of therapy to relieve her stress after she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She started slowly with experimenting with acrylic liquid pours.

Since then, she has come a long way in her artistic pursuit.

Teresa has mastered the basic techniques of acrylic pouring and is now adding forms open to interpretations - like representing people and flowers. The use of thread to create floral patterns with wiggly back and forth movement is quite exquisite. She experiments with various procedures, color combinations, and chemical additives to create exciting designs that leave the viewer delighted. Her understanding

THIS PAGE: CHAOS IN THE CITY - acrylic mixed media on canvas - 8 x 10 in OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: FAMILY DISTRACTION - chain and poured acrylic paint on canvas - 20 x 16 in WILD BIRDS - acrylic paint balloon smash on canvas - 8 x 10 in STREAM - acrylic pour and swipe on wood board - 8 x 10 in FLOWER FAMILY - mixed media acrylic pour on canvas - 24 x 20 in

of color theory and unique tools into the pouring processes make a visually strong composition with extraordinary effects. She uses fine brush strokes in some paintings to add complementary realistic elements to her abstract art.

On closer observation, it is evident that Teresa’s paintings are not a mere accidental play of paints. There may not be a deliberate forced attempt, but a gentle coaxing of the paint to follow a certain path. The resulting artwork which allows the subconscious to emerge is the voice of the artist with clear intent. This leaves the viewer to interpret the meaning in it that transcends its surrealistic decorative quality.

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Teresa’s understanding of color theory and unique tools into the pouring processes make a visually strong composition with extraordinary effects.

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Germany

Uta Gramke-Hansmann “Objects from nature such as people, animals and flowers are what inspires me to paint.�.

Uta Gramke-Hansmann is a graduate with honors in Fashion Design from the University of Hamburg, Germany. She has worked as a freelance designer for many international clients and successful projects for advertising agencies and magazines. She created independent product lines for leading textile importers. Later, several visual design engagements for home textiles and handicraft followed which were published in lifestyle magazines.

After moving to Belgium, Uta was back to just painting and taking pleasure from seeking new ideas and creating new work.

She increasingly focused on painting and graphic arts.

Uta prefers to work in acrylic medium on canvas and gouache on cardboard, both in small and big formats. Uta is driven

THIS PAGE:

MASKS - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 100 cm OPPOSITE PAGE-CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT:

by blending her fashion design background with objects

GRAPES IN THE GREENHOUSE - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 90 cm

out of nature, such as people, animals, and flowers. Her

STILL LIFE - acrylic on canvas - 160 x 120 cm

experimentation with still-life compositions has taken her

IN THE MEADOW - acrylic on canvas - 90 x 120 cm MIX FLOWERS - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 100 cm

art to another level. The bold brush strokes demonstrate the confidence with which she treats her subject.

Her elegant human anatomy drawing with a perfect balance of emotions, rhythm, and variety brings life to her artworks, which owes to her educational background and professional experience. Without too much detailing, the artist focuses on the essence of composition and the vivid hues adds a notable flair to her artworks.

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Without too much detailing, the artist focuses on the essence of composition and the vivid hues adds a notable flair to her artworks.

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Contemporary abstraction emotionally is what moves her

classic, pure, forthright and straightforward. She has painted

viewers. The expressive brushwork and the ample depth of

on various themes, but the efficacy of her art is evident in every

the layering of the paints allows the viewer’s eye to sweep

painting such that the viewers’ eyes are glued in admiration.

from one artwork to another evenly. The fluidity of colors and shape; the grace of emotions it demonstrates with the soft treatment of brush; the appropriate and adequate use of greys balance the vivid colors is enough to boast her competence as an artist.

Uta’s paintings give an unapologetic pleasure. Her art is

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She is not afraid to switch up her colour palette, from vibrant and bold to a subdued comfortable range of hues. And coupled with her mastery of geometric forms, It creates a synesthetic sensation in her viewers. It beckons the viewer to come a little closer to get a better viewer, and then to stay a while.

THIS PAGE:

GIRLS - acrylic on canvas - 100 x 80cm OPPOSITE PAGE-CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT:

MODELS TALK - acrylic on canvas - 120 x 120cm

GIRL WITH SPANISH HAT - acrylic on canvas - 110 x 120cm MIXED FLOWERS - acrylic on canvas - 80 x 100cm

Uta’s expressive brushwork and the ample depth of the layering of the paints allows the viewer’s eye to sweep from one artwork to another evenly.

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Poland

Władysława Marcinkowska Fedasz “My paintings are mainly my emotions and feelings dressed in colors.”

Władysława Marcinkowska Fedasz was born in Kołobrzeg, Poland, and comes from a long line of celebrated virtuoso artists and musical talents. A master colorist, and a master of drawing and realism, she was literally born to become an artist. She has been merrily painting delicate florals, natural scenic meadows, and fields teeming with life that often include some avian wildlife interspersed in between the rich foliage.

Her artist mentor, Elżbieta Polak, introduced her to many special painting techniques and media, giving her the ability to paint on any substrate materials, including on silk fabric and glass. She uses oils and dry pastels, and of course, acrylic on canvas and has taken her very colourful, ‘blooming’ artworks and participated in many individual and joint exhibitions.

Her palate abounds with classically rich and extremely robust colours. Come to her garden canvasses and run among the life of the meadows! Speaking on her paintings style and what it means to her Władysława says, “paintings are mainly my emotions and feelings dressed in colours”, which leave her viewers contemplating the many layers of these works.

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Władysława’s palate abounds with classically rich and extremely robust colours. Come to her garden canvasses and run among the life of the meadows!

OPPOSITE PAGE:

JEŻYNA (BLACKBERRY) - acrylic on canvas - 60 x 40 cm THIS PAGE-CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT:

COSMOS - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm

NA STOLE (ON THE TABLE) - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 40 cm ŁĄKA (MEADOW) - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 30 cm

ZIMA Z MOJEGO DZIECIŃSTWA (WINTER FROM MY CHILDHOOD) - acrylic on canvas - 40 x 50 cm

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The form of her flowers and settings are flawless, and quite literally unmatched. The expressive brushwork and the depth of layering of paint speak of regeneration and life cycles while allowing the viewer to really engage with her piece.

Being a colourful woman herself, her daily attire and personal style too is very artistically distinctive. Her ultimate joy is in creating; turning her visions into outstandingly passionate and lasting works. Her keen eye and steady, treasured hands work to bring us not only aesthetically pleasing art but color-infused atmosphere for us to feast our eyes upon.

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Władysława uses oils and dry pastels, and of course acrylic on canvas and has taken part in many individual and joint exhibitions of her very colourful, ‘blooming’ artworks.

THIS PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ŁĄKA - acrylic on canvas - 50 x 40 cm

GOŹDZIKI - oil on canvas - 60 x 60 cm DZWONKI - oil on canvas - 40 x 50 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - LEFT TO RIGHT: ZIMA - oil on canvas - 70 x 50 cm

BARWY JASIENI - acrylic on canvas - 70 x 40 cm

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Taiwan

Wu-Peng Huang “My purpose is to link the relationship between myth and reality through art so that it not only appears in its ancient form but also in the modern context.”

Taiwanese painter Huang Wu-Peng, is both as a poet and an artist. A graduate of graphic arts communication technique from Taipei Municipal Daan Vocational High school and was a student at the National Taiwan Normal University. Here is where he discarded the structural and systematic approach and showed great aptitude and independent creative thoughts.

In the artist’s words, a recurrent concept that has been expressed throughout the concept of his art text: the assumed fact of the object being interpreted, and the act

THIS PAGE:

THE PROTOTYPE OF HUMANITY IS NOT NAMED IN ITS ORIGIN - mixed media on hemp paper - 68 x 60 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT:

of communicating and receiving information is a process of

ENTER THE JUNGLE ONCE MORE - mixed media on hemp paper - 76 x 80 cm

change. In other words, no matter how objectively the object

WE ARE LOOKING FOR IT ONCE MORE - mixed media on rice paper - 81 x 79 cm

is presented, its real “face” is not something we can touch.

EVERY TIME WHEN REMEMBERING THE HARD TIMES - mixed media on rice paper - 80 x 79 cm THE OPERATIONAL MECHANISM THAT IS UNEARTHLY - mixed media on rice paper - 81 x 79 cm

Therefore, the so-called creation of art may not actually be a self-imagined style, but instead is based upon alienation and simulation, or in a form of a practice of normative expressivism.

However, does such artistic expression make viewers mistakenly believe that art is serving the truth? In fact it is not, he said. He thinks that if we regard truth as a kind of priori of information, how do we understand and recognize its existence, and how do we confirm its authenticity? the

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The main “melody” of Wu-Peng’s artwork has been designated black and redefined as an expression of power.

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WISHING MISERY COULD REACH TO THE SKY - mixed media on hemp paper -1148 x 96 cm

WHEN WE NOTICE THE PATH IS BECOMING DIFFERENT - mixed media on rice paper - 65 x 66 cm WHAT IS OUR SOURCE FOR THE LIFE STORY - mixed media on hemp paper - 68 x 66 cm OPPOSITE PAGE:

THERE IS A SMALL UNIVERSE - mixed media on hemp paper - 63 x 66 cm

declared truth is created on certain needs, morality, history, or desire for power. It is just like the act of creation.

As both an artist and an author, he blends reality into his creations and his art often critiques societal issues currently prevalent in his native Taiwan. He writes his hybrids of the literary genre with a recurring concept that has been expressed throughout this work: the assumed fact of the object being interpreted, and the act of communicating and receiving information that is always in a process of change.

Although the content of his art has been re-edited, but the concept of the previous was shaped at an early stage. And the main “melody” of his artwork has been designated black and redefined as an expression of power. We are also able to realize that it is recognizing in the current system of the art style of Huang Wu-Peng.

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Wu-Peng hopes that his work will ultimately be a link to the modern version of the Shan Hai Jing, a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and myth, which states, “that a miraculous world, can be where we stand.�

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Mexico

Yadira Soto “I am truly inspired by vibrant, electrifying and life-giving aspect of nature.”

Yadira Soto is a Mexican artist who has studied Electronics Engineer at the prestigious National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico. Her art education and art instruction were under the tutelage with great Mexican painters, such as Mexiac, Castilla and Orozco Rivera.

Her art explores various scenarios from naive innocence to feminine sensuality. Although the simplified and flattened forms in her compositions exhibit shades of the 20th Century Primitive Art Movement artist Paul Gauguin; her foliage rendering is suffused with a sense of mystery and eccentricity reminiscent of the Henri Rousseau’s Naïve art style. The simpler shapes and semi-realistic figures differ significantly from the traditional ideal form of the woman. Each canvas tells a story imaginary or personal. Her inspiration is her bond with colors, paints, and brushes. The mood abides with an impeccable balance of cool and warm colors, which holds the viewers’ sight within the canvas. Colors that are used to convey a certain emotion and not to merely a representational tool. And what better medium than oils with its blending ability.

The artist’s cheerful disposition is clearly seen in the way she pours her inner-self on the canvas through vibrant, saturated, and intense colors. Although the themes may vary, from bamboo to seascape to florals, dynamic and vivid hues are typical of her artworks. The mastery of techniques and the use of multiple tools is not a coincidence; her diligence and tenacity led her to give her a distinct style.

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BAMBU - oil on canvas - 60 x 80 cm OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: JACINTA - oil on canvas - 90 x 100 cm GHOSTS - oil on canvas - 60 x 80 cm

NOCHE TRISTE - oil on canvas- 160 x 160 cm

Although the simplified and flattened forms in her compositions exhibit shades of the 20th Century Primitive Art Movement artist Paul Gauguin; her foliage rendering is suffused with a sense of mystery and eccentricity reminiscent of the Henri Rousseau’s Naïve art style.

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Canada

Yvonne Goldstone

“Painting gives my life purpose and I continue to explore the many possibilities that painting brings to my life.�

Yvonne Goldstone is a Canadian artist from British Columbia province, who started creating art at 10. She received education from Okanagan College, Canada, and started her creative journey in a slow manner, starting with embroidery, followed by crocheting, knitting, and quilting. But she always knew that her real destiny is painting, as her grandmother was a successful oil painter and she craved to follow the legacy. In 2015, Yvonne started taking lessons in oil painting to learn the nuances of art from unconventional art classes in British Columbia and Argentina. As she continued to learn, her childhood passion for painting turned into a full-time profession.

Yvonne paints in a realistic style, and her most incredible skill is her rendering of animals. She captures the emotions and her love and compassion towards these creatures. She paints in the oil medium, with smooth brush strokes and blended colors.

The efficacious treatment of contrast, light, and shadow create a composition which viewer cannot overlook. She uses an exaggerated background to create drama. Her drawings of swan, elephant, and Great Dane are her most characteristic work and rendered in brilliant hues, it brings this subject to life. Her sense of composition and anatomy is rather sound. Artistically painting delicate and fragile flowers is undoubtedly tricky, but the artist meticulously crafts into ethereal textural effect with the bee hovering and grabbing all the attention. Her prurience to paint escalates every time she picks up the brush, and the painting process gives her life purpose.

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THIS PAGE - TOP TO BOTTOM:

BEE ON DANDELION - oil on canvas - 16 x 20 in

LUNA THE GREAT DANE - oil on canvas - 16 x 20 in OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT:

SAFARI ELEPHANT - oil on canvas - 24 x 30 in WOMAN IN WATER - oil on canvas - 48 x 30 in

SWAN AND HER DUCKLINGS - oil on canvas - 16 x 20 in

Yvonne’s drawings of swan, elephant, and Great Dane are her most characteristic work and rendered in brilliant hues, it brings this subject to life.

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