ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE IN COLLABORATION WITH VIVID ARTS NETWORK PRESENTS:
Artwork :“Blue Morpho” by Sharon T Ross
INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION
Ferrara, 22 - 29 August
INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION
Ferrara, 22 - 29 August
JUST BE
INSPIRED
! e d i r e h t y o Enj
- VIVIANA PUELLO -
Viviana C. Puello Colombo-American internationally-acclaimed artist, curator, writer and activist, Viviana Puello is an arts advocate, highly recognized for her active role promoting the arts globally. She has most recently receive the title of Honorary Member and the Medal of Honor by the National Academy of Fine Arts in Brazil, for her relevant contribution to fine arts and culture internationally with her work for ArtTour International Magazine and the Vivid Arts Network. All conferred by the president of the association, Mr. Edilson E. Barbosa.
ABOUT THE CURATOR
With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Puello is also the founder of the Vivid Arts Network, an international art organization that serves as a platform for professional and emerging artists looking to receive international exposure. With Vivid Arts Network, Puello’s efforts as an activist for the cause of abolishing human trafficking are directed towards helping ECPAT International - an association that helps heal victims and creates programs for the prevention of this crippling social issue (www.ecpat.com). In December 2014, Puello was presented with a plaque and honored with the title “Artists Visionary” by the artists of the Vivid Arts Network. This was a warm thank you for Puello from this large group of artists whose careers have been touched by her work and dedication. In 2011, Puello founded ArtTourInternational Magazine; with the help of her creative team, the first issue of the magazine was published in December 2011 and distributed to fifteen hundred readers. Today, ArtTour International Magazine has over 2 million readers and is present in over 120 countries. Puello splits her time between Italy and New York, the city in which she gained experience while working for a notable TV Station. After founding ArtTour International Magazine and seeing its great success, Viviana founded the ATIM web TV Channel where she uses her past experience in journalism and communications to expose contemporary artists through the live broadcasting of events and the “Art 2 heart” interviews she does while traveling with her team. Viviana Puello started her career as an artist in her native Colombia at a very early age. She emigrated to the US at the age of 14. Her works were initially inspired by Colombian artists whom she looked up to like Fernando Botero and Alejandro Obregon. Puello is collected internationally and has premiered in film, television, and theatre. Puello enjoys painting, writing, traveling and, in her spare time, working in her farm in Italy where she can enjoy quiet respites in between her trips.
www.arttourinternational.com
A R T I S T S
A.C. LINDNER ALBERT WEBER ALDO BASILI ALEX SLINGENBERG ANNA PAOLA GOROZPE CATHY PANTIGNY CHANTAL LARRIVIERE CRISTINA ILINCA DELPHINE CONEDERA GAIA RICCI GUDRUN ALVEBRO IVAN HIDALGO JAIME BURROGUHS JOHN DROOYAN JOHN NIEMAN JOYCE FOURNIER KARLY & ANNE V KENTH BENDER LARRY D’ARRIGO LAWRENCE R. ARMSTRONG LEROI JOHNSON MARGARET CHWIALKOWSKA MICHAEL GEUDNER & EUGEN FASS MICHAEL LAM ROLLANDE DUFAULT SERGIO RAPETTI SHARON ROSS SHEEFALI ASIJA SUZANNE DUNCAN TOM MCGEE VALENTINE ATAH VIGGO CARLSEN YOUNG AE-YI
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http://www.arttourinternational.com/rise/
A.C. LINDNER
“Strawberries” - Oil on Board, 22 x 54 cm
Texas artist A.C. Lindner uses traditional handcrafted materials and old master painting techniques to create museum quality oil paintings of subjects from everyday life. A purest, Lindner prefers to stretch canvases, prepare painting surfaces, grind pigments, and cook mediums in the tradition of the masters. The artist always works from life in order to observe the subtle nuances of color and light that only the eye can detect. “I live on a small horse farm just outside of Austin where I have my studio. The studio has perfect northern light for painting, and I can look out and watch the deer and other wildlife while I paint. I also have a cutting garden, where I can readily find subject matter for paintings. I find inspiration in the smallest things, it may be a butterfly or the way the sunset rakes light across the landscape. Beauty is all around us, and it is this simple beauty that I try to convey to the viewer in my paintings.” Awards include the Stanton-Gage Art Scholarship and the Thanhardt-Burger Corporation Award of Excellence at the Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils. Featured as an “Artist to Watch” by Southwest Art magazine in 2007. Listed in Art Tour International Magazine’s Top 60 Contemporary Masters, and ATIM Timeless Award recipient in 2015. Recent publications include ArtTour International Magazine, Southwest Art, American Art Collector, Austin Living, Architectural Digest Austin/San Antonio and International Contemporary Masters. Memberships include Oil Painters of America, Artists of Texas, American Women Artists and California Art Club. Original paintings and commissions are available through Russell Collection Fine Art, Austin, Texas.
www.aclindner.com 6
ALBERT WEBER
“Trumpet Music” - 2014 Oil on canvas, 119 x 119 x 4 cm
(* 1957 - Schaffhausen, Zurich-based – Switzerland) International well-known Swiss artist. His works are unconventional and unique combining abstract and realistically applied color fields with palette knife in the same picture (Weberism). Working with oil paints, acrylic, paletteknife, metal, concrete, diamonds, sculptures, installations and contemporary art. Albert Weber graduated from 1973-1977 the School of Applied Arts in Zurich. He permanently continues his education in modern art combined with new materials and techniques. His works have been shown in museum and art exhibitions e.g. in Ukraine, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Kuwait, Italy, USA, Norway, Netherlands, France, Turkey and Russia.
“Ali” - 2013 Oil on canvas, 120 x 120 x 4 cm
www.albert-weber.ch 7
ALDO BASILI
“Gondole” - Foto analogica, 90 x 62 cm
He took his first steps into photography in 1958 at the early age of fourteen, practicing and printing on his own in black and white. His photographs are shown in private and public collections in Italy and abroad, in museum’s exhibitions and in national and international galleries. Moreover they have been published on catalogues, yearbooks and on photographic national and international websites. In 2012 he exhibited in Nice, in Lisbon, in New York and in Florence. In 2013 he exhibited in Italy in Piedmont, in Pordenone, Florence and Spoleto. Abroad, he has exhibited in New York, in Toronto and in Nice. In 2014 he exhibited in Italy in Piedmont, also in Turin, in Milan, Florence, Naples, Varenna and Savona. Abroad, in Paris, in Koping and in Colonie.
“Pellegrini” - Foto analogica, 90 x 63 cm 8
www.aldobasili.eu
ALEX SLINGENBERG
“My passion for art and wildlife in particular has come from many sources and influences it is an on going journey of self discovery a joyful learning process that fires and feeds my soul, and that which I hope to share with others.” Nature, beauty and art have always been part of Alex’s life. As a child she traveled throughout the Far East Middle-America and the U.S. with her Diplomat parents, who were also avid art collectors. Surrounded by the lush vegetation of the tropics with its bright colored wildlife combined with the exquisite antiques her parents collected, beauty was everywhere. China, Thailand, The USA and Mexico, the different cultures and native wildlife instilled in her a love of al things beautiful and a strong desire to express her self creatively. As a child she drew instinctively and later won prizes in school competitions with her natural talent. All this made an indelible impression upon her mind, thus shaping the future artist. Trained initially as a Goldsmith, she graduated as a Designer Craftsman in the UK, and then moved on to work as a photography stylist. Native American culture and art captivated her to the extent that it became a serious interest and subject of study. Silk being her favorite fabric, she started researching ways to paint on it and soon developed her own formula, medium and technique to suit that specific textile. From there on, she started experimenting with painting on leather.”
www.natureartists.com/alex_slingenberg.asp 9
ANNA PAOLA GOROZPE
Annapaola Gorozpe PerezPria was born in Mexico City on July 26, 1978. Her specializations are fine arts, painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. In addition to her doctorate in Museography at Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes de Xococongo ( INBA), she also took a doctorate in Art History and Philosophy at la Universidad Ibero Americana ( IBERO) and concluded academic studies at la Academia de Grabado el Bisonte. She is active in participating to different international art events, in 2014, the first biennial of creativity in Verona Italy where she curated and presented with one of the most prominent art critic worldwide Vittorio Sgarbi. She also continued with the presentation of her book and exhibition of illustrations at the Historical Literary Cafe"Le GiubbeRosse” in Florence, Italy. In 2015, the Biennale continues to MEAM Barcelona, curated by Jose Vanroy Dali (Son of Salvador Dali). Anna Paola also has exposure to the Carrousel de Louvre in Paris, exhibition of paintings and poetry in Thuiller Gallery in Paris, In Cilicia Art Taormina, Italy and Exhibition "Variety" in Milan. Her artworks "Resureccion" and "The Star has arrived" will be exhibited in Ferrara Italy in August.
Anna Paola wrote and illustrated “The Star, The Feather and The Rose”. This book is a delightful children's picture book with a powerful and positive spiritual message. In this tender story, touched with emotions, she has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offer profound and valuable life lessons, teaching the importance of optimism, gratitude, forgiveness, love and serene acceptance of one's capacity to love. This book will be presented this coming November in Paris. 10
www.joyfulfairytale.com
CATHY PANTIGNY
“Memoire” - Acrylic on Canvas, 51 x 102 cm
Cathy was born in North of France in 1968. Now living in Quebec since 2012 in Saint Sauveur, QC. She is passionate about home decoration and painting. She followed flower arranging lessons while leaving in Asia. Self-taught woman since 2013, she paints following her feelings, and her environment which guide her and results to superb modern realisations. She uses acrylic paint, led by a determined and precise gestural to express herself, sustained by the use of bright colours and different textures to compose her canvases. Every single canvas is a new challenge to use newly learnt techniques. She found satisfaction in painting and “Abstraction du Coeur” - Acrylic on Canvas, 81 x 81 cm what was only a hobby became quickly a need to express feelings on a daily basis. This is now a self-emotional exploration and a way to find happiness. Worldwide artist her work has been (and will soon be) exhibited in various countries such as France (Paris), Canada (Montreal), Italy (Ferrara Castle), USA (New York, Miami), Belgium.
cathy.pantigny@gmail.com 11
CHANTAL LARRIVIERE
“Mirage” - Mixed Media & Oil on Canvas, 135 x 90 cm
“After a tumultuous life, travel, adventure, a taste for unknown lands, a rewarding life experience, a life with intense questioning and new beginnings, I take the time to stop and devote myself to develop my passion, like any creator, there was a time to look for my artistic identity, it did not last very long. Very quickly I found my style, my signature as if the works that I create today were gestating in me for years. They are the obvious result of the expression of my philosophy of life that is found through the symbolic interpretation that I expressed in my abstract works. I paint with my fingers, I enjoy the physical contact with the canvas and colors and it gives me an extraordinary freedom to project myself in the world I create.”
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“Telluris” - Mixed Media & Oil on Canvas, 135 x 90 cm
www.chantallarriviere.com
CRISTINA ILINCA
“Woman (II)” - Blown glass, marble pedestal, 30 x 15 x15 cm
“Purple Lady” - Blown Glass, 21 x 20 x18 cm
I have started my artistic career several years ago, when, reaching my 40's without having answers for many questions about life and its meaning I decided to change my life and to become an artist. Although I am still searching the answers for these big questions now I am trying to adress them also through art. Glass art mainly, but not exclusively. My life and my art are now one vivid journey: often difficult, sometimes frustrating, sometimes rewarding, but always surprising and wonderful. Since the day I first thought of myself as an artist I have obtained an academic degree in art in Bucharest, I took independent classes in glass art and ceramics (Frauenau, Germany -2009 and 2011, Corning, USA -2014, Tuscany, Italy -2014, Shenton,UK, 2015), I have worked with glass (blowing, casting, fusing, flameworking) and clay (raku paperclay sculptures), I met various artists worldwide and made some new dear friends among them, I went public with solo glass exhibitions in Bucharest (Miracle of Life, 2012; Flowing/Flissend -2013) and I took part in various group exhibitions, in Romania and abroad (Belgium, Germany, Republic of Moldavia, United Kingdom). My credo is that there is no greater miracle than the existence of life. For us, living entities, life is probable the most fortunate event that has been developed by chance on our little planet, as peculiar fragment of the endless process of the cosmic swirl. I try to catch and reflect in my work the miracle of life and our amazament in front of it. Presently I am working as independent artist in my own small studio. I am living, working and dreaming in Bucharest, Romania.
www.cristinailinca.ro 13
DELPHINE CONEDERA-LAUNET
“Mise A Nu” Acrylique, ciment, resine 100 x 50 cm
“Paris Dans La Brume” Acrylique, ciment, resine 92 x 73 cm
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www.del-art.com
GAIA RICCI
“Sogno 8” - Collage, 50 x 70 cm
“Sogno 7” - Collage, 50 x 70 cm
Gaia Ricci was born in Ferrara August 22, 2006 where she lives with her parents. Since very young Gaia showed a remarkable sensitivity to color and design . Her kindergarden teachers ( ages 2 to 5 years) used to speak of Gaia’s spending a good part of the day drawing and playing with paper and colors. Her imagination is expressed in a riot of colors and shapes that immediately conquer the observer . Her parents, who are not artists but her big supporters, have therefore set up an area in the house for her to paint. Struggling with brushes and colors , the enthusiasm of the little Gaia is accentuated , exploding in creations on paper, cardboard and canvas, expressions of the inner language of a child . In the past, her work was often inspired by animals and nature of which she has always been very interested . The first show takes place in April 2012 in Ferrara at ' L'Osteria del Contrabbasso ' which , in addition to well-known restaurant is also a gallery for artists. The awe and wonder of the visitors have confirmed the interest in her work. Immediately in May of 2012 at the Library ' Bassani ' the Municipality of Ferrara , famous center of culture and communication. Here too, the satisfaction was extensive . Viviana Puello ( art director of Vivid Arts Network ) has taken to heart Gaia’s work and in June of 2013 exhibited four of her works at a Show held in New York 1 to 16 June 2013. The exhibition that brought many international artists confirmed again the interest of the public for Gaia’s work . The works , over 200 paintings, have been carried out with different techniques from collage , watercolor finger , from acrylics on canvas with markers, colored pencils from the wax . A true passion that fascinates the little artist and the observer, almost a wonderful game of magic!
www.gaiaricciart.com 15
GUDRUN ALVEBRO
“The Grass” Oil on Canvas 60 x 73 cm
“The bleu collograph” Printed on Graphic Paper Glazed and Frame 20 x 28 cm 16
www.gudrunalvebro.com
IVÁN HIDALGO
“Esqueleto” - Photography
“Mujer sin Rostro” - Photography
Fotógrafo nacido en Madrid en 1976, se inicia en la fotografía en 1995. En este inicio obtiene el primer premio de fotografía amateur del concurso promovido por la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer Colabora con las más importantes agencias de publicidad tanto nacionales como internacionales. Realiza catálogos de moda para importantes diseñadores Españoles, creando imágenes impactantes para revistas especializadas como Neo2, Zero, Maxim, Elle,Love, Arttour International, entre otras muchas. Sensible a diversas causas sociales, ha realizado distintas exposiciones, entre ellas: En 2005 en el Circulo de Bellas Artes de Madrid, expuso un trabajo sobre el maltrato a la mujer titulado “18 segundos” en colaboración con el Instituto de la Mujer de España y en la que participaron 18 mujeres del ámbito de la cultura, el deporte y el arte, en ellas se mostraba el contraste de un rostro popular con las heridas y golpes de los maltratos. En 2007, realizo la exposición “Habana-India”, una colección de 28 fotografías con las que, a través del retrato y de la fotografía de escenas urbana retrata la realidad social de ambas ciudades . Después de encontrarse con la infancia desfavorecida en su trabajo “Habana-India” decidió abordar el tema de la separación de los hermanos, para lo que en colaboración con la ONG Aldeas Infantiles viajó con su cámara por las distintas Aldeas de todo el mundo. De esta colaboración nació la exposición “Hermanos”, donde capta las caras, las miradas, los lugares, la vida cotidiana de los niños de las diferentes Aldeas. Este trabajo se viene exponiendo de forma itinerante a lo largo de todos los Parlamentos de las Comunidades Autónomas de España. En al año 2013 comienza una nueva andadura profesional mas personal e intima, donde mezcla fotografía con pintura, retratando diferentes personajes del mundo de la noche, bailarines, boxeadores, generando un aire underground en toda la obra.
www.ivanhidalgo.com 17
JAMIE BURROUGHS
“Born and Raised in Delhi” - Photograph (Artography) 36 x 46 cm
“We The Peeple” - Photograph (Artography) 36 x 46 cm
My name is Jamie Burroughs. I am a photographer. Self taught, I picked up a camera one day and realised that in my hands I held my future. That this was something I was placed here on this world to do. Something that I knew was right. Through my work I am able to speak, to shout about issues that stir my heart and soul. Climate change and its denial, women’s rights and the victims of the rape epidemic blighting modern India at this moment. Racism and xenophobia, inequality, the unfairness that the world throws to the begging bowls of most of this world's inhabitants. Injustice. Social commentary, the ability to speak and spread a message is central to my philosophy, my aims and my work. All the while I contrast these heavy subjects with a beauty that I can always find, see, touch at anyplace on this planet and in this life. I also like to throw abstract accents to my work and honour the freedom that abstract thought can make possible. My aims are to spread my work worldwide and to initiate thought, debate and clarity in a muddled world. To show the world my work and to find the success that comes from that.
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ten10jamie@hotmail.co.uk
JOHN DROOYAN As a young man, while working at Dellen Publishing Company in San Francisco, I was commissioned to create chapter opening photographs for a series of math textbooks. At the time I was familiar with the photographic creations of John Pfahl, which involved integrating placed sculptural objects in landscapes he photographed, and having a not too distant memory of a night spent on Zabriskie Point in Death Valley by moonlight, I proposed to design and create sculptures of mathematical concepts that I would photograph in Death Valley...which was accepted. As I was designing the mathematical scultpures, I read Laurence Weshchler’s book about Los Angeles artist Robert Irwin, titled “Seeing is Forgetting the Name the Thing One Sees” which followed Robert Irwin’s investigations into perception, intuition and chance, that lead to his ground breaking environmental artworks. The result was twenty-four chapter opening photographs, ten of “O_Henry” - Computer Art, Archival Epson 9880 Print on Canvas which I’ve selected to comprise the 76 x 100 cm Desert Target series – which form the conceptual and perceptual foundation for my mixed media and digital artwork that followed. I subsequently attended the San Francisco Art Institute and began working with 3-D objects on the surface of my photographs, which continued with two series of mixed media artwork titled “Save the Creatures”, and “Altar Egos”, in which three dimensional objects, as well as my drawing and painting are integrated with my photographs. One professor commented on the influence of Picasso, and another on Magritte’s perceptual/conceptual paradigm, in these works. Works from the Altar Egos and Save the Creatures series have appeared in many group and solo exhibitions, including solo exhibitions at Galerie Samuel, in Paris, the Daniel Saxon Gallery in Los Angeles, and the Brand Art Gallery, in Glendale, California. I bought my first (Macintosh) computer in early 1994, and thereafter began work on my digital artwork series titled “Headquarters”, which includes my hand drawn and painted imagery combined with photography, and “Ocean Park” - the only artwork I’ve made that does not include photography. For many years I was not able to make ( or have made) satisfactory prints of my digital artwork. Finally, with the development and arrival of Genuine Fractals, Colorburst rip software, and the Epson 9880 printer, I am now able to make high quality archival prints of my digital artwork on canvas and paper. Most recently I have embarked on a new series of photographs titled “Celebrities”.
www.drooyanart.com 19
JOHN NIEMAN
“Making Whoopie” - Watercolor 81 x 56 cm
John Nieman has always been fascinated by the nexus of art and pop culture. Consequently, he often intertwines those forces into paintings that have been exhibited in America, Europe, Asia and Canada. For years, he enjoyed a successful career in the advertising business, most recently as Chief Creative Officer of D’Arcy Worldwide. In this capacity, he directed and oversaw the creative output of more than 100 offices. Almost a decade ago, he devoted himself to the visual arts. He studied with Julie Lester in New York, and quickly moved on to a prolific output of still studies. His work is characterized by striking composition, crisp colors, and strong shadows. He has a photo realistic sensibility and favors pastels and watercolors. Given his background in the communication world, he particularly enjoys creating work that tells a visual story. Mr, Nieman has been exhibited in twenty different venues over the past two years. His work has been featured in national and international juried competitions. Collections of his paintings and poems have been published in books called Art of Lists and Art of More Lists. He is currently represented by Agora Gallery in New York City. He resides in Dobbs Ferry, New York, “The Bucket List” - Watercolor 81 x 58 cm with his five children. 20
www.johnnieman.com
JOYCE FOURNIER
“For the Girl Who Has Everything” - Mixed Media on Panel, 30 x 30 cm
Joyce Fournier, is a Toronto based Artist who whimsical take on Fashion is particularly attractive to men and women alike. Her 'Fashion & Accessories' Series was originally born out of her love for fashion handbags and designer labels. "I find it exciting to put into two dimensions the allure of seductive handbags that I find in urban boutiques and designer outlets" - Joyce Fournier 2015 While creating a frenzy of 'fashionista' must haves is her current passion, Joyce often finds it rejuvenating to revisit the Landscape, or delve further into contemporary portraiture, her original artistic interests Over the last decade Joyce has exhibited in several solo and group shows within Canada and internationally. A member of the Portrait Society o f A m e r i c a , Jo yc e ’s fi g u r a t i v e w o r k s , commissioned portraits, landscapes and Fashion paintings are found in private and public collections in Canada, the USA, and Europe. Her work has been featured on several occasions in the prestigious American Art Collector “How Can You Resist Me” - Mixed Media on Panel, 30 x 30 cm magazine since 2009.
www.fournierart.com 21
KARLY ET ANNE V Karly, born in 1965, lives and works in Paris. She has been experimenting with color since 1997. Her color expertise has accumulated in an approach where she specifically addresses the salient nature of color within the production of a work of art. Anne V was born in 1970 and lives in Champagne. She has completed study courses in history and art history and is a trained woodworker who now specializes in prodigiously producing painting stretchers. Karly and Anne V have been working together since 2011. Our guideline is to establish connections between corporeal memory and the artistic environment, by combining different materials (wood and fabric) and mediums that we organize as murals and in modular format. Our work orientates towards presentations that privilege sensory experience. As such we can pass from the delicate nature of torn humanity, to the violent aspect of games for example. We dress wooden skeletons in fabrics to create a carnal envelope that evokes archetypal structures and promotes haptic experiences. Our intuition, in relation to these themes, invariably puts us on a specific path that we then follow through: an image, a color, an idea ...Very often we have the sentiment of possessing knowledge or information without being able to base it in empirical evidence or without being able to draw on any logical comprehension. It's like an energy that pushes us on .... From work to work, this inspirational source reveals itself to us when it discreetly takes shape through different structures, surface skins and colors, then disappears elsewhere to remain hidden, to become neutral, then rematerialises once more, now regenerated, to surprise us yet again.
“Extase� - Toilee Sur Chassis en Ewlief, Peinture Aerosol Acrylique 120 x 120 cm
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karly-annev.artisteo.com
KENTH BENDER
“Mr and Mrs Bates Joy” - Acrylic on Canvas, 80 x 80 x4 cm
“To Draw Attention to Our Civilization’s Largest and Most Important Social Phenomenon Through Every Category Of Human Creation Worldwide - Arts & Culture - and Its Fundamental Importance To Our Future (Human) Development’’. Kenth Bender
““Unique Memories”” Acrylic on Canvas 50 x 70 x 4 cm
www.fine-art-bender.com 23
LARRY D'ARRIGO
“Fireman of 9 Lives” Oil on Canvas 122 x 97 cm
“My painting is based in surrealistic symbols. I work fantasies and dreams departing from reality, trying to find a balance between what we seize and what we do not obtain. My work begins with city scenes that little by little are transformed into surrealistic, labyrinthine and sometimes-silent scenes with soft and vibrant colors. In my sculptures I work to represent the human being that is always erect and triumphant. The person that has overcome all problems and that remains tireless, invincible and, always standing tall.”
“Standing Tall, in Love Under the Rain” Plaster 122x 41 x 41 cm
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www.larrydarrigo.com
LAWRENCE ARMSTRONG
“Red Blaze” Acrylic on Aluminum 56 x 71 cm
Lawrence has a unique, diverse design background, and embodies a renaissance approach to life. He is not only a talented artist, but an accomplished architect, designer and CEO of a dynamic, international architecture firm, Ware Malcomb. Lawrence has completed a number of international art exhibitions in Florence, Bologna, Milan and Vienna. His showings include: Iocandina Synchronies in Madrid, Art Tour International in Toronto, and Art Tour International in Miami, Art Expo New York. Armstrong’s paintings and sculptures are currently being displayed in Milan, Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida and in Irvine, Calif. Armstrong has received numerous individual awards for personal art and design, including: Shaker Square Circle within a Square Design Competition, Cleveland Award, Terminal Tower Design Competition Award, OC Design Community Art Exhibition, Artavita 9th Contest, ATIM Masters Award, ATIM Choice Award, Artavita 10th Contest and AIA Honor Award. My work, both in art and architecture, represents an ongoing exploration of the concept of layers: both how they interact and intersect with one another, and also the meanings contained within. Layers are to be found everywhere: in space and time, in intellect, in emotion, and in the synthesis and interpretation of form. Whether two- or three-dimensional in scope, the artwork that results is almost multisensory in nature, eliciting from the viewer a multifaceted experience of the wondrous complexity that ultimately composes our world. A piece of artwork is often precipitated by flashes of light and inspiration derived from anything from written text to music to a particular event. Regardless of its origins, through my art I explore the natural tension inherent in opposing forces, whether it’s the natural world versus built environments, or other paradigms such as chaos/order, free form/precision, random/planned action, and solid/void.
www.lraart.com 25
LEROI JOHNSON
Flowers I” - Acrylic on Canvas
Flowers VI” - Acrylic on Canvas
Working in acrylics, often, with a touch of oil, African American artist LeRoi has created an entirely new art form that he calls “electric primitive”. Drawing on his cultural roots, he employs vibrant florescent colors, fusing primitive themes with modernist and Cubist influences - seen in his dedication to geometric forms. Colors are bold and vivid, lending animation and energy to the overall effect. This vibrancy is further bolstered by LeRoi’s bold brushstrokes and lively composition, resulting in images that seem to dance off the canvas. Afro-centric themes are seated in religious contexts and subtle commentaries, conveying playful stories that depict the artist’s voyage through life. The primitive surrealist imagery is almost dreamlike, as figures are blended seamlessly with abstract forms to create images that are bright, colorful and give insight into the artist’s inner world. Through LeRoi’s original paintings, we are invited to explore another plane, where everyday experience is rendered extraordinary. LeRoi divides his time between New York and Rio de Janeiro. 26
www.electricprimitive.com
MARGARET CHWIALKOWSKA
“Persimmon Reflection” -Oil on Canvas, 81 x 107 cm
Margaret Chwialkowska endeavors to capture the strong emotional impact of Canada’s dramatic landscapes. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, she works with a palette knife in the alla prima style, using bold pigments and textures that capture movement, light, depth, and the changing of the seasons. Chwialkowska’s vibrant colors evoke the unique palette of the Ontario landscape, reflecting a distinctly Canadian identity. In this series of paintings, Chwialkowska, inspired by the ever-changing moods of the Ottawa River in Ontario, explores the idea of reflection. In autumn, the river is fiery, almost molten, as it reflects the turning leaves of the surrounding foliage. In summer, the water is rushing and cool. And sometimes, the river is so placid, so still, the colors from the landscape seem to bleed into the water, staining it with golden hues. As the pools of water reflect back the change of the seasons, so too they trace the transformation of the psyche of the artist. Both an illusion of physical reality and an emotional mirror, these reflections invite the viewer to engage in personal contemplation alongside meditation on nature. This collection explores not only the elusive depths of the river, but also that of our own souls. Margaret Chwialkowska has received numerous awards and her work is shown in galleries in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Born and educated in Poland, Chwialkowska moved to Canada in 1979.
www.artistsincanada.com/margaret 27
MICHAEL GEUDNER & EUGEN FASS
“5 White Horses” - Acrylic on Canvas, 300 x 140 cm
Friendship and cooperation since 2003: Michael Geudner born on 23rd of January 1970 in Heilbronn - Germany Eugen Fass born on 10th of March 1975 in Smolensk – Russia Two educated artists determined to go on a new journey. Our work is based on profound education and classical studies in the fields of painting and graphic design. The synergy created through our cooperation, drifts us forward and gives us new-founded impulses. We implement our paintings together: from the first inspiration to the final brush. We have one plain and simple goal: to create paintings which can give the room a peculiar emotional communication. Such as: motivation, peace, security and elegancy. And in order to accomplish this we rely on our experience in various fields such as graphic design, art, marketing and interior design. The motif we chose has to meet a particular claim. It has to give the room a new atmosphere. Our paintings do not require a description, they speak for themselves.
“Tiger 01” - Acrylic on Canvas, 160 x 130 cm
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www.fass-geudner.com
MICHAEL LAM
“2 Hearts, 3 Planes” - Acrylic Ink on Canvas, 76 x 203 cm
Michael Lam moved from the East to New York City over 20 years ago. He created Single Stroke Painting based on his calligraphy skill. His inspiration is the elevation of the human spirit to a higher plane of awareness, sensation and actualization. Lam has received awards and recognition for his work in NYC and Florence, and he used his work to support the Aeiou Foundation for children.
“Creativity” - Watercolor on Paper, 76 x 56 cm
www.michaellamny.com 29
ROLLANDE DUFAULT
“Abstraction 432 (Encounter)” - Mixed media, 76 x 76 cm
Rollande Dufault is a contemporary art artist. She likes to play with abstraction and sometimes to combine a few details that generate a state of mind. Her way of dealing with the components of the work gets us caught in a kind of magic. This is what is about this painting called: ‘’Abstraction 422 (Encounter). With bachelor degrees in both Fine Arts and History of Art, she is a Canadian and international artist recipient of numerous awards. In July 2012, she was awarded a bronze medal in Rumania, in 2013 she won a gold medal in Rome, Italy and in 2014, another gold medal in Spain. She has promoted her works in Canada, Spain, Belgium, Italy, France, Rumania, the United- States, and Brazil. She participated to the ‘’Salon SNBA’’ held at the ‘’Carrousel du Louvre’’ in Paris, at the Red Dot Art Show in Miami, in Art Expo New York, at the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art in Las Vegas, in Art of the World in Brazil…This February 2015, she was overwhelmed to learn she had been chosen as one of the top two artists in the ‘’Conscious Creation Contest of Vivid Arts Network 2015’’ to win the Vivid Arts Excellence Award presented in Ferrara, Italy. Rollande Dufault is listed in the ‘’The Biennal Guide to Canadian Artists in Galleries’’ published by( Magazin’Art/ Art Magazin), in the ‘’International Contemporary Art Masters, Volume VI & IX, (Worldwide Art Books, California), in ATIM’s Top 60 Masters of Contemporary Art 2013, 2014, 2015, (Art Tour International), in ‘’Show the Bola’’, Brazil (Art of the World)… 30
www.galeriedufault.ca
SERGIO RAPETTI
For a historical memory “American Indians” - 1997 Oil on Canvas, 70 x 50 cm
For a historical memor y re present an inter pretative philosophical concept. These impressionist-abstract works bring back to life the history of the American Indians who lived in the desert plains of Mexico, Arizona and California, struggling to survive; the works remind us that they had everything taken away from them, even their own life, only because to their misfortune they were born in an area of immense wealth, gold, oil, and so forth. This theory is today still everything in the world of actuality. The other works represent tribes of Bedouins, who share a great degree of similarity with the American Indians.
“Dancer of flamenco” – 2014, Oil on Canvas, 50 x 70 cm
www.rapettisergio.it 31
SHARON ROSS
“Tropical Dawn” Acrylic on Board 80 x 100 cm
My work tends to be in two mediums, Acrylic, and Pen and ink. I am an expressive artist exploring the abstract figurative form, and Abstract using inspiration of Zentangle. I use my art to portray feelings and emotions. My works are a form of Zen Meditation / Zentangle using the circle in a repetitive manner as a means of shading, providing form and tone to the piece.
“Tropical Riot” - Acrylic on Board, 80 x 100 cm
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www.sharonross.com
SHEEFALI ASIJA
“Apsara of Angkor” Oil on canvas 152 x 107 cm
In a world often characterized by an abundance of cynicism I attempt to create images that capture stories of optimism, determination and hope. In my “Forgotten Childhood” series I explore the lives of children abandoned with casual cruelty by society. The subject at first might appear as a contemplative face but I hope to have captured, upon closer examination, the quiet grace and tremendous courage that is required to hold onto one’s humanity when the world around you insists on ignoring you. “Pattern Seaker II” - Oil on canvas, 196 x 122 cm The use of strong and expressive brushstrokes and an emphasis on bright primary colours in my paintings draws attention to the joyous nature of childhood but childhoods that are eventually compromised by adversity. The manga technique of using close-up frame and bright colours furthermore proclaims these children as superhero characters straight out of comic books: with their lives displaying a quiet, powerful and purely unselfconscious heroism. In my “Pattern Seekers” series I have I used the images of CERNs vast particle detectors and accelerators and reduced the various forms to simple geometric shapes on large canvases to create patterns and shapes that are reminiscent of the soaring cathedrals of the past – now the sense of awe and wonder is no longer evoked by our layering of a religious mythological narrative over the world but by what we are now discovering about the very nature of our reality – a reality which is more beautiful and magical than the products of our wildest imagination – a picture of a world of dancing strings vibrating within higher dimensions.
sheefaliasija.com 33
SUZANNE DUNCAN
Photographer and creative director, Suzanne Duncan, has not only worked across the world’s seven continents, but has also had her work published in some of photography’s most important book collections. Suzanne works across the globe continually moving between Sydney, Los Angeles and New York to capture the perfect picture for countless fashion magazines such as Vogue Italia, Elle and Cosmopolitan. She also works with top modeling agencies including Ford Models NYC and has exhibited in Australia, North America, Europe and Asia. Originally from Newcastle, Australia, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a photographer. Working as a makeup artist and designing photo shoots, she would never receive credit for her work, until one day she decided to learn photography with a private tutor. After just having two lessons and buying her camera, she was asked to photograph Australian designer Corston Couture’s new collection. Six months after completing her studies, she received her first front page cover Hunter Lifestyle Magazine and since then she has been featured in many magazines. As an internationally recognized photographer, Suzanne’s work has featured in both Important World Artist and International Masters of Photography. Her international career was launched when her earlier work “Timeless Beauty” was named as a finalist in the coveted ‘Black and White Spider Awards’. Shooting using predominately natural light, Suzanne likes to explore the interplay between black and white and full color and the effects the color schemes play on the emotions portrayed through each artwork. 34
www.suzanneduncan.net
TOM MCGEE
“Land of Orcas” - Year: 2005, Media: Fuji Pearl, 51 x 76 cm
American photographer Tom McGee is known for his classic approach to contemporary landscape photography. Characterized by the artist’s dynamic use of light and shadow, these limited edition photographic prints often expertly depict the cosmic color gradation of sunrise and sunset. McGee doesn’t leave the house without a camera and tripod, ensuring that he’s always poised to capture and compose the images that speak to him. Embracing a wide range of subject matter within his landscape motif, his works depict everything from urbanity’s gritty chic to majestic fields and looming natural monuments. Having traveled extensively across the Western United States, some of his most poignant and enduring works depict the mountains and deserts of the Southwest as well as the Pacific Northwest’s Puget Sound, the latter being a region of which the artist is particularly fond. Tom McGee was born in Blythe, California and currently lives and works in Crosby, a suburb of Houston, Texas. An internationally acclaimed artist, in 2011 McGee exhibited a body of work at “The Gallery at Bulgar Centre” in Odessa, Ukraine. In 2013 and again in 2014 exhibited in the Art District of Chelsea, New York City. “Anchor Chain” - Year: 2005, Media: Fuji Chrome 51 x 76 cm
www.signatureprestigephotography.com 35
VALENTINE ATAH
“C'est écrit”, huile sur toile, 40 x 40cm
Le passage de l'invisible vers le visible. Valentine Atah est en recherche constante de la profondeur des êtres pour y faire germer l'intériorité. Faire surgir l'humain, son appel intime, l'écho de lui-même. Un appel à se dépasser et prendre du recul pour sentir, pour devenir, pour espérer, pour guérir. Valentine est fascinée par les espaces intérieurs immenses où le rapport de l’homme à lui-même ou au Sacré est constamment en jeu. cette peintre hors norme affirme le rôle spirituel de l'art. Née en 1972 à Bruxelles, de famille de peintres et de copistes, vit et travaille dans son atelier à Bruxelles. Peintre, dessinatrice et portraitiste depuis 15 ans.
“Soleil intérieur”, huile sur toile, 40 x 40cm 36
www.atah.be
VIGGO CARLSEN
Viggo Carlsen (born March 6th, 1949 in NĂŚstved, Denmark) Moved to Sweden 1959 Education: Autodidact Viggo has always been fascinated in nature. That's why it's not strange that during his first years as a artist he took the opportunity to creat nature-realistic paintings. Placing Viggos work in any of the known isms can be difficult as his paintings cover many of them. After 45 years of searching Viggo seems to have found what he has been looking for cheerful colors where he works multi-dimensional. His works often conveys joy and harmony. Internationally Viggos art has created a demand, with separate exhibitions in USA, Canada and Europe and enquiries for more exhibitions shows that his art is very much liked by galleries all over the world.
www.viggos.se 37
YOUNG-AE YI
“Swim in The Alhambra IⓒADAGP” - Mixed Media on Canvas, 73 x 91 cm
Critical Review artist Young Ae Yi By Dr Alessandro Costanza The artist Young Ae It uses the classical arts, to express values and profound concepts that come from the heart and from the conscious mind and the unconscious. Beyond the visible hides the wonderful world of Young Ae Yi, who in His excellent technical skill, imprints on the canvas, harmonious colors and almost pastel, a tenuous atmosphere, graceful and full of intense emotions visual and meditative. The proportional relationship between light and shadow, perspective and color harmonies are excellent, as well as a strong stylistic originality, gives the entire work of the artist, an absolute elegance.
“Swim in the Alhambra IIⓒADAGP” - Mixed Media on Canvas, 73 x 91 cm
www.yiyoungae.com 38
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