Artist Statement

My recent work is the result of an attempted dialogue between the abstract and the representational in the context of landscape painting. The landscapes that emerge from this process are neither a dream nor an illusion. I don’t seek to maintain a separation from the painting I am working on, nor from the scene whose essence I try to express. These paintings can be attributed to real places – real landscapes at real points in time throughout the seasons.

The main difference that characterises my new method consists in the focus on emotion, intuition, moods, and associations, rather than the construction of a realistic image. This approach allows me to utilize the full spectrum of the classical romantic method without shying away from the appeal of subjects such as the rising and the setting of the sun, the force of storms, or gardens in full bloom – subjects that have been interpreted time and time again throughout the history of art. I approach my paintings from an experimental angle, and my main objective is trying to find a personal language with which to communicate the memories, thoughts, and emotions brought about by encounters with nature. I would like my paintings to be dreamlike, spontaneous, and romantic. Occasionally, I might introduce a focal point in the shape of a house.

Oftentimes, vertical lines acquire major significance in my work, though their function is not to demonstrate a horizontal division. To me, they symbolize the nature of continuous movement and the flow of endless transition. I have discovered that the most subtle variation in the placement of lines can radically alter the mood of a painting.

I enjoy observing the evolution of my artwork in the process of its creation. The transformation of a canvas becomes a nearly unconscious process, which is aided by abstract composition, the use of glazing technique, and passages of loose brush strokes. The paint is applied laboriously in a multitude of translucent layers. Having studied all the intricacies of the shades I prefer to work with, I try to add a sense of great expanse.

The assortment of my own mental and visual interpretations of the landscapes I have been inspired by in the recent years is what motivated me to begin developing this new theme in my paintings. I have always been fascinated by the natural world; it has the ability to give a strong creative impulse beyond the scope of our everyday lives. In my paintings, the observable and the mysterious unravel before the viewer, turning into the landscapes that identify thoughts, wishes, and visions of dreams and ideals.