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IRENE BRANDT
The Well Hatted Ladies’ Coffee Circle Acrylic on Canvas Board 15”x 19”
If the work of German-born artist Irene Brandt seems familiar,
perhaps that is because her paintings have graced dozens of
calendars and were chosen two years running as UNICEF’s
holiday greeting card. Self-taught, Brandt’s style is best described
as naive or folk art. Specializing in acrylic paint since 1996,
Brandt produces vividly whimsical scenes with the intent of
disseminating a positive view of the world. Her fanciful depictions
host recurring themes including clowns, bubbles, stylized
mountains, overly exaggerated fish, and paper boats. Inspiration
for her scenarios comes from Brandt’s imagination, and never
ceases to amuse her viewers. Commenting on her pieces, Brandt
has said she rarely finishes one painting without it sparking the
idea for her next. To maintain variation within her work Brandt
eschews dimension creating the comical illustrations that have
come to characterize her oeuvre. Brandt matches the hilarity of
her pictures with the name she applies to each piece. Titles like,
“Bubbles on the Beach,” and “The Well Hatted Ladies’ Coffee
Circle” immediately conjure humorous imagery within the mind
that is no less entertaining when experienced through Brandt’s
design, something she extends beyond the canvas to the frame.
The art world has responded to Irene Brandt’s work with rapt
attention. Her work is on display around the world, in galleries
from China to the United States, Japan and Europe and can
be found within the permanent collections of 11 international
museums including The Museu Internacional de Arte Naif do
Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Musée International d’Art Naif de Magog,
Magog-Quebec/Canada , Musée International d’Art Naif, Vicq,
France, as well as many private collections. She currently resides
in Hürth, Germany.
To Dream Regardless of Everything
Acrylic & Mixed Media on Board
20”x 14”
DARIYA
AFANASEVA
Dariya Afanaseva, a young artist
originally from Russia, explores
the shapes of human emotions
and relationships in her dynamic
works. Her paintings capture
brief moments in time, fleeing
thoughts and states of mind.
Afanaseva is able to convey all
of these things through her careful
choices of colors and simply
silhouetted shapes. Even in her
most abstract pieces, figurative
elements are always present and
guide the viewer to an understanding
of the artist’s vision.
Afanaseva works in a style that is very expressive; a rhythm
flows through her brushstrokes and lends a very musical quality
to her painting. While studying her works, it becomes clear that
Afanaseva is influenced by an assortment of different styles. The
artist has stated that she traveled extensively around Europe as
a child, gathering ideas from all of the different cultures she encountered.
The culmination of these experiences is a distinctive
style that Afanaseva is able to call her own.
Website:www.Art-Mine.com/ArtistPage/Dariya_Afanaseva.aspx
Website: www.irenebrandt.de
21 ArtisSpectrum