musetouch_issue_7

“I understand my paintings as modern icons of the feminine.
Although the primary role of the icon is to bring the viewer into relationship with the depicted
saint rather than tell stories about him or her, I aim to achieve both in the form of
opening a dialogue.
In my female portraits “Inscapes” I look for imagery that derives symbols from mythology,
nature and spirituality. As an artist I neither accept myth or religion as a historical
fact, nor reject it as useless. I move between those two extreme poles to mine history and
its trends, trying to understand and communicate its meanings for today. Therefore, these
Inscapes aim to make a political, religious and cultural statement.
My landscape paintings are acting more as a sanctuary, a retreat; it gives you time to breath
and to reflect. They also pose as a metaphor for society’s need of refuge.
As every artist visits his or her places of childhood, I too am very influenced by my European
roots, earliest memories and experiences with art and nature. I paint with hot liquid
beeswax, pigments and fire. My process of painting begins with composing paint from pigment
and wax, giving me the joy to truly create the “right” consistency of paint in terms of
hues and transparency.
This ancient raw painting technique constantly copes with loss and restoration, reflecting
the themes of my imagery. For me the beauty of an encaustic paintings lies in its uniquely
transparent layers that are catching the light. The painting comes to life from within, giving
way to luminous and lush colors that are sealed in a jade-like surface.”
Birgit Huttemann Holz
musetouch 138