JIYOUNG KIM

Born in: 1996, South Korea

Lives in: Seoul, Korea

Media: Textile Arts

Describe your work in 3 words: Structural, Experimental, time

See More Work:  Instagram: Jingleing_art

Piece Together - Fabric yarn, Wool, Felt, Acrylic yarn, Bolts, Nuts 220 x 160 x 15 cm

"When making art pieces, I pick materials not only by considering the suitability of theme but also by agonizing with hours of experiments and research. Moreover, I think of ways that could lead the pieces to take up space rather than remaining flat. I tried to add the concept of solidity in the established flat surface of tapestry, so that I could emphasize ‘Objective Effect’."

What themes does your work involve?
I compared the completeness of the day and the period to a puzzle using formative elements. I expressed the psychological comfort and relief that I feel on my way home from my busy life and abstract and structured formative constructs. I tried to make a completed structure as one piece of peace was compared to my ‘day’ and my shape was matched like a puzzle and this gathered. Different shapes and sizes showed that each day is always different and new. After the primary tapestry work, the tapestry of the architectural structure was completed by adding 3 dimensional and linear elements using the off-loom coiling technique. It showed design and structural forms by giving different heights and three-dimensionality of all the different color planes due to the volume and texture of the thread.
Describe your creative process.
In 'Piece Together,' we produced a result that can go beyond a flat work through basic molding elements such as lines and faces to three dimensions. By substituting various colors and expressing the contrast between colors, we created an idea sketch to show the color and a texture sample to show the three-dimensional effect, and specifically composed the details of the work. The motif of the night view taken on the way home is expressed in various colors and abstract forms. In order to record these moments as a work, abstract work was performed using geometric shapes after photographing. I think that the planning and sampling I made before entering the work are also important processes, and it is the beginning of the work from this moment.
What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?
It’s hard to deny that the difficult part of making artwork is to aim at an in-depth approach and analyze ‘The relationship between Textile’s Formativeness and Intention of the Expression’ based on research and experiment of multilateral material rather than focusing only on technique. Analyzing the ‘Diverse possibility of material expression’ and ‘What can be the most efficient way to express intended meaning in pieces’ in terms of diverse perspectives is becoming the new paradigm. It’s never easy to make artwork, but if the plans for my art progress following my own extent, it is relatively convenient to make the outgrowth. And I think the ultimate output when I finish my artwork is feeling the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction particularly based on ‘Agony' and 'Attempt'.
What is good art? What makes a piece of art great?

Recently, the tendency of art is mixed genres and ambiguous division. Following ‘Post-modernism’, the current art field is denying standardized and rigid structure, and trying to reach new styles different from the old paradigm. Moreover, attempts to ‘Decategorization’ and ‘Getting out from the textural interpretation of scriptures’ are increasing, which leads to experimental attempts with a variety of materials in different perspectives. This shows that ‘Fusion Art’ is the rising star in the modern society of art.

I think that it is important to become the opportunity for new possibilities of beauty and the soul of plastic experimentalists regardless of particularly structured genres. Therefore, these attempts ultimately led us to step up for the field of ‘Total Art’ and then 'Good Art'.

What is the role of the artist today?
I would like to be an artist who communicates my thoughts and beliefs with the world through my own artistic sense. I strongly believe that the most prestigious factor to appeal one’s own pieces are to attach new media and methods that change the paradigm of fixed thoughts and expression in art. For example, understanding customary acts or connotative meaning in culture would be ‘new’ to those who are not from this own country nor living on this earth. Because for those who are not used to that particular atmosphere or hard to understand that particular context, the approach to understanding this particular theme would be interpreted as ‘New attempt’ or ‘Challenge’, which would lead to higher engagement in art pieces.

 


This interview was published by Circle Foundation of the Arts. © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


Roland Reinert

"My intention in my art is to paint and compose out of my imagination in order to express my thoughts and my view of the world and the human existence."

Reflections - Acrylic on canvas 60 x 50 cm

Swiss painter, Roland Reinert was born in 1951 and has had solo shows in his native country and group participation in Italy, Paris, Denmark. He has been published in a variety of international art magazines and books and was the recipient of the 2nd Prize in Artavita Contest selected for publication on the back cover of "Important World artists Vol.4"

 

Select Awards

Best Modern and Contemporary Artist 2016

Best Modern and Contemporary Artist 2017

Best Artist of the Year 2019

The Island - Acrylic on canvas 70 x 90 cm
Illusion of Freedom - Acrylic on canvas 50 x 70 cm
The Ignorant and the Fool - Acrylic on canvas 70 x 80 cm
Blowin’ in the Wind - Acrylic on canvas 60 x 70 cm

This review was published by Circle Foundation for the Arts © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


 

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Tobbe Malm

“Everything I see and what I experience
Everything I hear, feel and touch
Even memories
I think a lot about what is happening in the world. The process in the workshop is like a channel for my thoughts, and I work without structure and have sketchpads laying around everywhere. I work intuitively and physically. I use my whole body, bend the iron and weld it together. I like to be fully present in my work.”

The Iron Roses, Memorial after July 22nd 2011 terror attack - 1000 iron roses

Tobbe Malm’s artistry draws its strength from his own emotions and his fondness for storytelling. The attentive artist combines reflections on the time we are living in with expressions from growing up in the mining industry’s Norberg in Sweden. He creates unique art that invites to curiosity and wonder.

Malm makes art for the private market and public arenas. He is happy to take on assignments.

Tobbe maintains his workshop at Bærums Verk, outside Oslo. Bærums Verk is old ironworks where the houses are now workshops, shops and galleries. He is also co-owner of Gallery SOOT.

Death comes to life - Forged iron and copper 220 x 50 x 30 cm
Jougdabergsfolket: “Symbiosis" - Forged iron and welded texture 120 x 20 x 15 cm
Jougdabergsfolket: "Challenged III" - Forged iron and welded texture 45 x 50 x 20 cm
LifetimeAffi2020
Jougdabergsfolket: "Challenged" - Forged iron and welded texture 80 x 25 x 20 cm

This review was published by Circle Foundation for the Arts © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


 

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Gia Strauss

“They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn’t. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” - Frida Kahlo

"For me, Surrealism is the epitome of an artist's imagination, Surrealism is the intoxication of the unconscious mind."

Pancreatic Hysteria - Oil on canvas 20 x 26 cm

"Emotions speak another language; the expressions of emotions are understood in all languages. From political statements to personal interpretations. I speak with my art, I see with my heart and feel with my mind. I communicate through my heart, through my desires, through my dreams in a world where there are no rules. I am me. I am a modern Surrealist, I express through reality, to create a sur-reality.

Transcending the tedium of every day life, the authenticity of great works of art should command reaction. It should never be mundane and should always be thought-provoking. My artistic aims are to convey visually and with great sensitivity to the concerns of life today.

The nature of my work has sometimes been described as 'Illuministic', the gender of illusionism. It is perhaps an appropriate label in that the consummate objective of my work is to illuminate the important issues of today through the spectrum of a creative viewpoint and an evocative perspective of our times - an indelible portrayal of life during the second decade of the twenty-first century.

I portray different facets of myself in my films and paintings.

My artistic ability predominantly resides with films, art performance, paintings and piano compositions.”

Gia Strauss is a Swiss artist living in London, UK and currently a PhD student of Philosophy (Surrealism, time and moving image.)

Indiscreet Liaison - Oil on canvas 57 x 77 cm
Le Tre Grazie - Oil on canvas 65 x 90 cm
Injecting Rejection - Oil on canvas 56 x 71 cm
The Menagerie of Desire - Oil on canvas 42 x 52 cm

This review was published by Circle Foundation for the Arts © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


 

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Frank Boyle

"I'm inspired by the work of other artists, and I draw inspiration from the words of Gerhard Richter, an artist whose work I greatly admire. When asked in 1970 by Rolf Gunther Dienst why the majority of his most recent works were landscapes, Richter replied ”I felt like painting something beautiful”."

Florence Figure Study 4 - Oil on canvas 51 x 41 cm

Frank Boyle was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1960 and has been living in Australia since 1982.

A BFA graduate from the National Art School in Sydney in 2000, Frank has since had several successful solo exhibitions in Sydney and exhibited in many group shows.

Frank had predominantly been a landscape painter producing work inspired by his travels in Australia and Europe. However, while living and painting in India for a 12-month period in 2008/9, and inspired by the colours, culture and masses of people around him, Frank experimented with figure studies and has continued to develop figure paintings which have become an important part of his studio practice.

“My work tends to evolve out of long and deliberate observations of the world around me. I’m drawn to investigate situations that suggest a sense of mystery, isolation and solitude. I respond mainly to what I see and the feelings it evokes and if I’m happy with any work I produce then hopefully it can speak for itself."

Frank lives in The Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

Bathers - Oil on canvas 51 x 41 cm
Varanasi Dog Study 1 - Oil on canvas 61 x 51 cm
Rome Figure Study 3 - Oil on canvas 51 x 41 cm
Travellers 1 - Oil on canvas 76 x 61 cm

This review was published by Circle Foundation for the Arts © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


 

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Cheryl R Richardson

"There is absolutely no doubt colour and shape catch my attention to begin with. It can be ever so simple eg. 2 colours together that scream bliss to me or a landscape with a particular form. I begin with pencil sketches, watercolours then an acrylic painting. I spend a lot of time on preparation."

SUNLIT - Acrylic on canvas 23 x 29 cm

"After perfecting the disciplined art of Chinese Brush Painting over and beyond 30 years I felt a great need to break free of those restraints so 15 years ago I added acrylic to my repertoire. My practice consists of fine sketches, followed by little watercolours which then lead onto actual paintings. Having performed this exacting ritual time and time again I'm more than ready to just have fun with the painting itself basically from the imprint of all that has gone before. My brush is just an extension of what lies within as it dances and dots across the canvas. Colour and form just happen and slowly life starts to emerge from a blank canvas and eventually a finished product sits before me. So absorbed am I that I'm unaware of the process that has just occurred. The vision of mind is now a true reality no longer a dream. I have won 5 First Prizes in various competitions, 2 Highly Commendeds, 5 Commendeds, 1 Honourable Mention, and been a Finalist 11 times. I have been selected to exhibit at The Other Art Fair in Sydney on 3 occasions."

Cheryl R Richardson is an Australian artist living in Sydney.

PERFECT PALM PARADISE - Acrylic on canvas 76 x 60 cm
FIVE PALMS - Acrylic on canvas 45 x 61 cm
HIGHWAY TO HAPPINESS - Acrylic on canvas 61 x 91 cm
HARBOUR HEART - Acrylic on canvas 30 x 25 cm

This review was published by Circle Foundation for the Arts © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


 

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Cristian Blei

"I want to paint an emotion, a dream, through lines, colors and shapes, to create something new, different and unique!"

Fantasmagoria - Oil on canvas 80 x 100 cm

Romanian artist, Cristian Blei started drawing and painting at a very young age, fascinated by the power of colors and shapes like a magical thing. Coming from a family of visual artists, the plastic language became very familiar to him from an early age, later unambiguously determining his path to the artistic field.

Blei's work is inspired always by an idea, a state, a dream, becoming then a story that is revealed in a subtle and unpredictable form. Introspection is very important in this creative process as a means of revealing the inner chaos, understanding it and overcoming it. This process makes him travel an unknown itinerary for the beginning, caught in a game of duality between logic and emotion between known and unknown, in which the mystery has its role.

As a technique, Blei mainly use the oils in a succession of fine color layers and use any pleasant accident of the colors on the canvas integrating it as part of the shapes game.

His style was strongly influenced by classical and also modern painting, as well as by the surrealist current that explores the idea of dreams and initiates the imagination as a total means of expression.

"I want to paint an emotion, a dream, through lines, colors and shapes, to create something new, different and unique!"

The Pearl - Oil on canvas 50 x 40 cm
My Blue World - Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm
The Initiation - Oil on canvas 65 x 80 cm
Believe in Magic - Oil on canvas 85 x 100 cm

This review was published by Circle Foundation for the Arts © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


 

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Nathan Neufeld

Born in: 1992, United States

Lives in: Kansas City, Kansas

Media: Sculpture, Digital Media, Performance, Installation, Mixed media, Ceramics, Jewelry

Describe your work in 3 words: Exploration - Discovery - Interaction

See More Work:  NathanNeufeld.com

Monolith

"Much of my work stems from a passion for exploration. Like the author of a book you can't put down, I strive to share this sense of exploration, discovery, and revelation with to viewer and user."

First and foremost a big Thank you to Circle foundation for continuing to provide these opportunities. I am honored to receive first place for this Artist of the Month competition.

One of the more exciting future projects I am working towards at the moment is the invention of a process. The process has 2 major parts, one a software that generates and develops ceramic formulations for clay bodies and surface treatments, such as glazes. The second is a robotic system that takes those recipes and distributes the necessary ingredients and amounts for each formulation from miniature silos. The first body of work I am envisioning to result from this process is a series of modular geometries that can come together in three dimensions, each module made of their own unique recipe. These would come together in formations that would echo the relationships between the recipes. For example, imagine the structure of a  spider web. From a central formulation -- we have hundreds of strains branching out, all related in diminishing degrees to their neighbors. Now imagine this in three dimensions.

Much of my work stems from a passion for exploration. Like the author of a book you can't put down, I strive to share this sense of exploration, discovery, and revelation with to viewer and user.

 

To join me in my Odyssey, check out NathanNeufeld.com and follow me on Instagram @neufelddesign. 

Onwards and upwards.

Cube
Rotate
Queen Bee Teaset
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Monarch Chandelier

 


Holly Wilmeth was selected for the 2nd Place Award in the CFA Artist of the Month April/May 2020. © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


Isis Hockenos

Born in: 1986, California, United States

Lives in: Los Angeles, California

Media: Painting, Drawing

Describe your work in 3 words: Narrative, Colorful, Figurative

See More Work:  http://www.isishockenos.com/

Look, I Got You Something - India Ink, Gouache and Colored Pencil on Paper 12 x 9 in. 2018

"I explore ideas of shape-shifting, transformation, masks and identity. Through vibrant visual narrative, sometimes parabolic, other times more abstruse, I take my experiences and surroundings and weave them into a personal mythology; a canon of stories that has been developing throughout my life and that I employ to better understand the world around me."

What themes does your work involve?
Mythology, human relationships, storytelling.
Describe your creative process.
I begin with a form, typically human, often from a photo I’ve taken or an amalgamation of photos. I rework this form until it has departed completely from the original source image and has taken on a life of its own. From here I compose my painting based on what I’ve been reading and thinking about lately. I typically work on 2-3 oil paintings at a time. While the paintings are in progress I make smaller works on paper using India ink, gouache and colored pencil (as seen here). These smaller, quicker works inform the larger paintings and visa versa. I know a piece is complete when I mix a color, approach the canvas (or paper) and the painting asks for nothing; it no longer needs me and can stand alone in the world.
What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?
I have always been influenced by storytelling, mythology and illustration. Recently, I have been looking at a lot of Max Beckmann and R.B. Kitaj and more contemporary artists like Peter Doig and Natalie Frank. Both of my parents were artists and I was educated in the Waldorf curriculum so art has been integrated into my life since birth. It was one of the languages I was raised to communicate with.
What is good art? What makes a piece of art great?

There is good art and there is successful art. The distinction, I believe, is that good art is subjective while successful art is objective. Considering a piece of art to be “good” is based on personal and aesthetic preference. A work is successful if the piece effectively communicates the intentions of the artist.

What is the role of the artist today?
The role of the artist today is to maintain visual language. By doing so we maintain diversity of communication, which is a critical part of shaping an empathetic world. It is impossible for a person to see everything at once. The artist distills the overwhelming experience of existing down to a human scale.
Naked Work Party - India Ink, Gouache and Colored Pencil on Paper, 12 x 9 in., 2018

 


This interview was published by Circle Foundation of the Arts. © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


Riitta Nelimarkka

"Love your work, enjoy dialogue, stay curious and experiment new ideas. Let yourself be self-critical, but not at the beginning of the project. think everything is possible and never give up. Take care of your beloved and nosce te ipsum - know yourself."

An Outsider, Camus, 1990 - Wool relief 220 x 250 x 3 cm

Professor Riitta Nelimarkka’s multifacetedness makes her one of the most exciting Finnish visual artists. Her art is characterized by a fearless use of colour and form, as well as virtuoso drawing skills and using music in her art.

She has studied painting in Paris, animation and photography in Stockholm, art history and music theory at the Helsinki University and piano performance at the Sibelius Academy.  Nelimarkka holds a doctorate degree in the arts (AALTO University Helsinki, 2001). She has received the honorary title professor from the president of Finland 2008. She has held several positions of trust a.o. been the chairman of Nelimarkka-Foundation since 1987.

During years Riitta Nelimarkka has written 20 books: art books, children's books, poetry, made several films, f.i. the first feature animation of Finland Seven Brothers, has had major exhibitions at venues including Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki; Kunsthalle Helsinki; Wäinö Aaltonen museum, Turku ,Hallwyl Museum, Stockholm; Museo de la Nacion, Lima, the Russian Academy of Arts’ Tsereteli Art Gallery, Moscow, EXPO 2000 in Hannover; FIDM Museum, Los Angeles, La Maison de l´Amerique de Monaco and Maison de l’Europe, Paris. Bonga Castle, an aristocratic building that she has renovated with her husband, Jaakko Seeck, in Loviisa, near Helsinki also houses a permanent exhibition of some three hundred works.

Nelimarkka has received numerous awards and prizes at international biennales and film festivals. In 2016 she was awarded by the Order of France with the distinction of Officier des Arts et Lettres.

Happiness Allowed, 2010 - Wool relief 175 x 235 x 3,5 cm
La Valse, Variation 3/3, 2019 - Photomontage on plexi 90 x 140 x 25 cm
Good Lord, I Still Like Them!, 2016 - Serigraphy 25 x 35 cm
Inventing a Butterfly 1/3, 2019 - Photomontage on aluminum 90 x 140 x 2,5 cm

This review was published by Circle Foundation for the Arts © CFA Press ∙ Images are courtesy of the artist


 

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