DARIUSZ DENCIKOWSKI  

HANNE M. BIEDILÆ

MIGUEL E 

NADEZHDA ALEINIKOVA, STOP WAR

Gøneja  , Spomenik - A breath-taking war memorial concrete structure over some snowy Bosnian mountains.

Jael Roznicki, Act of Courage - Is from my Basement series, January 2021, gallery wrapped original oil on canvas. This is one of my smaller sizes, I typically paint in larger formate and more rectangular formate. With this one, I deviated a bit from my typical and wanted to capture the warmth of a worn armchair. I had reunited with this old thing for the winter months in front of the fire place. Oddly enough a fireplace that has been in my house for 4 years and I never used. But last winter I made a wood fire every morning for my morning coffee. That comfort and sunken warm feeling from this old spot and the fire smell just made me feel nostalgic about the space, which this piece came from. 

Joanne Huxford, TUMBLE - I did this work at the beginning of the covid winter. When it felt like the world was tumbling down all was falling apart. People around the world were feeling isolated frightened etc. It is a series with a raven flight of the eternal cycle of life and death. The raven brings upon the feeling of color light flight freedom from the covid world, they go well together. The thought on the color red in backdrop the fever pitch of fear uncertainty at the start of covid. The black lines at the bottom are the symbols of death and loss. The egg tumbling down gives the feeling of vulnerability the world seemed ready to crack open. I added the pink ethereal tones with the light blues for the feeling of the gods awakening to help the world out.

Mihaela Cismigiu, Into the abyss - How many times have you felt in an overwhelming abyss? 

“Into the abyss” is the representation of our toughts that manage to save us in the darkest moments of our life.Reprezents the moment when you realize that,no matter how dark the situation you are in seems,in the end you will find again that light that guide you outside of it.It is the proof that beauty can be born out of nothing and that hope can make light into darkness.How else could you appreciate that moment full of light without knowing the darkness of the abyss?

Cicci Grensner, Heaven on Earth - Beginner with watercolor but it is so much fun. I love to see where the color reaches the paper and forms. It’s just like nature itselfs. And so happy many people already like my watercolor art. 

T. Klumpp, aquilifer, degenerative 9 #02 and un eco - These images are an exploration of the themes of time, dissolution, creation, and our place between the three. My digital art contains elements of traditional drawing, AI assisted textures, and image manipulation. They reference archetypes from our collective past, as well as address ideas about our possible future directions. I create each image not in the hope that it tells a specific story as much as it provokes one and creates questions for the viewer that will lead them to author their own accounts of what may be transpiring within the environments I have exhibited.

T. Klumpp, aquilifer, degenerative 9 #02 and un eco - These images are an exploration of the themes of time, dissolution, creation, and our place between the three. My digital art contains elements of traditional drawing, AI assisted textures, and image manipulation. They reference archetypes from our collective past, as well as address ideas about our possible future directions. I create each image not in the hope that it tells a specific story as much as it provokes one and creates questions for the viewer that will lead them to author their own accounts of what may be transpiring within the environments I have exhibited.

T. Klumpp, aquilifer, degenerative 9 #02 and un eco - These images are an exploration of the themes of time, dissolution, creation, and our place between the three. My digital art contains elements of traditional drawing, AI assisted textures, and image manipulation. They reference archetypes from our collective past, as well as address ideas about our possible future directions. I create each image not in the hope that it tells a specific story as much as it provokes one and creates questions for the viewer that will lead them to author their own accounts of what may be transpiring within the environments I have exhibited.

Nicole Duffell, John Coltrane - I started very early in life as a working illustrator in my teens... but I also played the saxophone. I didn’t pick up a pencil for more than thirty years of jazz studies, band gigging, touring, & then running jazz clubs in SE Asia. The strict lockdowns in Singapore brought me back to my roots in art and I started teaching myself digital design in 2021. So far poster design has helped me survive through this Covid era and I will keep improving my skills to continue this exciting new journey. Staying true to what I know, my artwork for this submission is based on some great jazz artists; Nat King Cole, Barry Harris (who we sadly lost to Covid recently), Johnny Griffin (my personal Hero) & John Coltrane.

Nicole Duffell, John Coltrane - I started very early in life as a working illustrator in my teens... but I also played the saxophone. I didn’t pick up a pencil for more than thirty years of jazz studies, band gigging, touring, & then running jazz clubs in SE Asia. The strict lockdowns in Singapore brought me back to my roots in art and I started teaching myself digital design in 2021. So far poster design has helped me survive through this Covid era and I will keep improving my skills to continue this exciting new journey. Staying true to what I know, my artwork for this submission is based on some great jazz artists; Nat King Cole, Barry Harris (who we sadly lost to Covid recently), Johnny Griffin (my personal Hero) & John Coltrane.

Nicole Duffell, John Coltrane - I started very early in life as a working illustrator in my teens... but I also played the saxophone. I didn’t pick up a pencil for more than thirty years of jazz studies, band gigging, touring, & then running jazz clubs in SE Asia. The strict lockdowns in Singapore brought me back to my roots in art and I started teaching myself digital design in 2021. So far poster design has helped me survive through this Covid era and I will keep improving my skills to continue this exciting new journey. Staying true to what I know, my artwork for this submission is based on some great jazz artists; Nat King Cole, Barry Harris (who we sadly lost to Covid recently), Johnny Griffin (my personal Hero) & John Coltrane.

Lena Silva, Crooked Beauty - series. No.1 - Crooked Beauty series. An emotional intelligence awakening. Female’s lives, detrimental stereotypical views are dictated, pressed upon individually or as a group. A society saturated with unrealistic standards of beauty supported by a plethora of spotlight individuals and various media channels. External beauty utilised as a sexual manipulative tool, a tantalising fruit, as per society unrealistic expectations. The crooked side of it dangerously leads females to question their worth, place and roles in the society. Often, connecting painful fissures and fault lines as a direct consequence of unrealistic society pressures. STOP! You are your own and Beautiful! Listen to your inner voice, love thyself.

Kohlben Vodden, Red Sebastian - “Red Sebastian” is a visual story of the secret identity that exists in the dissonance between personal identity and public image. This hidden identity is revealed through oil paint on canvas and employs psychological insights from Neuroaesthetics, an experimental field of psychology exploring how the brain processes beauty in humans and art, with abstract expressionist influences, while recalling the techniques of colour field and hard-edge geometric painting to create a truly original and evocative abstract portrait. 

Lena Silva, Crooked Beauty - series. No.5 - Crooked Beauty series. An emotional intelligence awakening. Female’s lives, detrimental stereotypical views are dictated, pressed upon individually or as a group. A society saturated with unrealistic standards of beauty supported by a plethora of spotlight individuals and various media channels. External beauty utilised as a sexual manipulative tool, a tantalising fruit, as per society unrealistic expectations. The crooked side of it dangerously leads females to question their worth, place and roles in the society. Often, connecting painful fissures and fault lines as a direct consequence of unrealistic society pressures. STOP! You are your own and Beautiful! Listen to your inner voice, love thyself.

Lisa Argentieri, Serenity - The woman in this painting lifts up her face to the heavens; basking in the warmth of freedom and love. Grateful for all of her blessings and serene with peace. Looking skyward she is embracing the future with confidence and joy. 

Jamal Masarwa, The hope despite the pain - There is hope, even when your brain tells you there is’nt. This artwork created during Covid19 lockdown and it explains the reality of how much we needed hope despite the pain that we are all felt back then and still feeling it today. and that was my only way to express myself about hope and the freedom that we all needed.

Gurm, Hope - Hope is the shining light that tells us to keep going despite the tough times. Hope is the brink of a new beautiful discovery during the changing of seasons and the shifting of tides. Hope is the flowers blooming from a seed, and the sun coming out of hiding in the clouds. Hope is finding the end of the endless maze. Hope is becoming the strongest version of yourself that can handle anything. Hope is looking back on cherished memories, living the best day each minute, and chasing those dreams. Hope is smiling come what may. Hope is that peaceful, liberating, loving, shining, feeling. A friend that is always there, in the brightest and darkest weather. Hope. 

Luiza Milewicz , PEAKS AND VALLEYS - Peaks and Valleys lamp utilises styrofoam by-product placed in a linear configured pattern and illuminated from behind a translucent perspex sheet. It is at once sculptural and functional and belongs at the nexus between art and product design. It is part of a body of work that engages in an ongoing exploration of light, form and pattern, using shapes, colours, and compositions to evoke biological, botanical, geological, architectural and mechanical structures. In this work, the triangular step-like formation brings to mind an aerial photograph of snow topped mountains, or a rocky cascading waterfall, or perhaps a modern architectural building facade, referencing the visible regularities of form found in nature and culture. 

Steve Jensen - My parents are from Norway. My father was a fisherman. My grandfather was a fisherman. Upon the death of both of my parents, I made a boat for their ashes and buried them at sea like a contemporary Viking funeral. I also made a boat for my best friend and my former partner. These deaths were extremely tragic. What I am attempting to do is to take something personally painful and turn it into something beautiful. The ice is melting, our ship is sinking is a metaphor. We, as humans, have abused our environment. If I had inherited my father or grandfathers fishing boat, it would have been easier to make a living as an artist rather than a fisherman, a sad reflection on our marine environment. 

Steve Jensen - My parents are from Norway. My father was a fisherman. My grandfather was a fisherman. Upon the death of both of my parents, I made a boat for their ashes and buried them at sea like a contemporary Viking funeral. I also made a boat for my best friend and my former partner. These deaths were extremely tragic. What I am attempting to do is to take something personally painful and turn it into something beautiful. The ice is melting, our ship is sinking is a metaphor. We, as humans, have abused our environment. If I had inherited my father or grandfathers fishing boat, it would have been easier to make a living as an artist rather than a fisherman, a sad reflection on our marine environment. 

Steve Jensen - My parents are from Norway. My father was a fisherman. My grandfather was a fisherman. Upon the death of both of my parents, I made a boat for their ashes and buried them at sea like a contemporary Viking funeral. I also made a boat for my best friend and my former partner. These deaths were extremely tragic. What I am attempting to do is to take something personally painful and turn it into something beautiful. The ice is melting, our ship is sinking is a metaphor. We, as humans, have abused our environment. If I had inherited my father or grandfathers fishing boat, it would have been easier to make a living as an artist rather than a fisherman, a sad reflection on our marine environment. 

Luiza Milewicz , MOIRÉ MANDALAS - These works evolved from an investigation of the circle as a sacred geometrical shape with association to the mandala, symbolising the idea that life is never-ending and connected. Specifically, the patterns within each circle correspond with the spiral and starburst symbols, with the former used throughout time to represent evolution of spirit and consciousness, and the latter being associated with the sun to represent life, energy, and guidance. More personally, these mandalas are associated with meditative healing, representing a current state of feelings and emotions. Their interactive nature comprises two illuminated spinning acrylic discs set in motion to reveal a subtle moiré effect. 

Alyson Whitney, Bailey the Dachshund’s Custom Dog Urn - Inspiration for Bailey’s Custom Dog Urn: Bailey was a Dachshund and a Parrot Head – that is, a huge Jimmy Buffet fan. He’d been to 43 Jimmy Buffett concerts!  He traveled everywhere with JP, the man who couldn’t bear to eat in a restaurant without his friend by his side. When JP left this earth, Bailey moved on to comfort his wonderful sister, where together they were able to find the ability to love again. Bailey has rejoined JP, helping him watch over the woman they both adore.

Michele Farkas, Cuore Diviso (Heart Divided) - This Fractal Art evokes many emotions within me. Generally speaking, when you see a heart, you think of love, and life, beating in perfect rhythm. However, one that is ruptured causes pain, stress and unrest. In these uncertain times, my heart aches for a world where all will unite as one. No more hatred, prejudice and suffering. Even having an Outsider Artist attitude, which allows me to escape to my own parallel world, evading reality, knows at this very moment, it will take each one of us to step up and BE THE DIFFERENCE. If we truly embrace diversity, which is what makes us great, we can mend this broken heart.

Feiran Wang, Mutated Chicken Yellow - Mutated Chicken Yellow is a mixed-media contemporary sculpture (32X34X6Inches) made of resin, foam and acrylic. The form of the sculpture was inspired by the artist’s own experience of once having a close encounter with one of those godly creatures in her early childhood, in a remote suburban home of Wang’s grandparents in China. The mutated chicken with an underdeveloped third foot, was destined to become the ontological precursor of Wang’s artistic essence and later the centerpiece of her artistic opus.

Charlotte Condie, Georgiana and the White Beast - Georgiana and the White Beast is a feminine perspective of the St. George story. But it also represents the triumph over global empires that continue to do harm on the world. Georgiana is exacting the final blow on the white dragon dressed in imperial armor and clutching the sphere of global influence. Women, especially women of color, are the ones necessary to deal the final blow to white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism that continues to do harm to the global family. 

Microchip (Bottom Image)  - does not have a personal storyline. It is, however, an excellent example of my obsessive process creation. I enjoy layering my pieces and constantly working and reworking actions that feel good to me. For example, I used a painting knife to make my markings. My obsessive nature created and repeated marks in different places, forms, and depths throughout the piece. It is a piece that went through so many transformations that it is breathtaking.

Mónica Esgueva, Into the Unknown - This piece is a depiction of the fears that accompany a person going into the unknown, and the illusory nature of both those fears and of the surrounding material safety. Venturing into the unknown is certainly courageous. Although it is not easy to leave our securities behind, taking a leap of faith is often very rewarding. The unknown may be scary, but it also gives endless hope and possibilities. We can only be free when we liberate ourselves from fear.

Tara Dinic, Skittles III - Inspired by her travels, in particular to South America, Tara Dinic works with acrylics to create vibrant, textured colours. The colours and dots used in the artwork depict raindrops and the emotions they bring. For areas of the Earth where it seldom rains, rain can bring happiness, food and colour. This artwork is part of a playful series ”Dots”, a combination of the physical form of rain with the feeling and effect it brings once hitting the Earth’s surface. A visually fulfilling exercise for the eyes and soul.

Ana Vollwesen, Weekend Trip, 2022 - A Weekend Trip is a huge Opportunity for getting new Perspectives on Life. Since Travelling is not that easy as it used to be I wanted to display a Piece around the Feeling right before a Trip. The Excitement, the Preperation, the Unknown, which is embraced by the huge black Aera. Some of the Marks might show the Road or Vehicles, different Stages of Movement and Noises. The Green represents the Landscape and the different Shades of Pink are in Alignment with the Time passing during a Trip. It all comes together in one precious Moment. The Question, that is left to the Viewer: Where you there?

MoTó, My endless love - Year 2022 to my loyal and loving dog who died suddenly.

Julie Gayle Balliu, Drainpipes, Canterbury - The inconsequential features of an ancient house provide us with an insight into human progression whilst also allowing us to spectate the rather unemotional history of architecture entwined with human struggle for a place called home. Both functional and decorative, the coal-black iron drainpipes stretch out like maternal tentacles, hugging the handmade orange bricks from times past and map out intimate details of the interior washrooms by their entry and exit points.

I want to show the beauty of the everyday normal and how it’s shaped our living standards and our continuing love of a protected, warm, dry family home, whatever era we live in. 

Carol Foulger, The Three Graces  - My painting “The Three Graces” is my tribute to the city of Liverpool’s maritime heritage. Liverpool has for me, one of the most stunning skylines in the world and the Three Graces are situated majestically on Liverpool’s Pier Head. They are a visual testament to the wealth and prestige of the city. The Three Graces truly are charm, beauty and creativity personified and with the two Liver Birds Bella and Bertie standing proudly, what’s not to love and admire?!

bruks, Voice of Power - Inspired by Matteo Pugliese’s sculpture, Voice of Power portrays in a contemporary manner the feeling to be reborn after defeating all the inner demons that lies within each individual. The main idea started after digging into the spectrum of emotions, the overwhelming ones being symbolized by the green fluid elements. The main protagonist “takes a deep breath” after being released of all of those weights, making space for the “green” emotions to fly to void, aimlessly. Through his hands you can see the fact that those emotions are also leaving his body, reinterpreted as being such-a-like the sand of time, symbolising the fact that no such battle can be won in one day, but becomes a life-lasting experience. 

Maria Christidi, Dysphoria - Dysphoria is a state of generalized unhappiness, restlessness, dissatisfaction, or frustration, and it can be a symptom of several mental health conditions. It is a psychological state that is often caused by or accompanies a mental health condition. Stress, grief, relationship difficulties and other environmental problems can also cause dysphoria. The photograph displays a male model wearing beige tights on his head. The purpose is to show the exact feeling and pain. Intense expression and body language signify the unsatisfaction and asphyxia eager to “escape”. 

Kayee C, I Love Team Building 3 - Inspired by “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas” by Caravaggio, this photo is a personal take with dark humour on the common corporate trend of team building to pursue an appearance of cohesion and extraversion. Out of phase with this culture, some characters in this photo cannot help but display marginal attitudes such as contempt, mistrust or disillusionment. Kayee creates painterly storytelling images by assembling her self-portraits to explore the dynamics of human relationships. Her works can be humorous, dramatic or melancholic staging of a variety of social interactions.

Krati Jasoria, Serene Buddha - Artwork Description: Aura of tranquility and perfect peace of mind is captured in the blue coloured portrait of a Buddha in deep meditation. The deep colored abstract background in hues of red and blue signifies the flow of positive energy. It is complimented with a pair of lotus flowers, symbol of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth. 

Kohlben Vodden, Yellow Ryan - “Intense”, “confident”, and “stimulating” are words frequently used to describe a fashion model, or world leader, but rarely a hue. This is the power of yellow. It’s influence over us stems from the beginning of time when yellow was psychologically hard-wired to be associated with the most powerful, mysterious, and live-giving-force known to man - the sun. Using colour field techniques in this hard-edge abstract expressionist portrait, yellow commands the viewers’ attention to exclusion of everything else in their environment. Communicating concepts that are foundational to the story of “Yellow Ryan”, the bright primary hue seeds ideas of creativity, happiness and hope. 

Yosserian Geairon, The dreaming girl - Become what you are. If there is only one thing to do with your life, it would be this. Woman, despite all the obstacles she encounters, always persists in what she has most admirable. However, it takes a lot of effort. Before climbing mountains, we have to think about which path to take. Therefore, it is essential that each of us thinks about himself, to then think about the world in which we want to live. The dreaming girl, represented with her eyes closed thinking, is precisely the example that we must follow. Irreproachably calm, despite the colors fleeing  behind her, she thinks of herself, and as a result, emancipates herself from her own condition to access a better one.

Leo Rebella, CAESAR - I use ripped street posters that I collect in urban hotspots. Then I create abstract raw backgrounds, that inherent hundreds of messages and information fragments from past events, concerts, markets and parties. Our time in life is running so fast. We should be more aware of this, make more of our lives, do the things we want. Be a rebel! Write your own story, finally be yourself!

I always add a portrait that tells its very own individual story. Maybe you can relate to it, have memories to that or the person is an idol for you? I want the viewer to get connected to the artwork and feel the urban street vibe. 

ranae ham, abstract emotion dance 1 - Ran-ae Ham is a contemporary artist who combines abstraction and figuration. Although Ran-ae Ham’s work starts from everyday life, her attempt to visually express the experience of the moment rather than simply explaining the situation is excellent. Her work is an attempt to visually express the experience of the moment she lived, but she already clearly grasps the world she needs to understand through painting. An artist’s innate material and individuality are as precious as life, and she captured that value early on, and regardless of fads or technologies, or the gaze and language of others, she will see the future through her own eyes. It faithfully depicts the time to move forward.

Chiara Zhu, Anonymity - The graphic illustration artwork tackles the topic of anonymity as a constant flow of human transformations. Three heads emerge from the left side of the page, building up a symbolic imagery of three human profiles which overlapped with each other. They slowly lose their connotation, at the same time the graphic silouhettes create an empty space almost complementary with them, leaving an intense colorful space which stands for the ‘other’, the nature. It can also be read as a creepy presence and an asymmetrical representation of human relationships with nature.  

Jeff Sheel, Downtown Desperation - A photography of my ongoing project “downtown street stories” captured in Miami February 2022. Always waiting for the right person to walk into the frame with a unique expression on their face. Since the person is not aware of the camera the viewer gets to see real life impressions from the flow of time. My approach to street photography is capturing those magical moments of ordinary life, particularly of people you would look at on the street.

Fruits Quartz360°, Ether dragon - This is a photo. The waveforms of blue and rainbow were reflected. This waveform looks like a dragon, but it looks like the Japanese archipelago. The frequency emitted by this dragon is circular and visualizes how the Earth is organized. Visualization of chemical reactions, the process of light becoming nutrition, the process of nutrition becoming color, Dragons don’t really exist, but they convey them. Looking at the Earth from the inside, it teaches that nutrients made of light retain the shape of the Earth’s external structure.

Maria João Damas, Perspective is a way of thought [4] - My artwork aims to remember the freedom of each person and to hope for peace at a time when everything is in question. Perspective is a way of thought [4] is a statement against war and presents tranquility in order to achieve peace. I am a self-taught visual and performative artist. I live and work in Coimbra, Portugal.

My work is a constant exploration of the media, materials, and techniques. In my paintings I predominantly work in acrylic, mixed media and the base is typically canvas or paper but my artwork also often takes the form of installations, sculpture with social engagement thematics.

Maureen Golgata, Birth Of The Sparrow - “Released from fragile shell, free, she embarks on a flight of transcendence, while singing her achingly sweet song..sparrow being busy being born.”

This diptych captures that moment of euphoria, when the human spirit soars beyond ordinary limitations, exceeding the physical in the modern world. Drawn directly from the tube of paint on canvas, this metaphorical work uses gestural drawing to articulate nuances of the human condition, while entwining the connectivity of man and nature. The visceral application of the painted drawing, the drips, smudges and quiet moments among the chaos, parallels the pain, struggle and finally, the exhilaration of this momentous journey.

Natalie Kere, Wahine Matike “Tāniko Series” - This piece I have entered is a commission I have done for my home towns new Library build. It’s the first one from this collection. Its about my connections to the area that I grew up in. The landscape/ land, mountains, river and sea.  Put together in a contemporary form. I have used a triangle pattern which in Māori is called Tāniko. It is such a beautiful design that is very compelling to me. The simplicity speaks for its self and I wanted to combine my connections and incorporate that into this piece of work.

Photographed by Taleea Kere TKaptured Photography.

Heather Lowe, CONFETTO - This work represents my motto -  (paint is always the subject) of itself and its presentation is immediately a sense of fun, celebration and whimsical joy..   

This work is on Canvas completed with GOLDEN and ARTEZA Acrylic Paints .. I hope others have as much fun with this as I have ... 

SILVIA FELIZIA, CATACLYSM - Cataclysm was created in 2021. The inspiration was born from images published in the news related to the humanitarian crises at the border between the United States and Mexico, where thousands of people were seeking asylum.

At this point I do not speak about the politics of immigration. I want to celebrate the life of those people who have the hope of a better life for themselves and their loved ones, a hope so big that they are willing to risk their lives. Even though these pieces emerge from sad stories, they are not sad to the eye. Vibrant and colorful, they honor the beauty and richness of other cultures.

Joseph Willoughby, Freedom? - This piece represents the concept of being free. Free from mental health or an economy and political burdens that weigh down the idea of a peaceful life. Freedom in this scenario is represented by a rainbow balloon, being oppressed by a silver chain and white-collar wrist.

Tracey Elliott, Opening the windows to our past - I was asked if I’d paint something on a wall in our village club as a favour. My village has an old pit, now the Lancashire Mining Museum and I thought this would be a topical and nostalgic thing to paint. I got permission to use a photo and decided the best way to show it would be through a window. The response to this painting was amazing and deeply moving for me because I didn’t realise how many people it would touch, or the memories it would evoke. I am indebted to the local community for their encouragement, their stories and their praise. 

Mieke Douglas, #fake - Pretty photos of flowers from my garden; or recycled gift-wrapping carefully arranged on my office scanner? Look again. One scene, two narratives. A constructed reality. A small act of deceit. ‘Special military operation to protect victims of genocide and abuse’; or full scale invasion and occupation of Ukraine? Another constructed reality. This one more sinister. Since Russia invaded Ukraine morning of 24 Feb the Sunflower has become a global symbol of resistance, unity and hope. Around the world people are posting, wearing, planting, painting and buying sunflowers. These paper flowers symbolise the constructed reality employed in the invasion of Ukraine and the propaganda of deception used by dictators and despots.

Agnes Sheikh, Fragility - Since April 2020, a swing has appeared in my work - lonely, still, or in motion. Acting as a form of meditation and catharsis, the swing allows me to release negativity, leading to emotional restoration and renewal. In this particular painting, close-up perspective of natural world, flowers highlight the theme of fragility and ephemerality. Contrasting with this theme and using fancy stones for my swing, I wanted to create a piece of jewelry, offering strength and considered as a talisman, a protection for me and my fragilities. “Fragility” celebrates the different feelings we carry in, the tiny frontiere between security and uncertainty, anxiety and serenity, chaos and peace and the constant search for balance. 

Veronica Larrea Chandler, Lotus Goddess - Ecuadorian-born artist, creates works that embody the power of raw femininity and Mother Earth. This piece is filled with symbols of healing, blessings and prayers inspired by the native cultures of North and South America. 

Geraldine Leahy, Expired - My practice is concerned with coastal erosion, specifically with the objects that have become embedded in the sand following severe weather and the shifting of the terrain. I use found  materials from the beach, monoprinting them into the surface of the canvas, thus suggesting  the way they are similarly embedded in the sand. Layers of acrylic and gouache are added and then partially washed away, referencing erosive activity. This working process often has  incongruous results, with manmade materials adopting strangely organic characteristics. Expired began as a monoprint of found plastic strands which assumed the appearance of dead or dying fish, an ironic confirmation of the impact mankind has had on the coastline.

Louise Hynes, The Future in her Thoughts, portrait of Tracey Emin - This is taken from a photo by the brilliant portrait photographer Alun Callender who kindly gave me permission to use his photo. It’s a portrait of Tracey Emin from my home town of Margate, the artist, at a very difficult time of her life when she was being treated for “bad cancer” . I was moved by the look in her eyes , weary but fighting , the idea that the future is unknown  we think we’re ok and then suddenly we’re not. We know she’s a strong woman but her vulnerability comes through in this portrait. I like her.

Kris Bowmaster, Ecstacies of Commitment - This painting was created in the middle of the pandemic without any audience in mind, with supplies low, and my income halted. I brought out broken spray can bottles and used a nail to gush the lush colors onto the large canvas. From there I applied thick beautiful smears of pink with a pallet knife inherited from a loved one who recently passed. This initial approach was fast action painting.  From there I cared for and nurtured the surface for months, simultaneously bringing form to the painting while retaining the drama of its conception.  

Ernest Compta Llinàs, Always - Barcelona, 1973. Catalan artist and architect, I live and work in Barcelona. My works try to express social and emotional diversity through the face. Over the years I have moved between styles and formats, but I have always worked with the same theme: facial portrait. I work mainly with acrylics on canvas and paper, although some pieces are made with charcoal, oil, pastel and inks. My stylistic influences include abstraction and expressionism. The range of anonymous faces runs on the identity of the characters. I try to express through facial features, looks and gestures, the nuances, complexity and contrasts of the emotional state of the subjects as a reflection of the mood and essential human aspects.