Collect Art

Still Life
Special Edition

VOL 71
June, 2025
on the cover ‘Bottle it’ by Zoë Douglas-Cain
 Table
of
Contents
Neil Adams 05

Tin Stanton 10

Viktoriia Kovalenko 15

Zoë Douglas-Cain. 20

Neale Willis 25

Wanting Wang 29

Patrícia Abreu 33

Hong Liang 37

Olga Lomax 42

Detail from ‘Banana #001'

by Neil Adams
EDITOR'S
MESSAGE
Throughout history, still life has been a genre that In this edition, we feature a diverse array of artists who
allows artists to explore the beauty of the every day, are pushing the boundaries of still life, each bringing their
transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. In unique perspective to the table. From hyper-realistic
this edition, we celebrate this artistic tradition and renderings to abstract interpretations, from traditional oil
examine how contemporary artists are reinterpreting it paintings to digital compositions, these artists explore the
in ways that continue to captivate and inspire. intersection of life and art, capturing moments of stillness
Still life is more than just the arrangement of objects— in a world that is constantly in motion. Through
it is a meditation on form, color, light, and shadow. It biographies, statements, and interviews, we uncover the
is a genre that invites contemplation, urging both the stories behind the works and the artists who create them,
artist and the viewer to look closer, to see beyond the offering you a deeper understanding of the genre and its
surface, and to appreciate the intricate details that significance.
might otherwise go unnoticed. Whether it is a bowl of As you turn the pages of this special edition, I hope you
fruit, a vase of flowers, or a collection of everyday find inspiration in the quiet beauty of still life. May it
items, still life offers a window into the artist’s remind you to pause, to observe, and to find joy in the
perception of the world. simple, often overlooked, moments of life.

“Bring a brioche, I want to

see you paint one: still life is
the touchstone of painting.”
Édouard Manet
 Orange Helix
Acrylic on recovered plywood, 20x60cm, 2025

Neil Adams

Neil’s background in engineering and perspective as an educator, writer, and performing musician,
informs work that seeks new ways of looking at familiar subjects, by combining representational
painting with deconstructed styles such as cubism, or juxtaposing nature and man-made artifacts. In
the belief that seriousness does not imply solemnly, a sense of humor pervades the work,
acknowledging and accepting the self-referential nature of art.

‘’I'm a relative newcomer to painting, although I was, like most engineers of my era, always what we call a
"fag-packet sketcher". I started painting lessons in 2024 and was lucky to find a fantastic teacher. I paint with
my partner under the banner of the "Fuzserka Kolekyw". I'm interested in exploring new ways of looking at
things, whether that's by messing around with traditional ways of painting things, like this still-life series, or by
experimenting with media. A background in science education has made me an inveterate tinkerer. I'm still
trying to find time to make music and to write poetry and fiction. Painting is simultaneously relaxing and
exhausting, rewarding and frustrating. Fuzserka Kolekyw welcomes discussion and collaboration. We'd like to
see everyone find happiness in creating something beautiful.’’

Lemon Helix
Acrylic on recovered plywood, 20x60cm, 2025

05
Banana #001 - Acrylic on canvas board, 48x38cm, 2025
How does your analytical mindset shape the way you compose or deconstruct your subjects?
I think that someone without a technical background would rarely describe a maths proof or an engineering
solution as beautiful, so it’s perhaps not so much a case of applying an analytical mindset to subjects, as having
been allowed to appreciate extra dimensions of beauty. When I was learning technical drawing, many years ago, I
found a lot of the constructions elegant and beautiful, so I wanted to see if I could incorporate that beauty into a
painting. Engineering offers a different way of looking at the world, just like art.
What draws you to cubism, and how do you decide where to blur or break the lines?
It was partly an exercise to help me to loosen up. The analytical side of me has a lot more experience than the
abstract, so my early paintings tended to be a little detail-obsessed. I’ve also been trying to paint in the style of
more expressive artists, I recently completed some sci-fi-themed paintings after the style of Van Gogh. I’m still
experimenting with where to break the lines!
How do you see humor functioning within visual art?
Any hard-working comedian will tell you that humor can be a serious business. Writing jokes is hard! I don’t think
that seriousness has to imply solemnly, and I think that allowing humor to enter our work can help to ground us. A
great joke is as much a work of art as a great painting. Classical art is full of hidden jokes, like the use of a cello as a
phallic symbol in Vermeer’s “music lesson”, so I feel like I’m also continuing a cherished artistic tradition.
How has the transition from informal sketching to more intentional art-making changed the way
you see the world?
When I started working in the building industry, on any building site you’d see people with stubs of pencil, sketching
on plans, sheets of plywood, the sides of ducting. It’s a visual language that transcends the written word. Most
builders understand the world visually. Now, rather than just looking at the structure of a bridge analytically,
there’s another part of my brain thinking about how I’d paint it, the colour palette, how I’d compose a painting. It’s
lovely, it’s changed the way that I look at everything.
Painting as a duo under the “Fuzserka Kolekyw” adds a collaborative element to your practice.
What’s that dynamic like, and how do you inspire or challenge each other creatively?
It’s a wonderful dynamic. We both have different interests and styles, so it’s great to bounce ideas for projects off
each other and get different points of view. Justina will always think of something that I’ve overlooked, or help me
to think critically about what I’m doing. She’s also incredibly encouraging. I would never have taken up or persisted
with painting without her.
How does your experimental spirit manifest in your use of materials or themes?
I’m interested in the way that different materials combine. I’ve been speaking to other artists about experimenting
with paint additives that might react to the environment in interesting ways. We’re also about to start
experimenting with concrete as a painting substrate. If I had more time, I would like to start incorporating reactions
of chemicals into the painting process itself, using combustion and effervescence to shape the way that paint goes
onto a surface.
What ideas or questions are you exploring through nature and man-made artifacts?
So much of what engineers and scientists try to do is learning from, copying, or attempting to improve on nature.
Millions of years of trial-and-error being prodded at by talking apes. It’s a fascinating process. Artists, too, are on a
quest to try to reproduce or express the beauty of nature. I hope that my work alludes to that parallel. I think that
it’s fascinating, too, that both engineering and nature end up solving the same problem with the same
mathematical relationships. If we’re looking for universal truths, perhaps there’s a starting point there.

07
As someone also involved in music, poetry, and fiction, how do these different creative outlets feed
into your visual art—and vice versa?
First and foremost, I do all of these things because I find enjoyment in them. It’s lovely that sometimes, I don’t want
to write, but I am in the mood to paint or to play music, so it broadens my creative options. I’m interested in the
parallels – just the other day, we were discussing the similarity of painting and poetry, the idea that laying down
words and laying down paint, the juxtaposition of color, or words, the sophistication or brutality of mark-making
or language, are all very similar processes. I think that learning how to improve in one discipline can help you to
reflect and improve in another. I’m at the start of my journey into painting right now, and I don’t think that I’ve had
time for it to really influence the music, but I hope that it will. If I’m allowed a cheeky plug here, you can hear the
music at

- if you can see an influence, let me know!

You describe painting as both relaxing and exhausting. Can you share a recent moment in the studio
that embodied that duality?
I just completed a painting of Daleks crossing Westminster Bridge, in the style of Van Gogh. Because of the nature
of the mark-making, it meant dozens of sessions of painting, gradually filling in over complementary colors. Each
session was enjoyable, even relaxing, because it’s quite an expressive style to paint in. I could put on music and drift
away and lose myself. Then, I’d realize that the palette had dried, hours had passed, and I’d have a stiff back, and
burning eyes and I needed to stop. Beyond the physical tiredness, there’s something else as well, common to
painting, writing, and performing as a musician. The part of yourself that you give to the art needs to recharge. I
love all of my creative pursuits but sometimes I find myself bone-tired.
Fuzserka Kolekyw encourages collaboration and joy in creation. What would your ideal collaborative
project look like—and who would you love to work with, from any discipline?
would love to be able to put on an exhibition that invited people to view works by some of the artists we’ve worked
with: Tin Stanton, our wonderful art teacher, our amazing friend Carmen… the list is too long… and to have it
I backed by music from some of
the incredible musicians I’ve been
privileged to share a stage with
over the years. I know so very
many amazing artists, musicians,
filmmakers, and writers and
they’re all criminally under-
appreciated and exposed. If we
ever have the chance, we will do
our best to put this right and put
on something huge that gives all
of these wonderful stars a chance
to shine.

Cubist apples
Acrylic on paper,
29x38cm, 2024

08
Tin Stanton
Tin Stanton studied art for four years at the University of the West of England in Bristol, UK, gaining
a First Class Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree and a Masters Degree with Distinction in 2023. A
variety of mediums and topics is a major factor in his work, from his fun realism works, to his
powerful climate-based collection, many of which have been displayed in prestigious national and
international galleries. Tin is passionate about the environment and how social behavior affects
our surroundings, with a focus on the abandonment and decay of both natural and man-made
structures. His landscapes, usually devoid of people, suggest a world beyond the limits of human
life, either through their remoteness or from an age beyond human habitation of the planet. Tin's
artwork has been seen in many national and international galleries, including the Royal Academy
and Oxo Galleries in London. His acrylic, pencil, digital realism, and landscape work has led to
being interviewed by the Royal Academy on climate change, and even having a very brief spot on
TV’s Sky Landscape Artist of the Year.

09 Caramel - Acrylic on Canvas Board, 30x42cm, 2025

Chocolate Orange
Acrylic on wood,
25x25cm, 2022
How do you decide which medium best suits a particular concept or message?
Working in a range of mediums offers up a huge amount of freedom to create and deciding a medium in which to
work next is always an exciting prospect. Most mediums have their attributes and language from the complexity of
a large-scale acrylic painting, the delicate simplicity of a watercolor, or the fast-paced, often illustrative styles of
digital pieces. I tend to choose what feels right about where the piece is aimed, whether that be an exhibition or
gallery, book, poster, or graphic novel.
What role do you believe artists should play in the climate conversation?
Anyone in the field of art, whether that be painting, writing, music, literature, and so on, has the opportunity to
convey a message. I am passionate about our future and can tell a story through my art that could potentially
change a viewer’s perspective. Art is not always about conveying an important message, but those who can help to
inform the public about important issues, especially around our potential futures, should use that opportunity
wherever they can.
You often depict abandoned and decaying landscapes, many devoid of human presence. What draws
you to these subjects, and what do you hope viewers take away from them?
I have always been drawn to landscapes, both rural and the more brutalist, the abandoned architecture of urban
places. If you look back at how the world used to be, you can begin to imagine where the future might take us.
With constant growth, building, and construction, the world is slowly becoming a concrete jungle; a sign that we
must slow down and realize how we are destroying the place in which we live.

11 Untitled - Gouache on Card, 21x30cm, 2023

Untitled - Gouache on Card, 21x30cm, 2023
How does your background in both traditional and digital media influence the way you approach
realism in your work?
Learning new skills is key to my development as both an artist and an art tutor and using these often-traditional
skills is something I am very proud of. My addiction to art in its many forms has always given me a hunger to learn
more about photography, technology, and art techniques to enable me to get the most out of my imagination. It
may seem strange to be studying techniques of the likes of Cezanne and Turner, while simultaneously learning the
complexities of semiotics and digital media, but they go hand in hand in my practice.
Your landscapes often feel timeless or post-human. Are there particular locations or experiences
that inspire these visions of a world without people?
I have been influenced by other artists and writers, since reading Orwell’s 1984 when I was just sixteen years old (in
1983) and listening to the music of David Bowie, whose work was in turn influenced by Orwell’s vision of the future.
As a child I had a fascination with abandoned or neglected places, playing in empty woodland and pillboxes from
the Second World War. More recently I have been lucky enough to venture underground to see places where people
lived during the war first-hand, beneath London in disused Underground stations.
You’ve exhibited in prestigious spaces like the
Royal Academy and been featured on Sky’s
Landscape Artist of the Year. How have these
experiences impacted your practice or visibility
as an artist?
For me, reaching a wider audience is an integral part
of the creative process. Art is for everyone, and
although many are happy with confining their
enjoyment to the journey of creating, I do enjoy the
way I can make people feel with my art. Getting art
into prestigious places means increasing your reach,
which is extremely important when you want to
Strawberries
convey a message, such as during the Royal Academy
Gouache on Paper,
Summer Exhibition themed around climate change 21x30cm, 2025 Fruit
Acrylic on Paper,
where I was interviewed at the time.
21x30cm, 2024
What challenges and freedoms have you found
in working across such varied themes — from
playful realism to deeply serious climate
narratives?
Taking life too seriously is probably not the healthiest
way to be, so creating some art for the sake of art is a
great way to unwind and relax. I love the process of
creating, and depending on my mood, my work
changes. In the same way, sometimes art should be
challenging, for both the artist and the viewer, where
sometimes you need the comfort of a familiar subject
or medium to make you feel happy and content.

13
How do you balance technical precision with emotional or conceptual depth in your pieces?
The ideas almost always come first, and some never make it past the brief sketching phase. The style and precision
of those ideas that make it to completed works are normally dictated by mood and feeling during the creation
stage, as underpainting or sketching becomes a complete picture. It is seldom that I imagine a completed work at
the start, but instead, let the creative process make choices during the journey.
What does your creative process look like when developing a new series, particularly one with a
strong narrative or environmental message?
Most of my work is influenced by my own learning and research, and this is ongoing, tending to dictate where my
art travels. I create every almost single day, and much of my work is eventually abandoned or used in sketch form
to back up larger pieces. My climate-based work now spans over 300 pieces. I also write, using my imagination to
create short narratives that pose possible scenarios for the future of humanity, influenced by our overuse of
technology and our continuous growth.
Looking ahead, are there any new mediums, collaborations, or themes you're excited to explore?
There are always mediums to explore more deeply. I have only recently started painting in Oils (water-based) to a
large degree and am currently doing some research into traditional egg tempera painting, gilding, and encaustic
techniques. Working as an art tutor for my art school over the last year and a half I have spent much of the time
developing and honing my practice, and I am now at the stage where I wish to return to creating more meaningful
climate-based pieces, with a view to a new collection in oils.

14 Greggs sausage Roll - Gouache on Card, 21x30cm, 2024

VIKTORIIA KOVALENKO
‘’Nature is the primary source of inspiration for my creativity. Through my works, I aim to convey the harmony and
fragility of nature. Each of my pieces is an attempt to capture that unique moment, which may be fleeting, yet
incredibly precious at the same time. I work with various techniques and materials, often combining traditional
and contemporary approaches. My goal is to convey not only the outward appearance of nature but also its depth,
and the emotional resonance it evokes. Through my works, I want to convey the vulnerability of the surrounding
world and the importance of preserving it for future generations. ‘’

Viktoriia Kovalenko is a Ukrainian artist whose work blends impressionism and realism. She was born in
1993 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and graduated from V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Viktoriia began her
artistic journey in 2014 with Chinese painting, drawn to its elegance and expressive brushwork. Over time,
she transitioned to more traditional European painting techniques, expanding her artistic language and
deepening her connection with nature. Nature remains her primary source of inspiration, and through her
art, she seeks to capture its harmony and fragility, preserving fleeting yet precious moments. She works with
various media, including watercolor, oil and acrylic paints, and epoxy resin. Since 2022, she has been actively
engaged in botanical illustration, exploring the intricate details of natural forms and textures. Viktoriia has
participated in both Ukrainian and international exhibitions, both online and offline. Her works have been
exhibited at the Taras Shevchenko National Museum in Kyiv and at exhibitions organized by the Society of
Ukrainian Botanical Artists (SUBA). She also held a solo exhibition at the Cherkasy Art Museum.

15 Pumpkin Parade - Oil on canvas, 30x50cm, 2024

How has the Chinese cultural and stylistic transition shaped your visual language?
Chinese painting inspired me with its deep appreciation of nature and the philosophy embedded in every plant. I
continue to explore nature as the central theme of my work, seeking to convey its harmony and fragility. Each
painting is an attempt to capture a fleeting yet profoundly meaningful moment. Nature remains the core source of
inspiration in my artistic journey.
What aspects of the natural world most consistently inspire you?
I’m most inspired by subtle, often overlooked details in nature—like the way light shifts through leaves or how a
flower bends in the wind. These quiet moments carry a sense of calm and beauty that I try to preserve on canvas. I
choose scenes that evoke an emotional response, a sense of stillness or transience that speaks to something
deeper.
You work across a range of media — from watercolor and oil to epoxy resin. What draws you to such
diverse materials, and how does each help you express different aspects of nature?
Each medium allows me to tell a different story. I use watercolor for botanical paintings, as it beautifully captures
the delicate details of plants. With pastel, I explore architecture and animals, while oil helps me create landscapes
and plein air scenes that often carry deeper meaning. Epoxy resin and fluid acrylics allow me to work abstractly,
focusing on emotional states and the pure energy of color.

16 Fairy Pumpkins - Oil on canvas, 30x40cm, 2024

Your paintings often convey both harmony and fragility. How do you visually balance these
contrasting qualities in your compositions?
I balance harmony and fragility in my compositions through contrast and rhythm. Soft, flowing forms coexist with
more structured elements, creating tension that feels natural rather than forced. I often use delicate lines and
transparent layers to suggest vulnerability, while balanced compositions evoke a sense of peace. This duality
reflects how I experience nature - both powerful and fragile at once.
You’ve participated in exhibitions both online and in physical spaces. How does the viewer’s
experience of your work change depending on the setting, and do you create differently with that in
mind?
For me, exhibiting online and in physical spaces feels equally important - I don’t change the way I create based on
the format. I appreciate offline exhibitions for the chance to connect with people in person, while online shows
allow my work to reach viewers from different parts of the world. Both offer meaningful ways to share my art.
Your solo exhibition at the Cherkasy Art Museum showcased the uniqueness of your vision. What
did that milestone mean for you as an artist?
This was a significant milestone as my first solo exhibition and the first botanical show at the Cherkasy Art
Museum. The exhibition, titled "Those Who Grew," brought something fresh to the space with botanical paintings
and still lifes featuring not only flowers but also vibrant fruits and vegetables - everyday items that can bring
positivity to daily life. It was dedicated to finding light in dark times, showing how simple, familiar things like plants
and produce on the windowsill or in the kitchen can uplift even the toughest days. These works gave me the
strength to keep creating, and I wanted to share that hope with others.
Many of your works have a meditative quality. Do you view painting as a personal act of reflection,
and how do you hope this translates to the viewer’s experience?
For me, painting is like a quiet conversation with myself—a way to explore emotions and thoughts that words can’t
fully express. I hope my work creates a similar space for viewers, where they can slow down and discover their own
inner stories. It’s less about looking and more about feeling, inviting a deeper connection beyond the surface.

Watermelon Gathering Juicy Melon

Oil on canvas, Oil on canvas,
40x50cm, 2024 40x50cm, 2024

17
You mention wanting to preserve fleeting moments in nature. How do you navigate the tension
between transience and permanence in your work?
I work relatively quickly because I’m used to painting en plein air, capturing moments before they change. This
speed helps me hold onto the fleeting beauty of nature, while the finished paintings become lasting records of
those moments. Balancing the transient and the permanent is at the heart of my process - it’s about honoring the
moment and giving it new life on canvas.
As an artist living through complex times in Ukraine, has your relationship with nature or artistic
expression shifted in response to recent events?
Yes, recent events have led me to spend more time painting at plein air, capturing nature that is suffering from the
impacts of war. Living in Ukraine, where both nature and all of us face uncertainty and loss, I feel an urgent need to
preserve these fragile moments before they disappear. Each painting is a tribute to the beauty and resilience of life
under threat.
What themes or techniques are you currently exploring, and how do you see your artistic vision
evolving in the coming years?
Currently, I am focused on a series about my native region and its animals from Kharkiv. The war has caused great
suffering here, affecting domestic, farm, and wild animals alike. With this series, I want to draw attention to their
struggles and highlight the urgent need for care and protection.

18 Ripe Plums - Oil on canvas, 30x40cm, 2024

 Peaches Are Ripe - Oil on canvas, 40x50cm, 2024
Ripe Fruits - Oil on canvas, 40x50cm, 2024
ZOË DOUGLAS-CAIN.
‘’I am a collage artist living and working in London. My work tends to celebrate women in the world
placing them as the central subject caught up in a variety of guises and settings rarely meeting our gaze.
The work is largely humorous, sometimes cheeky and positions women engaged in reverie and play
alongside each other or in their own space, autonomous and self-possessed. At times I am moved to
comment on world events through my work without being overtly political.’’

Zoë has been exhibiting in group shows since 2013 in various galleries in London including Stour
Space in Hackney Wick, The Crypt Euston, House of Vans Waterloo, Bones & Pearl Tottenham. She
has shown in Yorkshire at Kommune Sheffield, The Botanical Gardens Dundee, The Holy Biscuit in
Newcastle, and a former prison cell in Devon.
A Place at The Table
Collage art, 21x29.7cm, 2019
The piece subtly references women's growing power. In this piece they are the only ones at the table. The food is all. theirs to eat.

18
 Time Out
Collage art, 24x18cm, 2023
Time Out. Time to be still.
Your work often centers on women portrayed as autonomous, playful, and self-contained—figures
who rarely return the viewer’s gaze and resist passive or performative roles. What inspired this
perspective, and how do you see it challenging traditional depictions of femininity in visual culture?
My female subjects are usually inward-looking - often caught up in fantasy. I think that there is an element of
escapism from the world and pleasure in their lone status. With the proliferation of selfie culture/ turning the
camera on ourselves, my subjects prefer to be lost in their heads rather than in their reflected image. In this way
perhaps they challenge traditional perceptions of femininity in visual culture. I hope that they inspire other women
- remind them to 'go inside' more, and reflect inwards. Be at home in themselves...
Humor and cheekiness are strong threads in your collages, with playfulness often serving as both a
tool for empowerment and a form of commentary. How do you use this sense of play to engage with
deeper themes? Your work sometimes responds to world events without being overtly political—
how do you strike a balance between subtle social reflection and direct commentary?
If I feel compelled to go down the route of social commentary I will often use cheekiness in the image and through
the title which may hint at something but not necessarily answer it. Maybe the message is hidden but I'm always
curious to see how many of the viewers can tease it out or recognize it immediately. On such occasions, I prefer to
'show not tell'.

Life, Still - Collage art. 2129.7cm, 2023 22

Your figures seem caught in private moments of reverie or imagination. Do you see your collages as
a celebration of female interiority, or something else entirely?
My collages celebrate female interiority. I'm probably about 60 percent introvert (I'm an ambivert) so I need a lot of
recovery time from the outside world. My subjects reflect this and often turn away from the viewer to protect their
space.
You’ve shown your work in a wide variety of venues—from galleries to unconventional spaces like a
former prison cell. How do these settings influence the way your art is perceived or experienced?
I can be sensitive about where I show my work. I like to show in a fitting venue and prefer unconventional spaces
where possible. I once exhibited in a 200-year-old Crypt. The theme of the show was the absurd and the setting
enhanced the pieces I showed. On another occasion, I exhibited in two connecting derelict houses in Peckham
where the theme was decay. I think this can provide more of a 'wow factor' for the work and the experience of the
viewer.
What draws you to collages, and how do you approach sourcing and assembling your imagery?
I love layering and juxtaposing disparate images and seeing what happens. Sometimes pieces 'make themselves' by
accident. There is an element of 'magic' involved which can come from nowhere - even in those moments where I
can feel stuck. I'm drawn to college as I find it fun, exciting, and playful. It's easy to source from magazines, flyers,
and journals and therefore as a material, it's inexpensive and very accessible.
What role do nostalgia, pop culture, or vintage imagery play in your compositions, if any?
Pop, vintage, and nostalgia feature heavily in my work. I love a clash of styles, and periods, and the dialogue and
surprises they bring.
You’ve been exhibiting since 2013—how has your practice or focus shifted over the years?
I think that my work is largely the same thematically and colour has always been a crucial part of it. I'm usually
drawn to a female subject but I do like to mix it up sometimes and use males or leave out the figurative altogether
which is always more testing for me.
Looking forward, are there new themes, materials, or formats you’re excited to explore in your
collage work?
I'd like to return to more mixed media work which is where I started when first exhibiting - using pastels, tissue
paper, packaging, found items, etc. I also want to push myself to make more abstract work as I find it challenging.
Working in black and white is something I'd like to experiment with too in the future.

Life, Still - Collage art, 21x29.7cm, 2022 23 Hold Tight - Collage art, 15x20c,. 2024
 Neale
Willis

Towards an End (A)

This work explores, through a series of images, concepts of invasion and boundaries within an urban context through studio photographs of items that
have been thrown, wilfully discarded by passers-by, over the artists garden wall. This act reveals something of the personality of the individual rejecting the
item both by the act of discarding and the wilful invasion created by it and the object itself. This process of revealing unwittingly creates a shared
interaction between two individuals that have never met through a unique object passing from a state of social acceptance to one of rejection.

24
Neale is particularly interested in creating a conflict between what enters the machine
and what leaves it. His work crosses mediums from sound and sculpture to image
and video. Frequently site specific, his work seeks and remolds data into tangible
outcomes. Graduating from MA in Contemporary Photography; Practices and Philosophies at
Central Saint Martins, Neale has exhibited in venues both in the UK and abroad and has been an
artist in residence at places including Tate, Allenheads Contemporary Arts, and Archaeological Park
of Scolacium, Italy. Neale has been shortlisted for several awards including NOVA, Blooom by
Warsteiner, and the Lumen Prize.

Towards an End (B)

Towards an End (C)

Your recent series explores the boundary between public and private space through discarded
objects. What first drew you to the idea of photographing items thrown over your garden wall?
It was during a time when I was working with the idea of topographics, looking at the same items collected from
differing sources. I began to see the space of the garden wall as. The grounding element of a similar pattern.
You frame these objects as a kind of 'invasion' — do you see them more as disruptions, or uninvited
communications from the outside world?
Those discarding removing their responsibility for the item and transferring it to an unknown other - it is a
transference of power from the wall to the thrower.
You describe a “shared interaction” between the thrower and the receiver — how important is this
unwitting relationship in the meaning of the work?
Without this fleeting interaction, the work could not exist. The photographed item must pass through three states -
from the possession of the thrower to passing over the wall and lying in the garden, to being collected by the
receiver at a later date - to become part of the work.

25
Do you view the discarded items more as psychological portraits of their discarders, or as symbols of
broader urban detritus and disconnection?
Each item is in itself ‘photographic’, its arrival is a conclusion to a story which it has traveled. Presenting the item in
such a way allows the viewer to interpret the journey of the item under their terms.
Your practice spans sound, sculpture, photography, and video. What determined your choice to
work with studio photography in this project?
The quietness of studio photography, the removal of items into an environment far removed from its origin
introduces a detachment, reducing the object to documentation.
How do you choose which discarded objects to photograph — is there a selection process based on
form, material, or emotional impact?
Everything that came over the wall in a given period was documented agnostically, without applying a value to an
object - that it has appeared in the garden is enough.
You’ve said you're interested in the “conflict between what enters the machine and what leaves it.”
How does this apply to your current body of work?
Collected Art has 1,392,450 followers across Yumpu and Scribl. Considering only these two digital platforms, how
many copies of these images will exist? Each time the image is viewed, it is recreated and then destroyed when the
browser is closed. Traditionally, there is some control of how the image is viewed, be that print quality, hanging
space, lighting, etc. With these images, we have no control over where or when they will be viewed, with each
viewing happening on a subtly different setup, color space, etc...
Do you see your studio — or the camera itself — as part of that 'machine', transforming raw urban
data into something symbolic or poetic?
The traditional sense of an image could be a painting, a photograph - constructed by spreading pigment over a
canvas, or a series of chemical reactions to light. You could point and say, “There’s the original”. You could destroy
it and it’s gone. But digital images are not made through a process of brush strokes or swilling liquids in a dark
space, they’re instead constructed through the interpretation of a string of zeroes and ones by a computer
algorithm. As Vilem Flusser said, the image maker becomes “a slave to the camera whose only role is to fulfill the
function of the camera”.
You've worked across a range of contexts. How does site-specificity inform your artistic decisions,
and does the 'site' of your home/garden become part of the work in this case?
My work often tends to focus on seeking out and manipulating data where ‘data’ may not be present. For example,
a residency at Allenhead Contemporary Arts, a work set out to interpret data held in the position of barbs on a
length of contested barbed wire restricting access to a given field, constructing a language from that data before
addressing the field with the message found within the data. In the case of this work, the ‘file’ or site, could be
considered the length of the wall and so the items coming over the wall are entering into the specific area set out as
the ‘site’.
What’s next for your exploration of boundaries, systems, and disruptions — are there new
environments or technologies you’re excited to work with?
I found the unpredictability of early AI to be quite exciting but find it less interesting as the tech progresses. While
undoubtedly the future of a lot of image generation, and quite frankly an utterly amazing tool, much feels hollow.
With this in mind, I’d like to take an opposite approach, looking perhaps at painting or some similar creative
process requiring an element of physicality and resulting uniqueness.

26
Towards an End (D)
WANTING WANG
Wanting Wang is a London-based artist and photographer whose work explores the intersections
of identity, perception, and the evolving relationship between nature and technology. She holds a
master’s degree in Television from the University of the Arts London, a background that informs
her cinematic approach to image-making and visual storytelling.
Her artistic practice is deeply research-driven, drawing from philosophy, posthuman theory, and
digital culture to examine the shifting boundaries between the organic and the artificial. She
employs photography, installation, and digital media to investigate themes of hybridity, social
constructs, and the fluid nature of selfhood. Often working at the threshold of the seen and
unseen, she uses light, shadow, and composition to disrupt familiar narratives—transforming
fleeting moments into compelling visual inquiries.
Wanting’s recent exhibitions include EL ORDEN DEL CAOS Exposición colectiva (Spain, April 2025),
PARTLY CLOUDY (London, April 2025), INTERGRADE (London, April 2025), LIQUID SKY | III Edizione
(Italy, May 2025). Her work engages with contemporary questions of the aesthetics of decay, and
the politics of gaze, challenging viewers to reconsider the boundaries between observer and
observed, control and submission, reality and fabrication.

Your work sits at the intersection of identity, perception, and nature. How do these themes inform
each other in your creative process?
For me, identity is never isolated—it constantly negotiates with perception and its surroundings. In Blossoms of
Decay, I use decaying fruits and vivid flowers to question how we perceive beauty and the natural order, revealing
how identity is shaped by cultural definitions of worth, visibility, and transformation.
With a background in television and cinema, how has that narrative training shaped the way you
construct still images or installations?
My cinematic background gives me a strong sense of visual tension and pacing, even in static forms. I approach
each frame like a suspended narrative moment—suggesting a before and after—allowing objects like fruit or
flowers to become characters within a larger story of human-nature relations.
You often explore the “threshold of the seen and unseen.” What draws you to this liminal space, and how
do you decide what to reveal or conceal in your work?
The liminal is where meaning becomes unstable—and therefore, most interesting. I’m drawn to moments where
decay looks like bloom, or beauty conceals discomfort, using subtle interventions to blur these visual boundaries
and invite the viewer into uncertainty.

28
Your use of light and shadow seems intentional and evocative. How do these elements help you
explore or disrupt narratives around control and perception?
Light and shadow function as metaphors for visibility and power. In Blossoms of Decay, I use light to emphasize
textures of rot, making the “unseen” hyper-visible—questioning what we choose to look at, and what we prefer to
ignore or erase.
Philosophy and cultural theory are central to your practice. Can you share a specific text or concept
that recently influenced your work, and how it manifested visually?
Julia Kristeva’s concept of the abject has been influential—it speaks to what we reject to construct the self. In this
work, decaying fruit becomes a site of abjection reimagined as aesthetic, forcing a confrontation with what is
culturally cast out yet still deeply human.
Themes like hybridity and the fluid nature of selfhood suggest a resistance to fixed categories. How
does your own experience inform your approach to these ideas?
As someone moving between cultures and disciplines, I’ve learned that identity is porous and contextual. That
fluidity informs my practice—I often seek visual forms that resist classification, like decay and bloom occupying the
same body, or beauty emerging from breakdown.
In your recent exhibitions, your work has engaged with decay and the politics of the gaze. How do
you frame the relationship between observer and observed in your work?
I’m interested in how viewers project value or discomfort onto what they see. By aestheticizing decay, I complicate
the act of looking—inviting desire while unsettling it—turning the observer into a participant in the ethical
ambiguity of the gaze.
Your materials and mediums vary—photography, installation, mixed media. What guides your
decision to use a specific format for a particular project?
The concept always leads. Photography suited Blossoms of Decay because it captures only the final state, holding a
tension between documentation and illusion. This stillness invites viewers to contemplate what is visible and what is
silently unfolding. Other projects, however, require more spatial or tactile engagement, where installation or mixed
media better evoke the presence of the body or the surrounding environment.
Much of your work challenges traditional boundaries—between nature and artifice, reality and
fabrication. What do you hope viewers experience or question when engaging with these blurred
lines?
I hope viewers leave with a sense of productive discomfort—questioning not only what is “natural,” but how such
terms are constructed. By disrupting visual expectations, I invite a more critical and poetic engagement with how
we define life, beauty, and the self.
Looking ahead, what themes or questions are you eager to explore next in your practice? Are there
any new mediums or formats you’re considering?
I’m currently developing an installation project that explores the fragility of order in a world disciplined into
“normality.” By reconfiguring everyday objects—food, furniture, tools—into scenes of quiet dysfunction, I’m
investigating how logic, systems, and norms can subtly unravel. What appears stable often conceals an internal
resistance, a silent rebellion against imposed structure. This work will experiment with spatial arrangement, inviting
viewers into a calm yet absurd choreography of disruption.

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 Blossoms of Decay

Beauty’s script is rearranged, where flowers yield, and flesh is changed.

Nature’s laws, we twist and bend—yet are we gods, or just pretend?
We shape, we scar, we bloom, we break—but are we not what nature makes?

Blossoms of Decay presents four decaying fruits adorned with vivid flowers, subverting conventional notions of beauty, freshness, and
the natural life cycle. In our culture, decay is discarded and overlooked, yet in this work, what is typically neglected is reimagined as
something striking and exquisite.
Flowers, traditionally symbols of life and beauty, no longer play the leading role. Instead, they are implanted into the decaying bodies of
fruit, disrupting our established perceptions of the relationship between nature and humanity. This human intervention in nature is
momentarily suspended, forcing us to confront an unsettling reality: as part of nature ourselves, we attempt to manipulate it. Yet, on a
larger scale, are we not also shaped and governed by nature itself?
What appears to be a harmonious coexistence of bloom and decay is, in truth, a constructed aesthetic—an artificial reconfiguration of
natural beauty, an act that is both creative and destructive. The work challenges us to reconsider our interactions with nature: are they
born from admiration or domination? In this aesthetic ritual, the boundaries between organic transformation and human interference
are blurred, reconfiguring the grammar of natural beauty.
In this framework, the fusion of decay and life is not one of opposition, but a redefinition of the boundaries between nature and the
artificial. The work uses decay as a source of creativity and, through human aesthetic manipulation, questions whether such a
reconstruction of beauty is sustainable, or an ecological ritual in itself—a moment in time suspended between creation and destruction.
Blossoms of Decay - Photography, 54.9x42cm (framed), 2025
PATRÍCIA ABREU
Patrícia Abreu is a Brazilian Visual Artist who mixes multiple techniques in the realization of her
works. With a degree in Graphic Design, Photography and professional experience in Art Direction
for Audiovisual Dramaturgy, she moves fluently through different artistic languages in search of
her original expression. Themes about Time, Memory, and the Natural World are a constant
presence in her work. In addition to Macro Photography, Conceptual Photography, and the
composition of Digital Photomontages, she also carries out studies focused on the poetic and
computational language of image creation, seeking to expand his field of artistic expressiveness.

The FLORA PERPÉTUA series carries the fusion of the traditional aesthetics of Still Life paintings from past centuries with the
imperfect visual aspect of Glitch Art that has emerged in our contemporary world after the advent of new communication
technologies. A visual combination that aims to build bridges between the past and the future to allow timeless dialogues within
the images. Bringing to the current aesthetic representation, the fragmented visuality that inhabits our daily lives of multiple
images while incorporating the glitch to reinforce concepts of fragility, vulnerability, ephemerality, and artificiality that are so
present in our social life today.
Flora Perpétua #1 Flora Perpétua #2
Photography, digital photomontage, glitch art Photography, digital photomontage, glitch art
80x60cm, 2024 80x60cm, 2024

32
Your work navigates across multiple techniques and mediums. How do you determine which
language—photography, digital montage, glitch, or others—best serves the concept you're
exploring?
It is an intuitive and mental process the same time in which language emerges at the beginning of my conception
because it is the choice of medium and capture technique that will allow me to explore the final visual aspect more
deeply during the post-production phase.
The glitched images always come from shots taken with my iPhone 13 PRO Max in RAW mode, for example, as they
are the result of a communication failure between its. DNG files and outdated software, are accessible only from
my desktop computer. For macro photography, however, I need to work with cameras and lenses suitable for the
technique.
Time, memory, and the natural world are recurring themes in your work. How do these elements
come together in FLORA PERPÉTUA, and what personal meaning do they hold for you?
FLORA PERPÉTUA in Portuguese means "PERPETUAL FLORA" in English. Its title refers to a temporality since time is
contained in everything. There is movement in time, nothing is fixed, and everything is in evolution in the natural
world. By photographing these floral arrangements, I transformed instants into timeless memories, subverted by
the potential ephemerality through their glitched visuality.
In fusing classical still-life aesthetics with glitch art, you're building bridges between past and future.
What inspired you to merge these two seemingly contrasting visual worlds?
Glitch art has been a part of my work since 2022 when I accessed these fragmented files photographed with my
new iPhone while converting them on my computer. I was surprised by the exposed error and decided to
incorporate it into the original pristine images. This personal approach resonates with my questions about the
reliability of images in this very moment of dystopian reality. Exposing the manipulation of glitchy digital images as
an alternative way to portray the moment.
Glitch art often embraces error and fragmentation. How do you see 'imperfection' as a form of
beauty or truth in your artistic process?
Ever since I was confronted with this dichotomy of having access to two different visual representations of the same
original photo caption, I have come to embrace imperfection. The concept of beauty has expanded along with the
images to encompass fragmentation. This has also changed my perception of reality, while giving me a sense of
truth as interpretation, not as a static definition or inevitable fate.
Could you share how your background in audiovisual dramaturgy influences your approach to visual
storytelling, particularly in static images?
My background in research and artistic production for audiovisual dramaturgy gave me the habit of perceiving
things like objects, props, and other elements that make up a scene as narrative means. I still have those eyes that
search for meanings scattered throughout the pieces of the image. Secrets are disguised as things that capture our
attention. Through static images, we can further enhance our capacity for observation.
Digital photomontage allows for surreal and layered expressions. How do you balance control and
spontaneity when composing these images?
Finding that balance is always a challenge. Because it’s a journey that you want to explore, but you don’t know how
far you can go. But experimenting is important because you can always embrace something new in your practice,
and that’s the goal: to keep learning. I think it’s very important to try to understand your image in advance, to
prospect it, to give it time to manifest itself. It’s a conversation and interacting takes time.

33
 Flora Perpétua #5
Photography, digital photomontage, glitch art
80x60cm, 2024
The term 'computational language' suggests a deep exploration of the mechanics behind image
creation. What does this technical-poetic approach look like in your studio practice?
I understand that my artistic language is expressed through technological artifacts. From paintbrushes and
computers to digital and analog cameras, these are essential tools with which I construct my images. I need to
value this in my process, even when I make aesthetic decisions that are very personal in my artistic journey. Thus, in
my studio practice, I resonate with these tools to compose my work, and this I could call my technical poetic.
Do you see your work as a critique, a reflection, or an acceptance of these realities?
I see this as a reflection, as it leads me to fill in gaps with questions that go beyond predefined answers. For this
series, I photographed floral arrangements that caught my attention in urban centers. But as I worked on the
images, I began to confront this sense of ephemerality that they emanated, achieving a more pictorial finish by
confronting the apparent artificiality that these flowers carried, reflecting a kind of melancholy so common in our
contemporary world.
How do you decide where to focus your lens—literally and metaphorically?
My lens is focused on details. I find that I always maintain a cropped point of view. This allows me to add
metaphorical thoughts to visual narratives. It’s all about details and different points of view on ordinary things.
Through photography, this "elastic medium", I feel compelled to compose images capable of achieving a certain
abstraction.

Flora Perpétua #7 Flora Perpétua #16

Photography, digital photomontage, glitch art Photography, digital photomontage, glitch art
80x60cm, 2024 80x60cm, 2024

35
How do you hope viewers will interpret the visual
"dialogues" you create between tradition and
technology in your work? What questions do you
want your images to provoke?
I intend to displace the viewers from the moment. To
provoke them with digitally modified images that belong
to the present, but that can speak of the past or the
future. Allowing the sensation of the passage of time not
as a continuous movement, but as something that can
be fragmented. Because I believe that we need to stay
connected to the past to better understand our
humanity.
Do we remain the same? What makes us different in the
present?
What habits do we spontaneously preserve?
Are half-lies half-truths?
How do others prefer to name that which they only half
know?
Flora Perpétua #7/ 8/ 17
Photography, digital photomontage, glitch art
80x60cm, 2024

36
HONG LIANG
‘’I love painting flowers and women, using art to explore the connection between my inner world and nature, and
society. The brief bloom of flowers is like a metaphor for life, gently reminding us to cherish every moment in the
present. I often use acrylic paint mixed with quartz sand, layering the thick pigment and grains onto the canvas to
create a rough texture. This tangible "roughness" makes me feel grounded, as if capturing the weight of reality with
paint—using solid brushstrokes to counteract emptiness. The young women in my paintings are a reflection of my
inner self. They pose quietly or stretch naturally, their gazes directed outside the frame as if engaging in a dialogue
with the viewer. When you meet their eyes, your emotions subtly blend with the collective feelings of others. This
exchange of glances, as natural as flowers blooming and fading, is both a journey into my own heart and a
portrait of shared human emotions. My art is all about capturing the "now": preserving time through paint texture
and weaving emotions through gazes. The growth and decay of flowers, paired with women’s stares, act like a
mirror, showing us the true weight of life in this fast-changing era—only by feeling the present deeply can we touch
the essence of existence.’’

Hong Liang, a Chinese-born visual artist

and painter, specializes in visual arts,
excelling in floral themes and female
subjects. With a profound academic
background, she holds a Bachelor of Fine
Arts, a Master of Fine Arts, and a Doctor of
Philosophy in Aesthetics. Currently an art
lecturer at a university, she previously
served as a Visiting Scholar at Birmingham
City University and as Executive Curator of
Xi'an Qujiang Museum of Art. Her works,
featured in solo and group exhibitions
worldwide, have been specially reported
by renowned media such as “FAD
Magazine”, Artron Art, and Art China.
Centering her practice on exploring inner
peace and harmony, she conveys
philosophical reflections on life through
painting while actively engaging in art
education and cross-cultural projects,
demonstrating deep enthusiasm for art
education outreach and international Phalaenopsis
Acrylic, quartz sand on canvas,
artistic exchange. 51x40.5cm, 2024

37
Your work often explores the connection between your inner world and external nature or society.
How do you translate these deeply personal reflections into universal visual language?
I use familiar natural elements like flowers as "translators" to turn inner thoughts into images. For example,
painting withering petals to depict the passage of time, so that everyone can relate to their own stories when seeing
it.
You use materials like acrylic mixed with quartz sand to create texture. What does this physical
roughness mean to you, both aesthetically and symbolically?
Quartz sand mixed in paint feels rough, like the texture of tree bark or an old photograph. It not only makes the
painting look more realistic but also symbolizes that life, though full of edges, is authentic—every texture is a mark
carved by time.
The young women in your paintings seem to carry a silent emotional weight. Are they
autobiographical, symbolic, or a blend of both?
The girls in the paintings carry my own shadow, such as a momentary mood, but they are more a microcosm of
women around me. Their quietness when bowing their heads may represent the tenderness many hide in their
hearts—a universal feeling rather than a specific individual.
You describe flowers as a metaphor for life’s fleeting beauty. How has your understanding of this
metaphor evolved over time, both in life and in your art?
I used to paint flowers only for their beauty, but later realised that blooming and withering are like human growth
and ageing. The falling petals actually signify the beginning of new life. Now I intentionally leave some
imperfections in flower paintings, for incompleteness is the true essence of life.

Holy Lilies - Acrylic, quartz sand on canvas, 76.2x61cm, 2024 Peonies on the Table - Acrylic, quartz sand on canvas, 76.2x61cm, 2024

38
Red Roses
Acrylic, quartz sand on canvas,
42x30cm, 2024
Your gaze-focused compositions encourage viewers to emotionally engage with the figures. How
intentional is this interactive experience, and what do you hope people feel?
The girls' gazes in the paintings always fall on flowers, as if whispering to the petals. This composition aims to invite
viewers to join this "conversation". I hope that when people look at the paintings, they can feel that the girls are not
just looking at flowers but touching time through them—similar to how we reminisce about the past while staring
at old photos.
How has teaching and cultural dialogue influenced your own practice?
When discussing creation with students, their innovative design ideas to deconstruct natural forms often inspire me
to blend deformed shapes with traditional brushstrokes on the canvas. In cultural dialogue, the differences
between Eastern and Western metaphors of nature have prompted me to integrate artistic languages from both
worlds. I prefer to use delicate quartz sand texture or multi-layered glazes to explore the emotional depth of
"momentary gaze" within a limited frame, making creation a emotional bridge for cross-cultural perception.
You’ve worked in diverse roles—from academic researcher to curator. How have these experiences
outside of studio painting shaped your creative identity?
Through researching ancient art, I discovered that old masters often hid meanings in flower paintings. Later, I
began to embed small details in my works—such as placing a pen on a desk—making the painting a puzzle for
viewers to uncover stories.
In a rapidly changing world, how do you see your art capturing or resisting the pace of modern life?
As people today are always in a hurry to check their phones, I deliberately paint slowly—spending a week on just a
few flowers, for instance. I hope viewers will pause for a few minutes, feeling the comfort of unhurriedness, much
like waiting for flowers to bloom.
How do you approach balance—between fragility and strength, stillness and emotional intensity—in
your depictions of women and flowers?
When painting delicate petals, I infuse the characters' gazes or the branches with a hint of tenacity, like grass
growing from between stones. Fragility and strength coexist—just as tears often precede the accumulation of
power.
What directions or themes are you currently
exploring, and how do you see your art evolving in
the next phase of your career?
My current creation focuses on the interwoven
expression of human emotional spectrums and
contemporary hot topics, aiming to freeze-frame the
spiritual slices of modern people on canvas. In the next
phase, while deepening personal creation, I will leverage
AI technology to build new dimensions for art
communication—particularly dedicated to activating the
contemporary vitality of Chinese art through digital
narratives, promoting the flow and growth of traditional
aesthetic genes in cross-cultural contexts, and enabling
more diverse audiences to perceive the spiritual pulse of
Oriental art.

40 Daisies - Acrylic, quartz sand on canvas, 40x40cm, 2024

OLGA

Still Life with Pink and Turquoise - Mixed Media artwork, 32x24cm, 2025
LOMAX

‘’My artistic practice is rooted in a deep connection

to nature and the emotional landscape it evokes. I
am drawn to still life and floral compositions not
simply for their beauty, but for their quiet
symbolism and timeless presence. Influenced by
the expressive simplicity of Matisse-style painting, I
embrace bold shapes, flattened perspectives, and a
decorative use of color to create works that feel
both intimate and uplifting. Blending
impressionism, abstraction, and elements of naïve
art, I work intuitively—allowing each brushstroke to
guide the composition. My goal is to transform the
everyday into visual poetry, inviting calm, reflection,
and emotional resonance.’

Olga Lomax is a British contemporary artist

White Flowers in a Vase - Mixed Media artwork, 32x24cm, 2025

with a background in Fine Art and
Visualization. Her work is inspired by the
quiet beauty of the natural world, often
focusing on floral and still life subjects.
Blending elements of impressionism,
abstraction, and naïve art, Olga creates
emotionally resonant pieces that invite
reflection and calm. A published artist, she
has exhibited both locally and
internationally, with her work held in private
collections across the UK, USA, and Europe.

41
Pink Flowers in a Vase on a Turquoise Table
Mixed Media artwork,
32x24cm, 2025
 Still life with tulips
Mixed Media on paper,
40x30cm, 2023
Your work captures the quiet symbolism of still life and floral subjects. What draws you to these
motifs, and how do they speak to your emotional connection with nature?
Still life and floral subjects allow me to explore quiet beauty and emotional symbolism. I'm drawn to their stillness
and subtle power—they mirror the way nature often speaks in whispers, not shouts. These motifs help me express
inner states of peace, nostalgia, and wonder.
You blend impressionism, abstraction, and naïve art in your work. How do you navigate the balance
between spontaneity and intention within these styles?
I let each painting find its own balance between freedom and structure. The spontaneity comes in how I start—a
loose brushstroke, a playful shape—but intention emerges as the work develops. I think of it like dancing with the
canvas: sometimes I lead, sometimes it leads me.
Matisse’s expressive simplicity is a noted influence. What aspects of his visual language most
resonate with your own artistic sensibility?
I’m drawn to Matisse’s bold simplicity and emotional use of color. His ability to express so much emotion through
minimal lines and decorative harmony is something I constantly learn from. His work reminds me that less can say
more.
Quiet Petals. Still Life
Mixed media on art board, 40x52cm, 2025

44
You mention painting intuitively, letting each brushstroke guide the composition. Can you describe
what this intuitive process feels like during a typical session in your studio? Intuitive painting feels like
slipping into a dialogue with color and shape, where logic steps aside. I often lose track of time and let my instincts
respond to what the canvas asks for next. It’s an emotional, almost meditative process where decisions are felt
more than reasoned.
Color plays a strong decorative role in your paintings. How do you approach color choice emotionally
versus technically?
Emotionally, I choose colors that reflect a mood or inner landscape I want to express—calm, warmth, love.
Technically, I consider balance, contrast, and harmony to guide the viewer’s eye and maintain cohesion. But
emotion always comes first.
Your work is often described as calming and emotionally resonant. How important is it for you to
create a specific mood or atmosphere for the viewer?
Creating a mood is central to my work. Creating an atmosphere is very important to me—it’s how I connect with
the viewer on a deeper level. I want my paintings to feel like visual pauses, offering a gentle emotional resonance or
a breath of calm. That emotional tone is what lingers after the image is seen.

Floral Arrangement in a Vase - Mixed media on art board, 40x52cm, 2025

45
What role does memory or personal experience play in your still-life compositions?
Memory often slips into my compositions through familiar objects, imagined flowers, or the way light falls. While
not always literal, the arrangements carry emotional undercurrents—moments, people, or places that matter to
me. Silent stories are hidden in the details. In each painting, the viewer finds his visualization of his stories.
In a world full of fast-paced digital stimuli, your art offers a moment of stillness. Do you see your
work as a form of visual mindfulness or quiet resistance?
Yes, I do see my work as a kind of visual mindfulness. In a noisy world, I want to offer a space where people can
slow down and reconnect with simplicity, beauty, and stillness. It’s my way of creating gentle resistance to
overwhelm.
Having exhibited internationally and had your work placed in private collections, how do you think
different cultural contexts shape the reception of your art?
Emotional art is universal, but each culture brings its poetry to interpretation. I love how international viewers find
unique reflections of their own experiences in my work.
If you could encapsulate your artistic mission in one sentence beyond your artist statement, what
would that personal mantra be?
“To create quiet beauty that gently stirs the heart.”

46 Quiet Petals. Still Life - Mixed media on art board, 40x52cm, 2025
Still Life | Special Edition | volume 71 | Collect Art | Tbilisi, Georgia