Contemporary realism art inspired by the concept of the human soul

I began painting at the age of 27, after moving to Germany from Russia in 2012. Although all my life I had been feeling that I had to express something, that this craving for art was always in me. I don’t know why it took me so long to start painting. I can’t help myself but think about what it would be like if I started, for example, at the age of 10, how different would it be now. But anyway at this point I’m trying to make up for all that lost time in every possible way.

I’m still searching for my own expressive language and style, and it seems that this search, this path IS my style in a way. It is still too young to be constant, but already strong enough to write a series of paintings for several galleries. Because of the fact that I came to art so late, I subconsciously try to travel a very long way in an incredibly short time. It feels like I am late for the train and run after it, jumping on the step with one foot – this is how I see my presence on the art scene. As for the technique, I accidentally discovered the OSB panel about a year ago. I thought “this is a damn fine surface for a painting”, and ever since have been painting mainly on these panels, having pre-processed the edges and covering them. The oil adheres perfectly to the surface and the texture of the pressed woods perfectly visible and gives an unexpected vibe and a sense of the picture.

My most powerful inspiration is people, their faces, eyes, gestures. As well as the combination of colors in nature, the light falling on my sister’s eyelashes, beautiful thin fingers on the phone, an open ankle, veins on an arm…
I strive to combine forms, colors, and art history in order to find a new expressive language of beauty. Searching for interesting images and types, conveying the soul through appearance and gaze – with my works I´m trying to focus on the philosophical reading of the human image and the dialectical concept of the human soul. ~ Tania Rivilis