for Comfort Zone, Dubai.

What inspires you to paint ?

I believe creativeness as a manifestation of conscious live and the only desrving mark a man can leave behind. Painting is one of such activities. It's a constant travel inside emotions, experiences, sometimes touching transcendene and of course, an indication of individualism.Colour and light are for me, spirituality and emotion context, matter is aspect of passion, strength and vitality.

 

Why have you named your series Iran, La Gomera, Corrida, Australia ? Where is the inspiration from?

For these series inspiration are the places and people, who I've met there. I have visited Iran in 2005 and 2011, Australia i  2012, La Gomera last year. Some of these paintings are  - like feelings related to experiences or people met. Other are calm, contemplative, with domination of light. In an obvious way each of the series is linked in colours with the place where inspiration occured.For instance, in Australia, I've experienced completely different colours and factures than in Europe. Looking at rocks, land, water reflections, colours changing intensity in that light, was for me, like a big discovery. Corrida, on the other hand, is a manifestation of duel fascination, simply understood as man against animal duel, but also as a symbol of overcoming adversities. It happens, that bull wins, although, most of the times, it is fated to lose. However, it will always meet the challenge..  

   

Who and which painting style is your biggest inspiration ?

 Masters for me were always : Rembrandt, Picasso, Miro, Modigliani, De Kooning, Pollock, Dubuffet, Rihter, I'm fascinated with Rafael, Turner, Kandinsky, Rothko or  Fangor… I like to penetrate paintnings. Sometimes I stare at detail, other times I'm absorbed by the whole composition. But above all, I'm seeking my own solutions. 

 

Kornelia Shehadie