Let’s travel to America

This week fantastic artists, Kasia Wrona, Jill Stott and Vitalij Manich transport us to America with their beautifully painted multifaceted globes, which also happen to be the final continent we will delve into.

Artist Kasia Wrona was born and grew up in Poland. “It was a happy childhood; I lived in a dream world, often filling my note books at school with surrealistic drawings. I’ve always painted and drawn, though I fully developed my technique at the Academy of fine Arts in Krakow, Graphic in Katowice (Poland). Following this, I made pen drawings for eight years which I still go back to, yet I wanted to fulfil my artistic ambitions so ten years ago I moved to Portugal where all the colours and pure light have become evident in my paintings. I live completely immersed in a natural environment, I paint and draw what is important to me.” Since 2011 Kasia is the co-founder of the Art Academy Marina de Lagos in Portugal.

On her website, she states that “The essence of my work is the movement arisen from the movement of fantasy and from the inconsistency of emotions, from conditions you can’t tie down or fix. Any attempt to understand and interpret the pictures should not be a reproduction, but should allow the possibility for cocreation or to create afresh. This is also the reason why I don’t give my work titles, and consciously avoid using words. I want my works to animate the imagination of anybody who cares to look at them.”

Kasia globe focuses on the American people, where she explained that “America is one of the most biodiverse continents on Earth. It is home to many interesting and unique animals, including the anaconda, piranha and turtle. The Amazon, one of the largest tropical forests, contains a higher proportion of species on the planet.”

Adding that “Brazil, the largest country, covers about half of the continent's land area and population. It is the most diverse country with its culture, entertainment and carnivals. Music, dance, art and cuisine form an integral part of South American life. They contain within them the spirit of the nation.”

Finally sharing that “The Inca empire was the best-known indigenous culture there, immensely distinct and developed. The Aztec and Mayan Indians of Latin America have also been a great influence and inspiration. Since 1492 the people and natural resources of South America have been exploited by the conquistadors of Spain and Portugal. They engaged in converting the natives to Christianity. Native groups mixed Catholicism with traditional rituals and their polytheistic beliefs. The lifestyle of the inhabitants of South America represents their traditions, customs, beliefs, needs and ancestral history.”

Moving on to artist Jill Stott, her globe embodies the characteristics of America and is also particularly striking. Jill explains that “The materially abundant, consumerist, aggressive, and bold received image one can have of the U.S. is well represented through the character of its cars. I wanted to suggest the possibility of the ephemerality of this material wealth by situating the cars in an environment of an elaborate Mayan stone sculpture, disguising them as a relic of a distant era where some similar design principles existed.”

Jill also completed a beautiful Europe inspired globe, where I shared a bit about the artist but I thought I would re-share that section in case readers have not read Inspired by Europe, made in the Algarve article:

Jill was born in Lancashire, England in 1959 and studied at Norwich School of Art, England. Jill graduated in 1981, receiving a BA with Honours in Graphic Design and Photography. Her acutely observed drawings, paintings and photographs show an intimate concern for abstract form, ambiguous space games, rhythmic composition and sensual light. Her work has been shown in Britain and Portugal in numerous group exhibitions and is represented in private collections throughout Europe. Her Solo Exhibitions in Portugal include Lisbon, Fotogaleria Costa do Castelo (1990), Lagoa, Convento São José (1999), Olhão, The Crumbling Foundation (2010) and Tavira, Casa 5 (2011).

Finally, artist Vitalij Manich, was born in 1971 in the city of Harcizsk, in Ukraine. In 1995 he completed his specialisation studies in Kiev at the college of graphical arts. He began drawing at a very young age and when he finished his studies, he became aware of the decisive role of arts in his life, he chose to devote himself primarily to painting, but without forgetting other artistic forms.

Influenced by Caravaggio, Giordano, Rubens and Ribera, Vitali forwards to canvas his thoughts and fantasies, both in surreal and realistic approaches, preferably using ocre tones and earth colours. Always looking to improve his study of art, Vitali now works and lives in Portimão.

Vitalij’s globe focuses on America’s Nature, where the artist shares his thoughts behind its creation “The territory of North and South America is situated in numerous climatic zones. It extends from the Arctic and subarctic area in northern America to the sub-tropical and temperate area in southern South America. According to this fact, the whole world of flora and fauna of this continent is rich and diverse. This project is an attempt to reproduce the existing variety of flora and fauna on these continents. It is impossible to convey all this involvement, being represented by their most notorious representatives.”

Following undertaking her university degree in English with American Literature in the UK, Cristina da Costa Brookes moved back to Portugal to pursue a career in Journalism, where she has worked at The Portugal News for 3 years. Cristina’s passion lies with Arts & Culture as well as sharing all important community-related news.

Cristina da Costa Brookes