Black & White

Our first Art competition “Black & White” started in March 2018 and concluded on April 15, 2018. Art Room Gallery received entries from many countries around the world: USA, Canada, China, Australia, Finland, Italy, Japan, Indonesia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Netherlands, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. The black & white theme in this competition included a diversity in types, styles and mediums (oil on canvas, oil on linen, oil on plywood, acrylic, photography, photo on metal, mixed media, digital, pencil, ink, calligraphy on canvas, woven microfilm, watercolor, collage, graphite, drawing, charcoal, painted steel, scratchboard. The following evaluation criteria has been used for judging the artwork: creativity, interpretation of the theme, originality and quality of art, overall design, demonstration of artistic ability, and usage of medium. Jury decided to select 96 artworks for inclusion in the exhibition. Aside from First, Second, and Third place Jury also presented Merit awards and Honorable Mention awards.

Thank you, and enjoy the exhibition!

Statement:

Eugene Kuperman is a published and an award winning artist. Eugene’s work is in many private collections including in a private collection of Robert Harris Rothschild who has many notable works in his collection by artists like:
Rembrandt, Chagall, Dali, Ernst, Lichtenstein, and many more. An art catalog came out in 2012 featuring many of those artists as well as the work commissioned from Eugene. From 2010 to his passing in 2014, Eugene Kuperman studied with a renowned Russian artist Leonid Steele whose works are in many museums in the world, including pieces in the notable Tretakov Gallery in Russia. One of Leonid’s former teachers was a student of a famous Russian landscape painter: Isaac Levitan and another teacher he had, was a student of the famous Russian artist: Ilya Repin. From the end of 2014 since Leonid’s passing, Eugene studied painting with an award winning artist Lance Richlin until 2016. Eugene has been exhibiting since 2006. In 2008, Eugene traveled for a study abroad trip to Paris, France to study the old masters from life at the Louvre. He was very much inspired by the Rubens room there as well as the two Michelangelo sculptures; Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave. Another piece that left an impression on Eugene was Theodore Gerricault’s The Raft of the Medusa. In October 2017, Eugene Kuperman traveled to Italy to study the great Italian Renaissance and Baroque masters. He’s witnessed the greatest works by Michelangelo first hand, such as Statue of David, St.Peter’s Pieta, Sistine Chapel, Tomb of Pope Julius II, Doni Tondo, Pieta Palestrina, the unfinished Slave sculptures, Dome of St.Peter’s Basilica and more. Michelangelo serves as
his greatest inspiration for his incredible sense of design and composition. Since late 2014, early 2015, Eugene took a new direction in art.

Statement:

Janet Rossi's acrylic and mixed media assemblages on wood translate the visual splendor of the interconnectedness of all things. Often working with discarded cardboard boxes, her assemblages come alive using many layers of acrylic. Working at the border of structure and chaos, Rossi's works delve deep into the duplicity of all things toward a metaphysical oneness and spiritual equilibrium. Her transformation of everyday items and refuse reveals the magical in the mundane. Through her unifying vision, this debris is made to express all the wondrous materials of nature. Janet Rossi received her B.A. and M.A. in Art Therapy and Art Education from NYU. She is a member of The National Association of Women Artists and a life time member of The Arts Students League. Since 2007, she has exhibited her work in multiple juried and group shows in NYC and environs . Most recently , her work has been exhibited at the Sylvia Wald and Po Kim Gallery, Oglivy & Mather, NY, The Pen and Brush NY, and Guild Hall, L.I, where she won Best Mixed Media award.

Statement:

Izani Ariff was born, lives and works in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Despite his hectic daily schedule, he took another leap of faith, by pursuing in his other passion ie Photography. Only recently in 2017, he started participating seriously in Photography contests and exhibitions. Recently, he has won the National Geography, UncoverMalaysia 2017 Photography contest. He has also displayed his works at exhibitions; Malaysia: My Home, My Country at the MaTiC dated 3 - 30 March 2018 and Blank Wall Gallery - "Black & White", Athens from 11amMay until 24 May. As an entrepreneur, he is especially interested in taking cityscapes with urban environment as he wants to show people how he views cities. To him, this business environment offers a host of attractive and unique subjects such as panoramic skyline, office buildings and profit driven corporate executives in their smart suits. He deeply feels that by photographing reality, human experience can be transformed into images. One of his favourite shots that he holds dearly to his heart is currently been exhibited here. This is the photograph of Shukur, a 12-year-old boy, who lives in Terengganu. Since small, he was trained by his parents to be a buffalo rancher, raising 100 buffalos. Shukur has a very special bond with all his buffalos, they eat and play together. They are so close that Shukur can even leap from one buffalo to another confidently. As a photographer we must always be patient and passionate in our assignments. Pray hard to God for inspiring ideas, creativity and opportunities to photograph captivating pictures. Always be grateful to God and thankful to your subjects.