Current Exhibition

Our fourth Art competition “Waters” started in September 2023 and concluded on October 05, 2023. Art Room Gallery received entries from many countries around the world: USA, UK, Hong Kong, Poland, Germany, Taiwan, Canada, Australia and China. The Waters theme in this competition included a diversity in types, styles and mediums (oil on canvas, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, ink, colored pencil, digital painting, photography). 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 61 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:

Elizabeth grew up in a rural environment where her natural inquisitiveness grew to explore how all things in the Universe are connected. The natural world was a significant part of her development. As a teenager, Salvador Dali was her favourite artist, but studying the Great Masters at A Level and for her Degree, she became particularly interested in the hidden symbology and use of geometry by Leonardo da Vinci. Another significant influence was Turner and his revolutionary use of light. Elizabeth rarely paints in full light, preferring to lead the viewer from the shadows into the work where the focal point is illuminated. Since early childhood, Elizabeth has experienced ‘visions’. These experiences have imprinted her mind with extraordinary colours, feelings and energy. Elizabeth has had near-death-experiences several times during her life. One time was during childbirth, when both she and her daughter nearly died. The most recent was in August 2021, when she suffered severe Covid complications, pneumonia and sepsis. During her time in ICU, she experienced many powerful visions assisting with her healing. She has endeavoured to portray these in her artwork since her remarkable recovery. Each picture is providing the connectivity with nature, each other, and the wider Universe. She has developed her own painting medium by combining acrylic inks with other acrylic based substances, enabling her to vary the viscosity and texture. Many paintings start with words embedded onto the canvas, before she starts painting over them. These words are symbolic and emotive. They are never seen as part of the finished work. Each painting is intended to prompt an emotional feeling in the viewer, according to their own emotional state. They are designed to remind the viewer of forgotten aspects of themselves, and open doors in their minds to everything that they need within themselves.

Statement:

Maja Wolf was born in Grudziadz, Poland on February 13, 1981. She is an artist, owner of an art gallery Maya in Torun, painter and drawing instructor, art dealer, organizer of art exhibitions and auctions. She completed a study of advertising, interior design and pedagogy. Winner of many international painting competitions. She has participated in several international exhibitions. Since 2013 member of Association of Polish Painters and Graphic Artists in Warsaw. In the early years, she painted for institutions, companies and private persons. However, he paints surreal paintings all his life. She loves to use her imagination in art and create her world. For many years she has been known for drawing realistic portraits and caricatures by pastels, charcoal and pencils.    MAYA GALLERY Since 2009 to now she has its own gallery in Torun ( Maya Gallery ). Since 2011 she has organized nearly 100 exhibitions of Polish artists. She organized three art competition for children and adolescents: Casting for Mona Lisa ( 2011 ), My Mona Lisa ( 2015 ) and Mona Lisa in Torun ( 2016 ). She organized and participated in numerous auctions and charity exhibitions. MAYA ATELIER Since 2013 she has been teaching drawing and painting. In June and September 2019 she organized 2 art workshops where she was also an art instructor. Since August 2019 to october 2020 she ran her own drawing and painting school in Torun Maya Atelier. The school was closed as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Statement:

Nature is an endless source of artistic inspiration for me. I try to live according to the ancient wisdom “Look at the stones with love, and they stop being stones only”. Appreciating beauty is healing for the soul, and I love to share this healing beauty with others. I may express it by painting realistic landscapes, or present my impressions in more abstract ways. Water seems to me the richest subject matter to explore - a metaphorical surface ready to sacrifice itself to mirror objects how they are, but also giving them its own capricious interpretations at times. And that is where I see a bridge between ‘depicting’ reality and ‘co-creating’ it, a transition from a realistic approach to a more abstract, open dialogue with Nature. My favorite medium are watercolors and soft pastels; they suit me best in creating harmonious, airy, and sometimes ephemeral and mystical pictures of nature.