miercuri, 6 august 2025

O experiență senzorială despre suferința actuală a mărilor și oceanelor: Proiectul artistic “Ascultă Oceanul/Marea”


Proiectul de artă contemporană „Ascultă Oceanul/Marea”, conturat de artista Mihaela Lungu, în colaborare cu Radu Homiceanu (sound design) și Dromp (new media), se află în expunere în perioada 1-7 august, în spațiul Mini Cinema, parte din grădina Cinemascop a Festivalului EFORIE COLORAT, și ne propune o experiență imersivă care pune sub semnul întrebării tot ce credeam că știm despre ceea ce se întâmplă acum în apele planetei.

„Ne imaginăm adesea oceanul ca pe un paradis liniștit, neatins. Dar ce se află dincolo de această imagine idealizată? În realitate, adâncurile mării sunt un spațiu sonor tulburător, marcat de un haos invizibil și devastator: poluarea fonică subacvatică” – subliniază artista. Instalația propusă de Mihaela Lungu funcționează ca o oglindă care reflectă relația noastră dezechilibrată cu lumea acvatică – o relație în care nepăsarea, exploatarea și goana după resurse sacrifică echilibrul ecosistemelor marine.

Ideea proiectului a apărut în urma unui gest firesc sau dintr-o observație aparent banală: privind o scoică, artista s-a gândit la mitul universal potrivit căruia putem „auzi marea” dacă o apropiem de ureche. Și s-a întrebat: ce-ar fi dacă în loc de valuri, am auzi sunetele reale ale oceanului? Ce-ar fi dacă, în loc de o amintire liniștitoare, scoica ar reda strigătul disperat al vieții marine?

În timpul documentărilor, Mihaela Lungu a consultat biblioteca de sunete a Ocean Conservation Research și spune că a descoprit sunetele unei lumi marine agresate”. Acest fapt a determinat-o să încerce să folosească aceste date în cadrul proiectului, ca un semnal de alarmă. În acest scop a început colaborarea cu Radu Homiceanu, pentru a crea o compilație sonoră: un mixaj de înregistrări reale ale vieții marine aflate în suferință și a sunetelor produse de om – de la rețele de comunicații acustice, sonare militare, foraje petroliere, până la zgomotul infernal al navelor comerciale.

Toate aceste sunete pot fi ascultate în expoziție prin scoici transformate în difuzoare alimentate cu baterii ecologice reîncărcabile la panouri solare. În jurul acestui nucleu sonor, artista a construit o instalație multimedia complexă.

Una dintre componentele expoziției este o videoproiecție interactivă realizată în colaborare cu artistul new media Dromp. Proiecția, conectată la un senzor de proximitate, reacționează la mișcarea vizitatorilor, astfel cu cât te apropii să asculți o scoică, cu atât apa din imagine devine mai agitată – o metaforă pentru dezechilibrul pe care îl generăm prin simpla noastră prezență.

Un alt element este structura tip cameră cu spoturi luminoase, conectate la sistemul audio, care pulsează în ritmul sunetelor. Intensitatea luminii crește până devine orbitoare, punând vizitatorul în pielea viețuitoarelor marine care navighează, vânează, comunică și migrează prin ecolocație. Acestea devin dezorientate de poluarea fonică, ceea ce duce la rătăciri, accidente și moarte.

Expoziția conține și o instalație de obiecte intitulată „Toy Beach Set”: un set de joacă pentru plajă, realizat din filament reciclat, printat 3D și finisat ulterior manual de artistă. Dar în locul formelor marine clasice (pești, stele de mare, caracatițe), găsim forme de deșeuri. Iar castelul de nisip se metamorfozează într-un Supermarket de nisip, aluzie la consumerism și poluarea cu plastic. Este o proiecție dintr-un viitor sumbru, în care plasticul a înlocuit fauna marină și a devenit prădătorul suprem al oceanului.

Dintr-o versiune anterioară a proiectului – prezentată în cadrul expoziției de grup EGOLOGIA la Romanian Creative Week 2024 – fac parte și două costume de baie conceptuale sub titlul „BEACHWEAR FOR NO(BODY)”. Costume albe, imprimate cu mesajul „404 – species not found”, simbolizând un viitor eșuat în care nici noi nu mai suntem acolo să ne bucurăm de mare.

Proiectul transmite un mesaj puternic. „Ascultă Oceanul/Marea” este un apel – vizual, sonor, senzorial – de a recunoaște, asculta, simți și combate suferința invizibilă a adâncurilor.

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EN

A Sensory Experience of the Suffering of the Seas and Oceans: The Art Project “Listen to the Ocean/Sea”

The contemporary art project “Listen to the Ocean/Sea”, conceived by artist Mihaela Lungu in collaboration with Radu Homiceanu (sound design) and Dromp (new media), is on display from August 1–7 at the Mini Cinema space, part of the Cinemascop Garden at the EFORIE COLORAT Festival. The project invites us into an immersive experience that challenges everything we thought we knew about what is currently happening in the waters of our planet.

We often imagine the ocean as a quiet, untouched paradise. But what lies beyond this idealized image?

In reality, the depths of the sea are a disturbing soundscape, marked by an invisible and devastating chaos: underwater noise pollution. Mihaela Lungu’s installation functions as a mirror reflecting our unbalanced relationship with the aquatic world – a relationship defined by indifference, exploitation, and the relentless pursuit of resources, at the expense of marine ecosystems.

The idea for the project emerged from a simple, almost mundane observation: while looking at a seashell, the artist recalled the universal myth that one can “hear the sea” by bringing a shell to the ear. She asked herself: what if, instead of waves, we could hear the ocean’s real sounds? What if, instead of a soothing memory, the shell transmitted the desperate cry of marine life?

During her research, Mihaela Lungu consulted the Ocean Conservation Research sound library and discovered what she calls “the sounds of an assaulted marine world.” This led her to incorporate those audio materials into the project, as a warning signal. She began collaborating with Radu Homiceanu to create a sound composition: a mix of real recordings of distressed marine life and human-made sounds – from acoustic communication networks, military sonar, oil drilling, to the infernal noise of commercial shipping vessels.

All these sounds can be heard in the exhibition through shells transformed into speakers, powered by eco-friendly, solar-charged batteries. Around this sound core, the artist has built a complex multimedia installation.

One of the key components of the exhibition is an interactive video projection, developed in collaboration with new media artist Dromp. The projection, connected to a proximity sensor, reacts to the visitor’s movements: the closer you get to a shell to listen, the more agitated the water in the image becomes – a metaphor for the imbalance we create through our mere presence.

Another element is a light installation resembling a chamber structure with spotlights connected to the audio system, pulsating in sync with the sound. The light intensity increases until it becomes blinding, placing the visitor in the shoes of marine creatures that navigate, hunt, communicate, and migrate through echolocation. These animals become disoriented by noise pollution, which leads to disorientation, accidents, and death.

The exhibition also includes an object-based installation titled “Toy Beach Set”: a beach playset made from recycled filament, 3D-printed and hand-finished by the artist. But instead of classic marine shapes (fish, starfish, octopuses), it features waste forms. The traditional sandcastle transforms into a “Sand Supermarket”, alluding to consumerism and plastic pollution – a projection of a dark future where plastic has replaced marine fauna and become the ocean’s ultimate predator.

From a previous version of the project – presented in the group show EGOLOGIA at Romanian Creative Week 2024 – two conceptual swimsuits are also included under the title “BEACHWEAR FOR NO(BODY)”. These white swimsuits are printed with the message “404 – species not found”, symbolizing a failed future in which not even we are there anymore to enjoy the sea.

“Listen to the Ocean/Sea” is a visual, sonic, and sensory call to recognize, hear, feel, and fight the invisible suffering of the deep.

 

Cosmina Marcela OLTEAN

Foto, Mihaela LUNGU

 

 

duminică, 3 august 2025

Un gând - un desen: Metafora copacului


Lucrând la desen, se contura gândul: <<Trunchiul e baza, pe când ramurile sunt ceea ce ar putea fi. Suntem un cumul de riscuri asumate, de ocazii ratate și de scenarii posibile. Trunchiul e limitarea și locul acumulărilor. Ramurile sunt direcții, posibilități, potențial. Dar posibilitățile nu sunt infinite... căci răspunsul nostru în fața lor sunt întotdeauna dictate de trunchi.>>

Multe dintre gândurile mele au luat, în timp, în desen, forma copacului. Poate pentru că un copac pare mereu în echilibru între ce e și ce ar putea deveni. Rădăcinile-i sunt invizibile, dar esențiale. Trunchiul poartă urmele trecerii, ale transformărilor, anotimpurilor și rănilor care nu mai sângerează. Ramurile, în schimb, îndrăznesc. Se întind, caută să se extindă, să ajungă puțin câte puțin mai departe. Poate de aceea, când gândesc vizual, cumva mă întorc mereu aici – la copacul-metaforă. Se întâmplă din totdeauna.

Trunchiul e baza, ramurile sunt ceea ce ar putea fi.

Trunchiul – lumea noastră interioară e făcută din tot ce am trăit și din tot ce n-am avut curajul să trăim. El nu e doar o coloană de sprijin, ci și o barieră tăcută. De aici pornesc ramurile – deciziile, dorințele, planurile – dar niciuna nu poate ignora ce a fost deja înscris acolo, în interior.

Trunchiul e limitarea și locul acumulărilor.

E solid, dar nu întotdeauna flexibil. Poate duce mult, dar nu știi pentru cât timp. Uneori, e nevoie să ne recunoaștem trunchiul, să-i cunoaștem textura, nodurile, fisurile, pentru a înțelege de ce anumite ramuri cresc și altele se frâng înainte să se dezvolte. Trunchiul e locul acumulărilor, al întâmplărilor trecute, al alegerilor conștiente, dar și al celor dictate de împrejurări. E limita noastră și, totodată, structura de rezistență. În el se adună fricile, credințele, rănile și momentele de curaj care ne-au format. Toate prin câte am trecut, toate au lăsat o urmă acolo. El ne ține în picioare, dar tot el decide – uneori în tăcere – ce căi vom mai apuca.

Ramurile sunt direcții, posibilități, potențial.

Fiecare alegere este o ramificație. Puține devin ramuri mari, cu stabilitate și cu puterea de o proiecta o umbră. Posibilitățile nu sunt infinite, nu pentru că lumea nu ni le-ar oferi sau pentru că nu ne-am strădui să le construim, ci pentru că răspunsurile noastre în fața lor sunt mereu dictate de ceea ce suntem – de acel trunchi cu formă unică și cu un trecut nuanțat.

Ramurile sunt toate scenariile posibile: gânduri, intenții, încercări și mai ales aspirații. Sunt spațiul în care ne întindem spre viitor, fiecare ramură fiind o ipoteză. Dar ar părea că niciuna nu pornește la întâmplare.

Poate că înțelepciunea stă în tensiunea dintre trunchi și ramuri. Între ce ne susține și ce ne atrage. Între stabilitate și vis. Între ceea ce este și ceea ce ar putea fi. Prin această imagine, vorbesc despre relația fragilă dintre potențial și limitare, dintre vis și construcție interioară. Ilustrația nu e o simplă reprezentare, ci un portret în cod vizual al felului în care simt, gândesc și caut să cresc.

Copacul e gând, emoție și autoportret. Nu e static, nici în echilibru deplin, dar e ușor fluid.

(3 August 2025)

Interviews for People & Paintings Gallery (IV) / Meet the Artist: Alla Kosteletskaya - Inner Revelations and Emotional Landscapes

 Belarusian artist Alla Kosteleckaya channels her introspections into powerful imagery that encourages mindful observation and deep thought. Through her works, Alla offers glimpses into her inner landscape, engaging the viewer in a journey of reflection and awakening.

In this interview, she shares personal insights, including how a powerful life event sparked her artistic journey. We invite you to discover her story.

Cosmina / PPG: Before we dive in, tell us a few things about yourself.

My name is Alla Kosteletskaya. I was born in 1963 in Belarus. I live and work in Minsk.

I was 55 years old when I simply trusted the inner calling and immersed myself in the creative process. I work intuitively, trusting my inner sense of harmony. The creative process captivates me and fills me with peace and joy. My works are messages for those who contemplate eternity.

How did your artistic story begin?

Alla: I started painting after the tragic death of my son. It was then that I accidentally picked up a brush and it awakened the desire to express on canvas what I was feeling. My first paintings helped me to free myself from pain, to feel the taste of life again, to accept what had happened. Since then, creativity has become a part of my life and has filled it with many new colors and shades.

 I like to try different techniques, experiment, create three-dimensional paintings, use texture paste, gold leaf, gold and silver paints. I intuitively feel what I want to “talk” about and it is during work that the meanings of what is happening are revealed to me and everything falls into place.

How do you think art can be defined?

Alla: For me, it is a way of speaking, a process that captivates, fascinates and fills me.

How would you describe your style and what are your favorite themes?

Alla: My style is best described as intuitive abstraction, a combination of random lines, shades, textures. When I start a new work, I never know what the end result will be. An emotion or thought that captures me becomes a signal to start working. I throw onto the canvas what is only just forming into a visual image, and then slowly and calmly, enjoying the process, I bring the composition to completion and reveal its meaning.

My abstract landscapes hide worlds that can be discovered and explored, stars and galaxies attract the eye and help to think about the eternal, female images combine the material and spiritual laws of existence.

Where do you find inspiration?

Alla: Nature, solitude, good books, music. I love evening walks: watching sunsets and gazing at the starry night sky. I am interested in learning the spiritual laws of the world order, I am interested in people and much more. Perhaps all this is a source of inspiration for me.

Do you resonate with a certain artist from art history?

Alla: I don't associate myself with any particular artist. But when I read biographies of artists, listen to interviews or look at works of art, I feel their experiences, emotions and understand that despite the times, geography and level of skill, we are united by an irrepressible desire to create. And at such moments, I associate myself with all the artists of the world.

What are the most important moments in your artistic career?

Alla: The first two years I painted for myself. When there were a lot of paintings, I decided to exhibit them in an online gallery. Selling my first painting gave me confidence.

Since 2021 I have been actively participating in exhibitions: Minsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Budapest, Parma, Ankara, and Beijing are among the cities where my works have been exhibited. I have also received several awards for my participation in exhibitions and art competitions.

I am a member of the Professional Union of Artists of Russia, the Italian Independent Art Association EOS Laboratorio delle Arti, and the Eurasian Art Union. My works can be found in private collections in Belarus, Russia, Europe, and the USA.

Where do you think your art will lead you next?

Alla: I usually don't look far into the future. I just take small steps in the right direction every day and enter the doors that open for me.

On August 20, 2025, my personal exhibition "Source from the Void" will open in Minsk at the Republican Theater of Belarusian Drama. This will be a story of 35 paintings with original texts.

This year, I created my first NFT collection and have already minted it on the OpenSea platform. The collection is based on 65 abstractions created with watercolors on paper, each one is unique and will remain in a single copy. I plan to launch a small advertising campaign to promote it in the near future.

I also want to have time to create two works this year to participate in OpenCols for exhibitions in which I plan to take part - I already know what I will "talk" about.

There are a couple more creative ideas that I would like to implement before the end of the year, but this will happen as time allows.

What is next in your artistic practice?

Alla: We have been living outside the city for the second year now – and I like this more relaxed pace of life. At the same time, I am constantly learning something, experimenting, setting myself new tasks. I want to find a balance between calmness and the desire to move forward.

I will continue to create at a pace that is comfortable for me. I will create a new NFT collection without haste and fuss. I will live and enjoy every moment of life. And so it shall be.

Thank you very much, Alla! We invite you all to join us starting Monday, to discover each work displayed in her Solo Exhibition "State of the Soul".

An interview by Cosmina-Marcela Oltean,

PPG media moderator & art writer

sâmbătă, 26 iulie 2025

Interviews for People & Paintings Gallery (III) / Meet the Artist: Krisztina Lőrincz and Her Painted World

 Krisztina Lőrincz is an artist from Budapest, Hungary, with a background in both music and painting. At the center of her work lies the female figure — the girl, the woman — a recurring motif she will share more about. Her paintings are infused with strong, saturated colors, echoing the intensity of the emotions they convey. Let’s take a closer look and get to know her better.


Cosmina: Hi Krisztina, thank you so much for agreeing to answer my questions. Let’s start with a few words about yourself...

Krisztina: I was born in 1972 in Budapest, the capital of a small country in the middle of Europe, where I live and work. Hungary is my home, the cradle of many world-famous scientists and artists. After studying music, I studied theology and mental health. I have had several successes with my drawings, but after my children were grown up, I really started to paint.

The theological and mental health studies deepened in me the desire for a constant development in self-knowledge and the discovery and admiration of man, life and the universe. In my painting I portray feelings experienced or imagined in my thoughts and in my environment.

There is no subject that has not been painted before, but what inspires me to create again and again is the knowledge that each person is unique and special.

We'd love to hear about the early days of your artistic evolution. Where did it all start?

KrisztinaMy parents were musicians, so it was a given that I was learning music from the age of four. I studied on many instruments and graduated from a music conservatory (Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest), so I owe a lot to music. We moved around a lot, I went to a lot of schools, but the one thing that was a sure thing in my life was drawing. Even as a child it was a kind of therapy in my life. I drew a world for myself that I didn't have.

What is your definition of art?

KrisztinaFor me, art is on one hand a work of art that awakens emotions, feelings and thoughts in the viewer, and on the other hand the work of art that contains the artist's own life and soul, and it is therefore completely unique, even if it resembles others... And one more thing; I feel it is my mission to draw attention to eternal values through my art. To the Beautiful, the Good and the True - what is beautiful, good and true? ...

Please share how you would describe your artistic aesthetics and the topics or ideas you most often engage with.

KrisztinaIn my painting I like to use a realistic, figurative style with an abstract background. I really like to depict human feelings and emotions in stories. In particular, the depiction of WOMEN is close to me - perhaps because I have six daughters... Although I have experienced many traumas in my childhood and later, I try to look for the good in everything and focus on the good. This always gives me strength, and I want to somehow reflect this in my paintings.

Where do you most often draw inspiration from? Are there artists from art history you feel particularly connected to?

KrisztinaNature is very important to me because I can recharge my batteries there. But the real inspiration for me is faith and the human soul...

I loved copying the works of famous old masters. Leonardo Da Vinci was my favourite as a child. I drew almost constantly. My life took a turn when I went to a painting school about ten years ago, where I fell in love with oil painting. Kálmán Gasztonyi, a great painter and teacher, played a big part in this. I have been training ever since. I feel like painting is my life, it's what I've always wanted to do...

Looking back, what were the defining experiences or turning points in your creative path?

KrisztinaI would definitely like to mention the names of two of my masters; I learned a lot from the painter Kálmán Gasztonyi, and later the painter Marianna Bottyán also played an important role in my art. I am a member of several associations in Hungary and I have participated in many group exhibitions. Over the years I have achieved more and more success both at home and abroad.

My paintings have been successfully exhibited in Hungary, England, Spain, France, Austria, Turkey and America. It was a great pleasure for me when I was selected as a guest artist at People & Paintings Gallery. Several times my paintings have been successfully shown in this gallery.

What is next in your artistic practice? What would you like to explore next?

KrisztinaI want more people to get to know and love my work. I would like to go to many more places and show my art. I am grateful to be able to do what I love! I would like to touch people's souls, I would like my paintings to be able to show people beyond the suffering and the horrors of this troubled time in history, to give us a sense of hope that there is good, there is beauty, there is hope, and there is meaning in life and in art...!

It was a great pleasure to listen to a small part of your beautiful artistic story. Thank you very much!

Curious to see more? Click the link to read a bit more about Krisztina and dive into her colorful universe. 

An interview by Cosmina-Marcela Oltean,

PPG media moderator & art writer

Interviews for People & Paintings Gallery (II) / Meet the Artist: Nina Litvin - From Design Back to Painting

 Nina is a Ukrainian artist based in Israel and one of the House Artists at People & Paintings Gallery. Her colorful art exudes movement, energy, and a deeply personal touch. I had the joy of learning from her about how she sees and feels art, and about the journey that has brought her to where she is today.

[A Ukrainian version of our conversation is available below.]

Cosmina / PPG: Hi Nina! We’re grateful for the chance to hear your perspective—thank you for joining this conversation. To begin, could you tell us a bit more about yourself?

Nina: I am a professional artist, originally from Ukraine, now living in Israel. I graduated from Lviv Academy of Arts and worked as a designer for many years before returning to painting full-time in 2013. Art has always been a language for me, through which I express my deepest thoughts, feelings and intuition. I often say that I paint not with my hands, but with my inner world.

How did your artistic story begin?

Nina: My story began in childhood, when I found inspiration and solace in drawing. I received an art education, but life took me to the world of fashion and design. Later I returned to painting with a new sense of meaning. Since then, I have been exploring themes that reflect both my personal journey and universal human experiences.

What is your definition of art?

Nina: For me, art is a form of silent dialogue between the soul and the world. It is not just a way to convey beauty or emotions - it is a way to listen, to ask questions and to remember. True art touches something eternal in us. It is the light we find in the darkness, the answer we did not expect, but have been looking for a long time.

How would you describe your style and the themes that excite you most?

Nina: My style is expressive and intuitive - a combination of figurative and abstract elements. I often work in oil or acrylic, using color and form as a way of layered expression. My main themes are the inner world of man, transformation, silence, identity, connection with nature and finding light in the shadows. I try to capture what cannot be said in words.

Where do you find your inspiration? Is there an artist in art history that you particularly identify with?

Nina: I find inspiration in music, light, nature and human emotions. Sometimes a fragment of a dream, a fleeting moment or a glance becomes a spark. I admire many artists, but I am especially drawn to the emotional depth of Egon Schiele, the color palette of Klimt, and the poetry of Marc Chagall's works.

What were the key moments of your artistic history?

Nina: Returning to painting after a long break was a turning point. Participation in international exhibitions and the opportunity to present my works in New York became an important recognition and support for me. It confirmed that my voice as an artist matters and can be heard beyond borders.

What's next in your artistic practice? What do you dream of or want to explore?

Nina: I feel like I'm entering a quieter, more contemplative phase of my creative journey. I want to explore themes of silence, inner light, and those invisible threads that connect people to each other and to nature. I dream of creating a series of works that are like breathing - subtle, intimate, but filled with meaning.

Most of all, I want my paintings to give a sense of presence, to slow down time and remind us of something important and almost forgotten. At the same time, I dream of exhibiting more widely and being more recognized as an artist - not for fame, but because I want people to feel a real connection with my work. I hope that my paintings bring joy, depth and recognition of something common, something human.

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We invite you to visit Nina’s profile on our Gallery website to discover her art.


An interview by Cosmina-Marcela Oltean,

PPG media moderator & art writer

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Расскажите немного о себе...

Меня зовут Нина Литвин. Я профессиональный художник, родом из Украины, сейчас живу в Израиле. Я окончила Львовскую академию искусств и много лет проработала дизайнером, прежде чем в 2013 году полностью вернуться к живописи. Искусство всегда было для меня языком, через который я выражаю свои самые глубокие размышления, чувства и интуицию. Я часто говорю, что рисую не руками, а своим внутренним миром.

Как началась ваша художественная история?

Моя история началась в детстве, когда я находила вдохновение и утешение в рисовании. Я получила художественное образование, но жизнь увела меня в мир моды и дизайна. Лишь позже я вернулась к живописи с новым ощущением смысла. С тех пор я исследую темы, которые отражают как мой личный путь, так и универсальные человеческие переживания.

Каково ваше определение искусства?

Для меня искусство — это форма безмолвного диалога между душой и миром. Это не просто способ передать красоту или эмоции — это способ слушать, задавать вопросы и помнить. Истинное искусство затрагивает в нас что-то вечное. Это свет, который мы находим во тьме, это ответ, которого мы не ждали, но давно искали.

Как бы вы описали свой стиль и темы, которые вас волнуют больше всего?

Мой стиль выразительный и интуитивный — сочетание фигуративных и абстрактных элементов. Я часто работаю маслом или акрилом, используя цвет и форму как способ многослойного выражения. Мои основные темы — это внутренний мир человека, трансформация, тишина, идентичность, связь с природой и поиск света в тени. Я стараюсь уловить то, что нельзя сказать словами.

Где вы чаще всего находите вдохновение? Есть ли художник в истории искусства, с которым вы особенно себя ассоциируете?

Вдохновение я нахожу в музыке, свете, природе и человеческих чувствах. Иногда искрой становится фрагмент сна, мимолётный момент или взгляд. Я восхищаюсь многими художниками, но особенно близка мне эмоциональная глубина Эгона Шиле, цветовая палитра Климта и поэзия работ Марка Шагала.

Какие моменты стали ключевыми в вашей художественной истории?

Возвращение к живописи после долгого перерыва стало поворотным моментом. Участие в международных выставках и возможность представить свои работы в Нью-Йорке стало для меня важным признанием и поддержкой. Это подтвердило, что мой голос как художника имеет значение и может звучать за пределами границ.

Что дальше в вашей художественной практике? О чём вы мечтаете или что хотите исследовать?

Я чувствую, что вхожу в более тихую, созерцательную фазу своего творческого пути. Мне хочется исследовать темы тишины, внутреннего света и тех невидимых нитей, которые соединяют людей друг с другом и с природой. Я мечтаю создать серию работ, похожую на дыхание — тонкую, интимную, но наполненную смыслом.
Больше всего мне хочется, чтобы мои картины дарили ощущение присутствия, замедляли время и напоминали о чём-то важном и почти забытом.

В то же время я мечтаю шире выставляться и быть более узнаваемой как художник — не ради славы, а потому что хочу, чтобы люди чувствовали настоящую связь с моими работами. Я надеюсь, что мои картины приносят радость, глубину и узнавание чего-то общего, человеческого.

Interviews for People & Paintings Gallery (I) / Meet the Artist: Zaplaflora (Jesús Torres Alfonso)

Born in Cuba in 1960, Jesús Torres Alfonso draws inspiration from the vibrant beauty of Caribbean nature. His work bursts with bold colors and radiates a distinctive, vibrant energy. 


Cosmina / PPG: Through this interview, we hope to learn more about you — the person behind the art — and how your artistic journey has unfolded. 

How did your artistic story begin?

Jesús: My artistic story started when I was a child, time in which my artistic sensitivity was awakened by being in contact with the natural beauties of Cuba, my birth country.

Being a teenager, I first felt the need to create art, and I began to passionately develop my artistic creativity using the most varied materials, such as ceramics, metal, wood, leather and fabric, always inspired by my natural environment.

It was then when I felt the need to support my family financially, and I began to sell my works in public squares in Havana. This allowed me to raise sufficient resources to pay for my trip to the United States in 1997, the date on which I emigrated and settled in Miami, where I have lived and worked since then.

I started again in Miami, selling my Art in public plazas, and participating in several physical exhibitions. But it was not until 2022 when I began to explore virtual art platforms, also developing my presence on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest. This allowed me to expand my visibility, with my participation in countless virtual exhibitions sponsored by prestigious international art groups.

I currently have my works exhibited in the virtual international gallery Artmajeur. And I am represented by People and Paintings Gallery based in New York.

How would you describe your style and the themes that concern you the most?

Jesús: I feel that my style is surreal. When I create Art, I establish a mystical and spiritual connection with my environmental context, and I give free rein to my most frenetic imagination, to create the most unsuspected places by the human mind, as well as magical characters loaded with great mysticism and spirituality.

In this way I create worlds not conquered by man, inhabited by beings that merge with flora and fauna to be reborn in a new world where flora, fauna and man create together a new habitat, following patterns of Surrealist and Abstract art, and sometimes Psychedelic art.

My main source of inspiration is Nature, with its infinite generosity and great beauties. It is the main artist in my works. My imagination and my inspiration are nourished by Nature every day. From It I take knowledge and wisdom, experience and praxis.

One of my themes of excellence is the indispensable preservation of Nature; the construction of a world where resilience, empathy, the closest collaboration between species, and human action dedicated to the conservation of the environment prevail. The search for an ecological balance between flora, fauna and man, as well as the search for a psychological and emotional equilibrium in man's life on Earth, is expressed in my art as its "leitmotif".

Where do you find inspiration more often? Is there an artist in art history that you feel you identify with?

Jesús: I am 64 years old, but I am still a dreamy, imaginative, very spiritual artist full of creative energies, always motivated to take on new challenges and innovative experiences. My paintings allow me to confirm many theoretical and practical knowledge acquired throughout my life, and reinforce my conviction that we both, artist and works, are part of the same identity, of the same essence; that we belong to each other.

My style is a very personal and unique one. I have reached a stage in my artistic career of more than 50 years in which a personalized and exclusive style can be identified. Any spectator in the presence of one of my works could easily identify me as its author. However, some art specialists could still "feel" the legacy of Masters such as Wifredo Lam, Manuel Mendive and René Magritte in my paintings.

Jesús: What were the key moments of your artistic story?

The key moments of my artistic story are the following:

-          At the very beginning, when I was a teenager, and I decided to start selling my artworks in public plazas in Havana.

-          In 1984 when I graduated as an Engineer in Havana University. My knowledge as an Engineer has been important and useful in my artistic creativity.

-          When I emigrated to the United States in 1997 and I established in Miami.

            In 2022 when my painting “Pollination in the Garden of Love”, was selected to be exposed in the 2022 Florida Biennial in Hollywood, Florida, hosted by the Hollywood Art and Culture Center in the United States. It was selected after a curatorial selection process, amongst more than 1000 submitted paintings by more than 300 artists from all the state of Florida.

-          In 2022 when I decided to strengthen and develop my presence in social media platforms, and I openned an acount in Artmajeur International Virtual Gallery, to expose more than 20 original paintings I had available at that moment to be exposed and sold.

-          In 2022 I also started working with New York People and Paintings Gallery, until the present when I got the representation by this important Gallery and I am recognized as a House Artist.  

What is next in your artistic practice? What do you dream of or want to explore next?

Jesús: A central objective in my artistic career is to continue enhancing the visibility of my work internationally, with participation in physical and virtual exhibitions all around the world. Of great interest to me would be to create a retrospective solo exhibition, covering a large part of my artistic works. 

Thank you so much! We were delighted to have you share your art and life story with us.

Zaplaflora revealed more about himself in the Gallery page linked here, where you can also discover a series of his artworks.


An interview by Cosmina-Marcela Oltean,

PPG media moderator & art writer