Petra Forman — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

May 1

May 1 Petra Forman

Biography

I am an Austrian abstract emerging artist, living and working in Croatia, on the Dalmatian Adriatic south coast in Korcula. I exhibited my work at international art fairs, presenting my art in great galleries throughout the year, like New York, Venice, Madrid, Paris, Miami, Vienna and also virtual exhibitions in London and Milano. Finding inspiration in nature and the beauty of the Adriatic sea, especially so in my art studio on the beautiful Adriatic coast from Korcula with the most beautiful view.
My work translates my emotions into shapes, textures and colours. After the Master's degree study in Executive Management MBA in Vienna, I was working many years as Country Leader for a BigData & Data Science company from Berlin. Before I was working on various web projects as a business unit leader to create web platforms for big companies. In addition to my business career, I always attend master classes by various artists like CHRISTIAN LUDWIG ATTERSEE to learn about different techniques and materials for the last 20 years. For one year I am a full-time artist.

Artist Statement

My art is all about pursuing harmony and balance found in nature. A blend of Croatian minimalism with a hint of ancient mysticism, my art keeps fascinated by the layers and textures, giving a defined sense dimension to the paintings. "The process of creation is completely organic and spontaneous. My art is influenced by music and I relate them to lyrics that try to capture and convey my thoughts in the artwork." Striving for depth and intensity I use multiple layers of paint, grainy or rough textures, embracing the beauty of decay by including rust or cracked structures in her paintings. I also like to incorporate into my work, natural materials from the sea, like corals. "When I create my artwork, I let myself be inspired by my personal perception of the world, full of emotions, I dive deep into my inner consciousness. My creative process gives rise to expressive compositions of colours and structures". "Using colour as language, my work becomes alive with emotion through the movement of the structure and luscious layers of pigment. Much like memories, each painting is filled with layer upon layer of paint, building a rich history into each piece".

What first prompted you to think of becoming an artist?

Since childhood art has been a passion of mine. Ever since then I have enjoyed expressing myself artistically in various forms. But since last year I have rediscovered and further developed my passion for painting. Each painting has its own story, but I aim to give each viewer a personal connection, like an echo of his or her soul. Painting is a way for me to meditate, express my emotions, state of mind and satisfy my need for constant change and freedom. My path is knowledge and perception, working out details and observing the process of creating art. The desire for aesthetics, beauty and clarity is reflected in all of my work. Both in my professional years in web design and usability, where the clarity and simplicity of the lines, as well as the interplay of colours, ensured a comprehensive picture, as well as in painting, in which I try to transmit harmony in all my pictures and try to capture this in all of my works. I aim for a mood in which you can immerse yourself in the picture and find harmony and balance and be positively drawn into the picture and allow each viewer their own interpretation. When I paint, I feel like I am in a different sphere and I love to immerse myself in this world and create new meditative works.

What kind of an artist do you ultimately see yourself?

To me, being an artist means asking questions and staying true to your individual artistic development and giving shape to uncertain spaces through personal perception. In meditative sessions, accompanied by music, images are created that very often capture the Adriatic Sea, Croatian mysticism or reflect seasonal changes.

What are you hoping to communicate to the viewer through your work?

I aim to draw the viewer into my painting, trigger a positive emotion in the viewer and encourage them to experience and feel the painting. I want my paintings to encourage accessing our sensations, feelings and thoughts, which are often hidden deep within us. It should be a trigger to integrate parts of ourselves that we thought were lost in order to feel “whole” again at some point. My paintings cannot simply be translated into words. They cannot be read like text. They speak their own language. Through the self-interpretation of the viewer, spontaneous images appear, which allow us to give shape and colour to the subconscious.

Can you explain the process of creating your work?

My art is all about pursuing harmony and balance found in nature. A blend of Croatian minimalism with a hint of ancient mysticism, my art is inspired by the layers and textures, giving a defined sense dimension to the paintings. The process of creation is completely organic and spontaneous. When it emerges on the canvas, I convey a thought that is highly emotional and personal yet at the same time universal; It speaks of places unseen, but at the same time comforting and familiar. Like memories of a place we feel we've been before, but can't quite recall all the details of the experience. My paintings are often influenced by music and I relate them to lyrics that try to capture and convey my thoughts in the artwork. Striving for depth and intensity I use multiple layers of paint, grainy or rough textures, embracing the beauty of decay by including rust or cracked structures in my paintings. I also like to incorporate into my work, natural materials from the sea, like corals or seaweed and experimenting with rust, wood and self-made marble powder. When I create my artwork, I let myself be inspired by my personal perception of the world, full of emotions. I dive deep into my inner consciousness. My creative process gives rise to expressive compositions of colours and structures. Using colour as language, my work comes alive with emotion through the movement of the structure and luscious layers of pigment. Much like memories, each painting is filled with layer upon layer of paint, building a rich history into each piece.

What is your favourite part of the creative process?

When I start a new piece, I usually have already dealt with the painting and the color composition in my dreams. Sometimes I use materials such as pieces of shellfish or packaging materials, that I want to incorporate into my pictures. My paintings are created over several weeks. I spend many hours just looking at unfinished works and gradually working towards my favorite part of the painting process, which is looking at my painting and realizing it is finished.

Can you give us an insight into current projects and inspiration, or what we can look forward to from you in the near future?

This year was amazing, although we still have to fight the pandemic, I am looking forward to the in-person exhibitions starting again. I recently joined an exhibition in New York City at the VAN DER PLAS Gallery with Adriaan, who is originally from Austria. In the upcoming month, I will have a few international exhibitions in Venice at the International Art Fair, a group exhibition in Madrid, as well as in Paris and Zagreb at the ART FAIRS. This summer I am going to exhibit my work in a beautiful and prestigious gallery in the heart of Vienna, Gallerie Steiner. I also plan to exhibit my work in the ART BASEL in Miami. I am also looking forward to a one-year masterclass with Christian Ludwig Attersee, one of Austria's most famous painters. I am very proud that I have been accepted into his masterclass.

Website https://www.formanpetra.com/gallery/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/petra_forman/