Arina Gordienko MA, figurative realist artist based in the UK, is a multi-award winner and finalist of various art contests in the UK, USA and Europe. Her works are exhibited at Saatchi Gallery, MEAM – Museum European Modern Art, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Modern Art Vittoria Colonna, Museum of Fantastic Art, OSTEN Museum of Drawing, and other venues in Europe, Russia, USA, Australia and India.
Arina’s works are in private collections worldwide, including The Bennett Collection, OSTEN Museum of Drawing collection, and The Peregrine Collection going to land on the Moon on the ‘Peregrine Lunar Lander’ Annex 9 time Astrobotic capsule. Her works featured in numerous publications, i.e. ‘Strokes of Genius’, American Art Collector Magazine, International Artist Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, ‘Women Painting’ by MEAM, ‘ModPortrait’, ‘Arte y Libertad’ and ‘Leonardo Art Guide’ by Artelibre Gallery, ‘International Realism’ by ARC Salon, etc.
Arina has academic art education completed MA in Painting at Chelsea College of Arts, BA in Fine Arts at Central Saint Martins College of Arts (both - University of Arts London, UK), and Distinction Diploma in Fine Arts at College of Arts in Russia.
Arina dedicates herself to realistic traditions in painting, combining classical techniques with imaginative compositions and a contemporary palette. In her work she uses the old Masters classic 'sfumato' technique with her own contemporary essence. Her style can be described as imaginative realism where personages are placed into the artist’s imaginary world and circumstances. Most often she portrays her characters with a direct gaze that triggers special eye contact, which is a form of nonverbal communication implying a close relationship with a viewer. Her works involve emotionally and intellectually, she communicates with her viewers by inviting them to experience emotions and deep inner feelings that she reveals in her personages and that evoke viewers’ emotional responses. Her works consistently enrolled with an intellectual riddle and philosophical content.
Artist Statement
My paintings can be perceived as a performance of humans’ soul movements. The fragile magic of life mesmerises me. I see humans’ souls as fragile lights of fireflies in the dark - it is so easy to break this light. And as an artist I try to convey this light onto my paintings, keeping and increasing the wonder of this light in the world. I’d like to believe that the main purpose of art is keeping this world in balance and harmony, and awareness of that gives me an entire inspiration to continue my work. Painting for me is vital and absolutely essential, something I cannot live and breathe without.
Creating new paintings for me is a kind of magical ritual, almost alchemy - I love to insert into my works mysterious and surreal atmosphere and often position my personages in the middle of nowhere without any signs of a particular place, time/age, or any other specific characteristics. I am trying to capture and visually express a quintessence of humans’ emotions and feelings in an unusual environment, often on a border of their capacity of perception - a pure essence of human’s soul and often hidden deep inner content. Deep emotions do not depend on any boundaries, such as countries, languages, mentalities, religions, races, etc. I believe that pure emotions that are visually depicted in artworks can be perceived by everyone; emotionally powerful artworks can be adopted and understood by everybody in the world as a Universal language.
In my paintings, I use the old Masters of Renaissance technique called ‘sfumato’, derived from the Italian word ‘sfumare’ – tone down or smoke down. Within this oil-painting technique, the colours and tones layer gradually one above another without any sharp outlines which bring to the images a softened or ‘smoked-down’ subtle outcome. My style may be described as imaginative realism where personages are placed into my own imaginary world and circumstances. I hope to emotionally engage viewers and often portray characters in my works with a direct straight into eyes gaze revealing all the hidden emotions and feelings that evoke viewers’ emotional responses. My personages emerge dramatic or ironic however I consistently surround them with an intellectual riddle and philosophical content appealing to curious and peculiar minds.
I never expect that inspiration will come to me on a daily basis - I just go to my studio and get myself ready for working hard and then, in hours, inspiration can come along if I'm lucky. But it is not guaranteed. Only hours of hard work and practice help to create something spectacular. I am aware of what I am bringing to the world within my creativity. I believe that artists are responsible for every brushstroke we produce. The more beautiful and positive artworks created today, the better will be the world we are living in tomorrow. Art is the most powerful tool to keep this world in balance and harmony.
