Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 39 i Create! Magazine

connect on Instagram @createmagazine Embracing the Joy of Water Dear Reader, Water—a source of inspiration, a force to fuel our creativity and a natural element that flows through every person’s experience on this planet. Whether it’s the playful summer vacation splashing in the waves, the serene view of a local lake to help us recharge or the simple act of cleansing our tools, water holds an irreplaceable space in our lives. And yes, who can forget those silly moments when our paint water and morning coffee seemed to switch roles. Remember those countless times when a paintbrush mistakenly found its way into a cup of morning coffee? The allure of water calls to us in myriad ways—from the revitalizing dips of summer swims to the calming, warm end-of-day shower. Even…

INTERVIEW WITH THE TRACY PIPER “To be a truly conscientious artist, you have to look at what’s not working and challenge it.” — Kara Walker Learn more See additional work and learn more about the artist at: www.thetracypiper.com The Tracy Piper is a female-identifying, contemporary painter, muralist, author and art activist. Best known for her vibrant portraits and figurative acrylic paintings, Tracy’s illustrative work tackles social constructs in an abstract-realist style. In this interview, she shares how her upbringing in Oakland inspired a lifelong mission to fight for the rights of others through the power of art. I love that everyone has a unique path to becoming an artist. Can you tell us a bit about yours since—from what I’ve gathered in a previous interview—circus performer is among your previous roles?…

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW WITH SOPHIE ADAIR You’d likely guess that Sophie Adair’s turbulent, representational seascapes were created by an artist who’s spent a lifetime by the ocean. But you’d be wrong. Using inspiration gathered from various trips to the south of France, and a recent transformative residency experience in Canada, she creates arresting images that are as beautiful as they are ominous. Fascinated by storms since a young age, she now incorporates their powerful, chaotic nature into her dramatic seascapes. Her choice of subject acts as a metaphor for her creative journey. In both you’ll find swells and lulls, calmness but also intensity, and an ability to spark joy and curiosity. As such, her work is much more than realistic compositions of waves and water. Rather, it’s an intimate, emotional expression of…

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW WITH MICHELE POIRIER MOZZONE Massachusetts-based artist Michele Poirier Mozzone has developed a unique creative process through years of experimenting with various mediums, including watercolor, pastel and oils. Her fascination with the human form and the transformative properties of water deeply resonate within her “Fractured Light” series. This series explores the interplay of abstract color, texture and gestural representation, an idea sparked by a spontaneous photoshoot of her daughter swimming. As part of our water-themed issue, we delve deeper into the artist’s relationship with the element and its influence on her art. Enjoy this exclusive interview, in which Michele candidly shares how water’s profound influence has shaped her creative process and artistic vision. www.poirier-mozzone.com How has your journey with different mediums, from watercolor to pastel and ultimately oils, influenced your…

Website: www.gailbutterscohen.com Instagram: @gailbcreates Gail Butters Cohen is an expressive figurative and landscape artist. Currently living between Delray Beach in South Florida and her cottage in the Laurentian mountains, she is inspired by long walks in the woods and working in her lakeside studios. Intergenerational connections and the ways in which Mother Nature and human nature converge and shape one another reveal compelling narratives in the artwork. Working in mixed media is integral to Butters Cohen’s process, resulting in unique pieces which tell their own individual stories. Countless layers of both human-made and natural materials are added and subtracted during the intuitive creative process. Butters Cohen embraces the concepts of memory and relationships, the lost and found, and invites them into her work, representing the undulating seasons of life. As…

Website: www.arielle-austin.com Instagram: @arielle_austin Arielle Austin is an abstract painter currently residing and working in Austin, Texas. Embracing abstraction, this Los Angeles native finds the freedom to play and explore curiosities, seeking ways to express her inner world beyond the confines of words. Her paintings serve as visual representations of her journey towards reclaiming her voice and nurturing internal and spiritual healing. Through her artistic practice, Austin shares the fruits of her creative process, encouraging viewers to bring their own experiences and true selves into the viewing. This invitation allows for hope and light to mend and liberate on its own terms. Her artwork has been exhibited at notable venues such as The George Washington Carver Museum, The Carver in San Antonio, Gallery 440 in Fort Worth, Saatchi's The Other…

Website: www.stclairrenaissance.com Instagram: @stclair_renaissance Hopeton St. Clair Hibbert, Jr. (b. 1975) is an Atlanta-based intra-disciplinary contemporary artist who explores the abstract connections between humanity and nature across various media. Hibbert’s work articulates the frenetic cycles of the human experience and attunes our senses to discover the world's often unseen beauty by linking the physical and metaphysical worlds. Influenced by renowned photographer Gordon Parks' approach to documenting life across media and the Spanish sculptor Julio González’s alchemic mastery of metal, his mixed media works include works on paper—created using Hibbert’s characteristic, ultra-detailed technique called hyper-sharpening—as well as freestanding sculptures. Born of Jamaican descent and raised in Hillsboro, New Jersey, by his mother—a personal chef and artist in her own right—Hibbert relocated to Atlanta as a teenager in 1993. He began his…

Website: www.cmason3.com Charles Mason III (Baltimore, MD) received his AA in General Studies from the Community College of Baltimore County in 2010, BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2014, and his Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2019. He has curated several shows in Baltimore and Philadelphia, as well as had solo shows which include Screaming in Silence, My Salvation is Love (The End), at Anna Zorina Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2022, Goya Contemporary Gallery, Baltimore, MD, 2021, and Spillway Collective, Philadelphia, PA, 2019. Charles Mason III has also participated in group exhibitions, such as A The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, co-organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art…

Website: www.lillianaguinaga.com Instagram @lillianaguinaga Lillian Aguinaga is a Peruvian - American figurative painter based in New Orleans, LA. Her striking work places focus on fear of the unknown, the pursuit of belonging and individuality, as well as perseverance in the face of great uncertainty. Through self-reflection and observation of others, she examines the transcendence of the self when we overcome our fears, embrace the unknown, and persevere. Her own experiences with hardships as well as the tenacity of the strong, powerful women in her life have an immense impact on the concept of Lillian’s work. Lillian’s use of intense color schemes and prominent shadows captures her subjects in fleeting, intimate moments. Her command of light and shadow evokes a sense of solitude in chaos and leaves her audience with a…

Website: www.markengelart.com Mark Engel is known for his colorful and highly expressive paintings. His work centers around the human figure and varies between psychological portraiture and full figure environments that express profound aspects of the human experience. His interest in the human motif is rooted in early personal mystical experiences that had a dynamic impact on his perception of life and understanding of self, sparking his research into human transformation through ideas related to analytical psychology, Taoism, alchemy, and mysticism. "My paintings are an exploration of the emotional and psychological landscape of the human experience and a celebration of the transformative power of the human spirit—a testament to the resilience and beauty of the self as it evolves and adapts to the world around it. The figure is a powerful…

Instagram: @lucypikeart Lucy Pike was born and raised in the southeastern United States. Her organic, ink-stained canvases have been featured in various exhibitions, including those by Visionary Art Collective, Juniper Rag magazine, and Roaring Artist Gallery, where she was awarded the Juror’s Choice Award. Her recent artist residencies include The Verdancy Project, Stay Home Gallery, and JX Farms residencies, as well as the “Shape: Art and Health Justice” residency from Vinegar Contemporary. ARTIST STATEMENT My art is, at its core, an exploration of presence: the ceaseless journey of inhabiting and being present with our full selves, whether that is within the most fulfilling joy, heartbreaking loss, or any moment in between. I delve into these ways of being with broad strokes and pools of color. My paintings evoke emotionality through…

Website: www.michelepierson.com Michele Pierson is a contemporary painter based in Philadelphia, PA, whose work explores the enigmatic realms beyond physical reality, the puzzling architecture of the mind, and the use of imagination as a tool of discovery. ARTIST STATEMENT Dreams are a means of travel—mirroring and connecting our subconscious and conscious minds by communicating underlying truths to our present purview. My paintings depict surreal, metaphysical environments that are inspired by the connection of dreams, memory, and reality. Individually, each painting is an amalgamation of real and imagined references. These include references to the natural elements of the Earth, the world beyond outer space, and the other world in between. My paintings heavily utilize: the color blue to recall the infrastructural nature of blueprints; the depiction of mirrors and windows as,…

In this section, we delve into the myriad ways artists draw inspiration from water, from the vastness of oceans to the intimacy of bathtubs. Immerse yourself in the works of Adam Hall, where water is the focal point, Erika Lee Sears' whimsical portrayals of self-care, and Michele Mozzone's vivid poolside scenes. Join Alicia Puig as she engages with trailblazers like Tracy Piper, an artist who skillfully blends abstract realism with social commentary. Christina Nafziger takes us on a journey into Andrea Chung's underwater mythological world, inspired by the concept of Drexciya, while Alicia Puig introduces us to Sophie Adair's ocean-inspired canvases that strikingly juxtapose beauty and foreboding.…

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW WITH ADAM HALL Nestled in the heart of Franklin, TN, accomplished self-taught contemporary oil painter Adam Hall exhibits the emotive power of art. With almost two decades of professional experience, Hall’s journey started on a musical note, touring with various bands while cultivating a newfound passion for painting. His latest collection delves into the symbiotic relationship between humanity and nature. Each of his paintings acts as a portal, providing an immersive experience that transports the observer into nature’s embrace, granting them a moment of reflection on the world’s beauty and chaos. In a recent interview, Hall delves into his profound connection to water, a recurring motif in many of his works. He articulates the allure of painting the ocean, a subject that seamlessly marries the raw and unforgiving with…

We are delighted to introduce the finalists selected by the CoFounders and Partners of Black Women in Visual Art (BWVA) for our curated section. BWVA, an organization serving women and visual art professionals of the African Diaspora, strives to foster networks, provide resources, and develop programs that enhance visibility and leadership in the visual arts and cultural sectors. The founders of BWVA are Lauren Jackson Harris, an arts professional and independent curator passionate about networking and fostering connections within the arts and cultural field, and Daricia Mia Demarr, a cross-disciplinary curator and visual art executive dedicated to promoting creative and critical engagement and fostering social, cultural, and personal growth through the arts. Website: www.blackwomeninvisualart.com…

Website: www.isabel-lu.com Instagram: @isabellu Isabel Lu, MPH, RD, (she/they) is a Chinese American visual artist and health equity researcher, born and raised in North Carolina. Isabel pursued Western nutritional science during her undergraduate studies at Cornell University and later focused on public health and dietetics as a graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. Initially planning to pursue a PhD researching access to culturally-appropriate foods for Asian American populations, Isabel made the ultimate decision to follow the path of the arts as a means to communicate and support community well-being. After completing her Masters of Public Health, Isabel served as the 2022 Artist in Residence at Durham Art Guild. During this time, she developed a participatory body of work that delved into the exploration of identity through food and storytelling. Presently,…

Website: www.lalineaelcuerpo.com Instagram: @la_linea_el_cuerpo_ The line La línea el cuerpo integrates Jorge Tejeda's body of work. Jorge was born in Lima, Peru, and emigrated to Montreal, Canada in 2009, where he has lived and worked ever since. He is a professional architect who also navigates between architecture and art as a self-taught artist. While his primary focus as an architect is on designing bridges, as an artist, he delves into the bridge that connects the self with inner emotions. Jorge's passion for drawing and painting has been evident since his early years, but it was in 2020 that he began pursuing it seriously, giving significant importance to drawing, painting, and the development of his body of work. Under his artist's name, which means "the line the body," he concentrates on…

Website: www.nicolejames.nyc Instagram: nicolejames.nyc Nicole James (b. 1987) is an artist born in Los Angeles and currently based in Brooklyn. She is renowned for her chaotic still life paintings, which often center around the depiction of fleeting moments. Through her artistic practice, Nicole delves into the subversive power of beauty found within liminality and disorder. Her artwork has been exhibited at notable venues such as O’Flaherty’s and IRL in New York, receiving recognition and praise from the art community. Additionally, her pieces have found their place in several private collections, further solidifying her impact and influence as an artist. ARTIST STATEMENT Nicole James is an artist born in Los Angeles and currently based in Brooklyn, known for her captivating chaotic still life paintings. Rejecting the notion that chaos and beauty…

Website: www.adanatillman.com Adana Tillman's path to an artistic practice started at an early age. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, now living and practicing in Atlanta, Georgia. Sewing with her mother is where Adana was first introduced to the needle and thread. Working on quilts and small sewing projects, and taking Saturday classes, is where she built her foundation for textiles. Attending visual artsfocused schools until high school graduation, Adana learned the fundamentals of sketching, composition, and other techniques. In reflection, at any opportunity in schooling for freeform projects, Adana would incorporate textiles/sewing whenever given the chance. In secondary education, the visual arts path was left behind, and a focus on business administration was followed. Adana is self-taught in the textile/fiber arts. She builds her knowledge with books and sporadically…

Abiola Adejare, born 33 years ago in Lagos, Nigeria, comes from a creative lineage. Both of his parents—a painter and a nurse—instilled in him a lifelong affinity for art. During his formative years, Abiola nurtured various aspirations, including becoming an astronaut or a jet fighter pilot, all driven by a shared desire for heroism. However, he eventually discovered that the true essence of heroism lies in influencing and positively impacting people's minds. This realization led him to embrace art as his chosen medium. Growing up immersed in the captivating realm of television, Abiola's exposure to science fiction and the iconic figure of Michael Jackson profoundly influenced his perception of contemporary alternative realities. These encounters inspired him to envision a world intricately woven with abstract concepts that seem distant yet remain…

Website: www.byaridannielle.com Ariel Dannielle is an African American painter born and raised in Atlanta, GA. She graduated from the University of West Georgia, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Drawing directly from her life, Ariel creates large-scale paintings depicting the daily experiences of young Black women. She believes in the importance of her artwork in providing new lenses through which Black womanhood can be represented, understood, and related to. Influenced by the work of Kerry James Marshall and Alice Neel, Ariel strongly believes in the power of portraiture. She focuses on developing personal narratives within her portraits, challenging gender and racial stereotypes. By inserting herself into her paintings, she invites viewers to participate in a process of introspection. Ariel’s work has been showcased at the California African American…

Website: www.siranliu.com Siran Liu (b. 1989, Beijing, CN) is a visual artist working in the Bronx and upstate New York. His practice spans drawing, printmaking, and sculpture. Siran was originally trained as an electrical engineer in China. He then moved to the United States to pursue a Master's degree in digital visualization. This propelled him into the entertainment industry, working at leading animation studios such as Laika and Blue Sky. In recent years, Siran has shifted his focus to fine art and completed a post-baccalaureate program in studio art at Brandeis University in 2023. Informed by his bicultural and multidisciplinary background, his works pull and mix divergent influences, including Chinese antiquities; western modern color theory; and digital means in image production. Working in a lineage of landscape painting tradition from…

Website: www.louiserieger.com Louise is an oil painter of people, places, and people in places. After completing a BA in Illustration at KIAD Maidstone, she had a successful career in television production. She has now returned to painting full-time and works from her home studio in Kent, UK. Her subject matter is suburban, unposed, and sometimes nostalgic. The landscapes are inspired by places local to where she lives, locations that are often overlooked or ignored. The figurative work and portraits range from people she knows, photos of strangers, and more recently family Polaroids from the 70s and 80s. Louise's style is representational with 'snapshot' compositions. It is her intent to elevate the ordinariness of 'clipped' moments in time, question the broader story of the subject matter, and evoke a shared feeling…

Website: www.allisonhudson.com I’m a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Philadelphia. After earning my B.A. from Vassar in Asian Studies, I studied painting and sculpture at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and ceramic sculpture in the MFA program at the University of Arizona. I went on to pursue creative careers including a ten-year stint as an entrepreneur and a nationally recognized cake designer. In 2020, I kick-started my reemergence as a professional artist. My practice is experimental and process-driven. I build, deconstruct, and mend together – striving to create work that is at once ethereal and visceral. Impermanence is an important concept for me and something which plays a role in material choices. Fabric, clay, and wax will lose shape and disintegrate over time, becoming something else entirely.…

Website: www.tamarsegevart.com ARTIST STATEMENT Tamar Segev is a visual artist based in Boston, MA. She holds a BA in Studio Art from Carleton College and an MFA in Painting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also received a Graduate Certificate in Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies from Illinois. Since completing her MFA, she has shown her work in four solo exhibitions, including one at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Segev is the recipient of the 2022 Naomi Anolic Early Career Jewish Artist Award and recently attended a residency at GlogauAIR in Berlin, Germany. In 2024, she will be participating in a three-person exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Segev creates abstract works on paper and canvas that explore…

Leah Guzman ARTIST, BOARD CERTIFIED ART THERAPIST AND COACH Artist Leah Guzman is dedicated to the exploration of human emotions and how they might be experienced, expressed, and identified for the purpose of reflection, growth, and manifestation. Her works in Emotional Seascapes isolate emotion in a singular experience on canvas. She uses the metaphor of water to express her interior emotional states. www.leahguzman.com @ leah.guzman.art Margot Dermody ARTIST The White Water series originates from my time living in Nashville, where we encountered multiple floods due to our proximity to a river and location on a floodplain. While it was a beautiful place to call home, the flood of 2010 had a deep effect on me, making me acutely aware of the climate change phenomena of heat and drought interrupted by heavy…

INTERVIEW INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER BEZAIRE Vintage frames and timeless landscapes describes Jennifer Bezaire’s artwork in a nutshell. But in this exclusive interview, you’ll learn more about the thrill of the hunt for each painting’s perfect finishing touch and how a focus on color and capturing light allows her to achieve that classic feel in her work. Her story is one of rekindled creativity that’s sure to inspire those who have taken a pause from their art for some time or who have recently dipped their toes back into making again. As her journey shows, you just never know what may happen when inspiration strikes again and you choose to run with it—or perhaps I should say paint with it! After taking a break from art for several years, how did you…

Website: www.saatchiart.com/marcelam Instagram: @marcelamariell Marcela Mariel Montemayor, born in 1990 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, is an artist whose work is infused with nostalgia, childhood memories, and vibrant colors. Through my paintings, I usually depict objects such as balloons, food, and candy wrappers that evoke cultural significance and an emotional connection to my personal experiences and upbringing. I choose to utilize these elements to create a sense of familiarity and nostalgia for the viewer, inviting them to reflect on their own memories and emotions. My aim is to forge connections and shared experiences through my art. My passion for painting has allowed me to share my creations with audiences across the world. As a professional artist, I've had the opportunity to showcase my work in different locations, including Mexico, the…

Website: www.heatherallisonphotography.com Instagram: @venerationoflight Living near the tempest-prone shores of the northern coast of California, Heather Allison's work is shaped by fog-filled skies and moody beaches. She is best known for her pensively lit still-life photographs featuring exotic and domestic ephemera. Heather skillfully arranges taxidermy, flowers, bones, and books into dramatic compositions reminiscent of the vanitas style Dutch master botanical paintings. Her photos delicately balance between the macabre and the sublime, paying homage to her love for Victorian memento mori while equally revering the beauty of life. Heather's deep appreciation for art history is evident in her works, as she adeptly connects the modern age to her predecessors in visual art. Although she initially began her career in photojournalism and event coverage, it was the sudden passing of a family…

Website: www.joannapilarczyk.com Instagram: @joannapilarczyk Joanna Pilarczyk is a London-based contemporary figurative painter and art educator. Born in Poland, Joanna studied at the Art University in Zielona Gora, where she earned a Master's degree in Visual Arts and Art Education. Having moved to London over a decade ago, Joanna immediately fell in love with the city, captivated by its diverse cultures and vibrant energy. Within the artist community of North London, she began painting oil portraits of new acquaintances and friends, reflecting the unique essence of the city. In her recent series of paintings, Pilarczyk focuses on portraying mixed-race and gay couples. To create these works, the artist engages in discussions with her friends and models, delving into their experiences, love stories, and struggles related to racism, sexuality, and cultural diversity.…

Website: www.jamesrobertmorrison.com After graduating in 2002 with an MA Fine Art from Central Saint Martins, James worked in the gallery and museum sector before returning to regular art practice 17 years later. Since then, he has been shortlisted for the Bridget Riley Fellowship (2023-24) and the Derwent Art Prize (2022). He was selected for the RA Summer Exhibition (2021), won the Mervyn Metcalf Purchase Prize at the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition (2021), and was awarded a special commendation at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize (2020). His work is held in the UK Government Art Collection and private collections in the UK, USA, and China. ARTIST STATEMENT James' work reflects on the experience of discovering his sexuality and his journey to understanding, accepting, and valuing it. Since returning to his…

Website: marycatherinelowery.com Instagram: @marycatherinelowery Mary Catherine Lowery, an Atlanta-based artist, intertwines the realms of traditional landscapes and contemporary abstractions. Her unique use of dye and bleach create emotionally compelling pieces that aim to transport you to the depths of your mind and the recesses of your memories. Lowery's work possesses an ethereal, dreamlike quality, achieved through an almost absentminded approach to painting. She embraces the vastness of memory and the gentle pull of nostalgia. At the core of Lowery's artistic journey lies the dynamic interplay between light and dark, a fundamental duality that infuses her compositions with depth and movement. This interplay is elevated through the introduction of bleach on canvas, adding an evocative sense of energy. Her work fosters an intimate internal dialogue—a translation of the unspoken emotions that…

Instagram: @emasdas Emanuela Iuliana Sintamarian is an artist originally from Romania, but currently she lives and works in Oakland, CA. Her work is informed by the relationship between her identity and her sense of displacement, and the ways she has devised to reconcile those incongruous elements. She is interested in perception, memory, and the mechanics of motion, their visual translation, and the dichotomies intrinsic to them (transfer vs change, action vs reaction, and time linearity). Sometimes, much of contemporary life is inherently wrapped in the poetry of melancholy, loneliness, and absurdity. Ema wants her works not only to echo her impulses, desires, and thoughts but also to speak and emphasize those attributes. She explores the fluidity and tension generated by contradictions: organized chaos and uncontrolled order, machine-like generated imagery, and…

Instagram @marryammomaart Tanzanian-Nigerian artist Marryam Moma is a virtuoso of the craft blade, renowned for her ability to weave captivating visual tales that draw inspiration from current events and her personal journey. Moma's artistic prowess knows no bounds, as she ingeniously employs repurposed archival paper, an eclectic mix of media, vibrant pigments, and gilded embellishments to transcend traditional artistic confines, yielding multidimensional analog collages. Her oeuvre, partly autobiographical, delves deep into the intricacies of Black identity, amplifying Black narratives and experiences, while also rejoicing in Black Joy. Her art is an ode to individuality and self-love, challenging ingrained stereotypes. Moma's artistic journey is deeply rooted in her architectural education and her upbringing in a creatively nurturing family, which fuel her expressions. Her creations are a testament to the enchantment she…

Website: www.jessicaworrall.co.uK I’ve been a theatre designer in the UK for over thirty years, working in both mainstream and experimental theatre. Over the past two years, I have also been creating a series of more personal works that take the form of digital collages. In my collage work, I juxtapose portraits of women from art with images of modern-day couture as a way of questioning the external forces that exist within both art and fashion, which shape and enforce our understanding of the ideals around women’s status in society. Throughout the history of Western art, the depiction of women and thus ideals of femininity and the female body have continuously shifted and changed. However, there is one constant: from 15th & 16thcentury portraiture to modern-day couture, the female imagery we…