Arranged by size and hue, the blooms in Krzysztof Grzybacz’s large-scale oil paintings appear in comfortable togetherness, each individual’s features amplified by its placement next to those that differ. His Floral Compositions series organizes the flowers against swaths of green fabric, exploring their potent symbolism. Grzybacz taps into the age-old tradition of […]
Category: Flowers
Tropical Flowers and Prickly Cacti Leap from Lili Arnold’s Vibrant Block Prints
Every year, Lili Arnold’s mother would block-print holiday cards to send to family and friends. When she was old enough to wield a carving tool, Arnold began to make her own, too. But it wasn’t until college, when she took an Intro to Printmaking class, that she became enthralled with […]
Lauded Dutch Golden Age Painter Rachel Ruysch Gets Her First Major Survey in the U.S.
Many of us are familiar with titans of the Dutch Golden Age like Frans Hals, Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt, Jan Steen, and more. Yet fewer of us have probably heard of Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750), renowned during her lifetime for her original style but under-acknowledged through the centuries in the canon of […]
Vasilisa Romanenko’s Lush Portraits Wrap Common Birds in Decadent Patterns
Beauty and nature’s resilience are at the core of Vasilisa Romanenko’s work. The Connecticut-based artist paints faithful depictions of common yet dignified birds amid clusters of fruits and flowers, exploring the power of opulence in times of upheaval. A stately crow poses amid rust-colored roses, a great blue heron poses […]
From Porcelain Buttercream to Bruises, Jessica Stoller Examines the Gendered Body
The early 1780s produced a medical training tool that today seems unusually macabre and unsettling: the Anatomical Venus. A waxen model with real human hair and strings of pearls around her neck, the reclined figure appeared incredibly realistic, although pulling back the plate on its abdomen or chest revealed a […]
Technology and Nature Merge in Zachary Corzine’s Otherworldly ‘Faux Flora’
Fantastical flowers burgeon and bloom in the digital animations of Zachary Corzine. The Portland, Oregon-based generative designer uses a variety of software like Cinema4D, Houdini, Substance, Octane, Redshift, and After Effects to create dynamic, atmospheric visuals. Between projects for clients like Apple, Audi, Disney, Nike, and many more, Corzine explores […]
Felines Evoke ‘A Floating World’ in Tùng Nâm’s Illustrations
Accompanied by delicate insects and social betta fish, the cats in Tùng Nâm’s illustrations (previously) alternate between curiosity, serenity, friskiness, and determination. The artist portrays a diversity of feline natures, merging their likenesses with flowers, waves, foliage, and clouds. Nâm’s characters are playfully anthropomorphized, donning patterned kimonos and hair ornaments. […]
Matt Roussel’s Textured Woodcuts Metamorphose into Paintings
From elaborate portraits to overflowing florals to playful animals, the woodcuts of Matt Roussel (previously) tell a wide range of enigmatic stories. For his large-scale works, Roussel begins by carving wooden panels, but rather than using the blocks to make prints, he applies acrylic paint to the surfaces to create […]
An Otherworldly Garden of Lights Emerges from Hemp and Resin by Ross Hansen
Evoking marigolds, prairie clover, and milk thistle, Ross Hansen’s ongoing series of ethereal lighting fixtures dissects assumptions about design and function. The Los Angeles-based artist and designer’s unique sculptural forms combine hemp, bio-resin, and aluminum to create otherworldly floor lamps. Hansen draws on a background in landscape design, inspired by […]
Bees and Iridescent Bubbles Infiltrate Still-Life Traditions in Marc Dennis’ Paintings
During the Dutch Golden Age, vanitas grew in popularity as a genre of memento mori that emphasized life’s transience. The opulent paintings were steeped in symbolism and foregrounded the futility of ambition and worldly pleasures. Marc Dennis draws on this 17th-century tradition as he refashions the still life for a […]