The Daily Muse: Lena Kramaric, Painter/Mixed Media Artist

Artist painter Lena Kramarić was born 1982 in Zagreb, Croatia, lives and works in Dubrovnik. She graduated in 2008 from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb (painting). Since 1999 she has had 13 individual exhibitions in Croatia and about 20 group exhibitions, both in the country and abroad.

…and now a few words from Lena

In moments when I have empty media in front of me; images which my hand is about to create are not quite clear…..I only feel the atmosphere I want to depict. I begin with a drawing. I sketch it in my head, body and soul. There I find hidden questions and answers I do not contemplate in the process. It seems that I plunge into an inner world using visual symbols of the outer world. All this borders between the limit of conscious and unconscious with certain amount of planned action and impulsive intuition. Limits between satisfying realities and simple and personal contemplation of inner worlds; the consequence of continuous ‘fight’ of the inner and outer world resulting in melancholy and never fully explained painting.

Sometimes I use one theme to connect a number of paintings and thus interpret my basic forms. In this way I occasionally achieve the interpretation of a whole piece. And in essence, all of seemingly separate pieces of work come together to depict one story, which continuously develop through the coming years. I revisit some of the paintings adding multitude of layers and textures; they resemble my thoughts, a nest full of desires, future plans and hopes. The motif of a woman, who in my new paintings is embraced by a man, is intrinsically alone and hidden. Free brush strokes seen here present the state of freedom itself. Images are drawn in a simple way, thus making the piece more poignant. Consistent day to day work enables my personal development, changes of attitudes, personal experience… Images in my head become paintings I carefully analyse and deduce from.
I ask people and I ask myself a question; an open question with a multitude of endless answers….

What I have been doing this year….