Lianna Klassen

Artist Statement:

In my paintings, I experiment regularly with color and texture. Light interacting with dark, and color against color are what inspire me to create. Although I use a vast array of colors, shades and textures, my work always includes squares, even if they are not at first visible to the observer. I see them as a way of standing out, and of adding the comfort of structure to a seemingly chaotic painting.
I take great pleasure in painting reality in a way that makes it obscure, so as to surprise the observer when they find out what the true inspiration is behind the painting. That “A-ha!” moment fills me with a sense of accomplishment because it encourages the observer to see the object/theme of my art in a brand new way.
I use people and places as the inspiration behind many of my paintings. I love to interpret a personality through a painting because I feel it helps me to get to know the person better while bringing joy to his or her life. I also love to paint a place, whether a country or a city, as a way of processing my time there. My art is a way of putting my emotions, feelings, experiences, and memories on canvas. It serves as a cathartic and therapeutic process that will hopefully translate into touching the lives of people who come into contact with it.
- Lianna Klassen, Active FCA Member

Awards & Distinctions:

Annual International Representational Show (FCA) 2014 Winner

Exhibitions:

Annual International Representational Show (Federation of Canadian Artists)
Multiple FCA Shows
The Art House Gallery, Chilliwack
OIL AND WATER-Tsawwassen Longhouse Gallery
Art Institute of Vancouver
Vancouver Eastside Crawl
SOLO EXHIBITS
Our Town Exhibit
Tsawwassen Longhouse Gallery
Fort Langley Remax Gallery
Artists In Our Midst Group Show
 

Artistic Influences:

Jean-Paul Riopelle, Monet, Cezanne

Tags:

acrylic, abstract, impressionism, texture, mixed media, representational