Lorena Krause

Lorena Krause, born in Mexico City, moved to Canada in 2000. This Langley, BC based artist graduated in Visual Arts from the University of the Fraser Valley, BC in 2010, with the “Outstanding Achievement Award".

Fauna Crowned Portraits – Artist Statement.

My figurative paintings symbolize the inner power of the female spirit that so often carries the world and all its demands on their shoulders. 

In a world obsessed with the body I shift the attention to the head  and to the infinite world of the mind while  depicting a new relation with ecology. 

In this surreal series of I use a classical oil technique to create contemporary portraiture.  As a style  the proportions are altered in different ways and females appear dwarfed under it all as I think women still are by society in many areas.

As an updated iconography analogy with classical painting, the piece's unified composition show a lyric flowing horizontal hierarchy . A subtle transition from upper, middle and lower spheres with a play in proportions occur:

1st,  on top of the paint – The Fauna Crown – representing the animal kingdom 

2nd,  human face – the human realm represented by the  surreal portrait 

3th, on the bottom of the painting – the decorative art – represented by the 3D hand sculpted repoussé.

This Neo-Surrealism is inspired by pre-Columbian iconology by Mesoamerican archeological  human and animal sculptures.  References to Colonial and European portraiture can also be found. I use  Reppousée  an antique technique, hand sculpted by me on the subject's pendants which are big  as a homage to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a scholar, poet and writer.

With a surreal and dignifying visual representation of the unlimited potential to take this world into a changed future, I depict our irremediable state of oneness with nature and our outer and inner interdependence with traditions and history.

Lorena has had solo Canadian exhibitions at Maple Ridge Art Gallery, Maple Ridge, BC – Vernon Art Gallery in Vernon, BC – Sand and Sea Gallery in White Rock, BC.

In group exhibitions at: Richmond Art Gallery – Chilliwack Art Centre BC – Ben Navee Gallery, Toronto – Kariton Art Gallery, Abbotsford, BC – Ashpa Naira Gallery, Vernon BC - ARTE funktional, Kelowna BC.