An accomplished and experienced artist herself, Bisa Bennett understands the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for artists to exhibit their work. As a curator and multimedia designer, she is also well-versed in creating engaging opportunities for viewers to experience art. “At our gallery, our vision is to serve as a dynamic and inclusive platform that fosters connections between artists and art enthusiasts, nurturing a vibrant and diverse artistic community,” she explains.
ARTIO magazine, your premier destination for celebrating global creativity and artistic expression. Delve into a vibrant collection of artworks across various mediums, styles, and themes, from traditional paintings to cutting-edge digital illustrations, captivating sculptures, and stunning photography. Reaching art collectors and subscribers, worldwide, monthly, ARTIO Magazine offers a dynamic platform for showcasing the finest in contemporary artistry. ARTIO Magazine will be prominently featured at our exhibitions worldwide, including New York City, Barcelona’s MEAM museum, Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, the London Biennale, Miami Red Dot, and the San Diego Art Fair. Attendees can explore and acquire printed copies of the magazine at these upcoming events. ■
Cover Photo Artist: Almu Jimenez
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“My curious nature has always led me to try different forms of expression. I am a very instinctive painter,” explains the Spanish-born Almu Jiménez. This curiosity has led the artist to explore a personal fascination with human psychology, studying attachment theory and publishing a book on fear. Art has become a way for Jiménez to broaden and deepen her interest in the human psyche. Following in the modernist abstract expressionist tradition, she uses paint as a means to channel and represent energy and emotion. “There is a strong connection between the depths of the mind of the artist and its creation. I am more interested in art as an expression of emotions or ideas (or a trigger of them), rather than beauty or technique,” explains Jiménez.
In works such as Your Voice and Survivor Jiménez demonstrates her intuitive approach to painting. Acrylic is applied to the canvas to create a layered textured surface. She then overlays the surface with a circle motif or ‘moon’, “The circles I paint, symbolize a protective boundary, representing safety and sanctuary in the midst of those moments where we feel lost or afraid.”
In paintings such as Unapologetic and Blue Tiger, she plays with the emotive potential of color. Colors are often deliberately chosen for the way in which they capture a certain energy that is uniquely defined by the artist, “The neon colors I use in my pieces symbolize the energetic vibration of personal power, uniqueness and determination,” she explains.
Jiménez is a true colorist; her work embodies a deep feeling for color. She enjoys taking an experimental and innovative approach and explains, “I am often not interested in showing balance, tranquility, and moderation. That’s why I like using fluorescent colors and/or making unusual combinations […] I like ending up with a painting that surprises me or shows character or uniqueness.”
The artist, who divides her time between Berlin and Barcelona, sees her practice as a very personal endeavor and an expression of her personality and approach to life, “I think life is about experiences and a big part of finding the right ones is fearlessly showing who we are.” ■
Her practice is autobiographical in many ways, for example when she is in Berlin, she primarily uses neon and black. When she returns to Spain her palette is lighter. The artist’s work is created in response to what she is feeling and experiencing, in this way, her paintings embody a deep authenticity. Jiménez states, “By following my moods, I remain connected to my creativity.” Moving forward Jiménez wants to create work on an even grander scale “something bolder, more imposing, with daring color combinations,” she explains. Whatever is next for the artist it is sure to involve a deeply personal form of expression, that remains true to her unique creative practice. Jiménez follows her own rules and hopes her work and approach serve as inspiration for others. She explains, “I started painting late in life and had barely any artistic educational background. So I would like that to serve as inspiration: Don’t think about it too much, just do it and do it how you really want to do it.”■
In1989 the radical art collective The Guerilla Girls created one of their now famous artworks entitled ‘Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?’ The piece, a large billboard-style poster that appeared on the side of New York City buses, commented on the distinct lack of work by living contemporary female artists in one of America’s most hallowed institutions. In 2015 the collective returned to this subject in the work ‘How Many Women Had One-person Exhibitions At NYC Museums Last Year?’ The piece made a side-by-side comparison between female solo shows in 1985 and female solo shows in 2015. The answer is not as many as you might think, with only a single show in each major museum (the Guggenheim, Whitney, and Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art) and two shows at MoMA. Just one more show than in 1985. Not much advancement in 30 years. Such large public institutions are a barometer for understanding the art market and how art is valued. In the year 2024, how is art by female artists valued and represented by the art market? Artio explores this question and looks forward to September and the London Women in Art Biennale.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Artsy published ‘The Women Artists Market Report 2024’ to examine the position of female artists in the context of the commercial art market. Using data Artsy-specific data, the report explored trends in terms of sales enquiries and shone a light on the in-demand female artists gaining traction in the art market. Artsy found that when looking at sales enquiries on their site for 2023, only 25% of enquiries were for artworks by female-identifying artists. However, when they narrowed the data down to ultra-contemporary artists (artists born
in or after 1975) 35% of inquiries were for works by female artists. When narrowing the data set further to Gen Z artists (born after 1977) the number of works by female artists rose to 51%. Suggesting that in the context of younger artists, commercial interest is more equitable in terms of gender. Artsy also traced a distinct year-on-year growth in commercial enquiries and followers for certain female-identifying artists represented by Artsy. While the report documented significant developments in terms of female artists gaining commercial attention in a traditionally male-dominated art ecosystem, the majority of those artists documented were white and Western. The report identified a need for greater diversity and further investigation into the position of non-binary gendered artists in the art market.
In January of this year, Karina Tsui wrote in Semafor “Art by women is soaring in value as buyers seek to rewrite history.” Referencing an Artnet article comparing data on the annual auction revenue of 500 leading artists in 2023 and 2022, Tsui describes a shift in the auction market as older male fixtures, such as Andy Warhol and Frances Bacon declined in the auction rankings. While works by late female artists such as Barbara Hepworth and Lee Krasner were acquired by museums seeking to reevaluate institutional art historical biases. Tsui also remarks on the rise of African female artists in the auction rankings and an increase in women being appointed to senior positions in the art world. For example, in 2023, Mariët Westermann took the role of Director and CEO of the Guggenheim, the first ever woman to hold this position.
More recently in in March of this year, Charlotte Burns asked, “Why is the art industry
still failing women and what needs to be done?” In her article for Art Basel, Burns suggests that despite some moments of progress there is much to be done in terms of institutional gender parity and that “Affording female artists the time, space, and economic freedom to make their own work remains a radical act.” An act so historically rare, that only 1% of the National Gallery’s collection in London is made up of female artists.
It is clear that in the museum world and commercial art market, the position of women artists is a contested and complicated one. Indeed, The Guerilla Girls continue to perform their radical acts of conceptual art to expose sexism and racism in the art market and the world at large. One of their strategies is to expose the invisibility of women in traditional institutional and cultural structures of power.
The conversation about the role of female artists in the art world is an essential and ongoing one. In September of this year, The London Women in Art Biennale will contribute to this conversation by bringing together established and emerging female artists working across all media. Over 200 artists from over 50 countries will exhibit their work in London’s Chelsea Old Town Hall, presenting a truly global art of female artistic visibility. ■
The Biennale of Women In Art is a global art event designed to celebrate contemporary emale artists.
Bringing together over 200 artists from over 50 countries, this carefully curated exhibition will provide a unique opportunity for visitors to acquire artwork by new and established talent, and to give voice to previously underrepresented artists.
The Biennale of Women In Art is an important occasion to build upon existing efforts worldwide that strive for more balanced gender representation in the art realm. The exhibition will develop and reinforce the momentum of this movement, providing a platform to showcase the creative ingenuity, unique perspectives, and shared humanity of a global collection of female artists.
We look forward to welcoming thousands of art lovers, interior designers, curators and collectors across 4 days in the heart of West London. The event will incorporate a program of talks and an awards presentation.
In an increasingly interconnected world, artistic expression knows no boundaries. The Biennale of Women in Art celebrates the diverse talents of female artists who have transcended geographical and cultural limits to create works that resonate on a global scale.
Explore the extraordinary female artists selected for the 2024 edition of the London Biennale of Women in Art. ■
Rayastre is an Indonesian self-taught artist and musician inspired by folk art and concepts of enlightenment. The artist has used psychoactive substances in ritual and visionary experiences. He has experimented extensively with entheogens like Bufo Alvarius. After a deeply transformative and mystical experience, his artistic practice changed profoundly. His work is a mystical process in which he gives active control away and becomes the vehicle of his subconscious.
Rayastre’s practice incorporates dried flowers, water-transferred etchings, x-ray scans, and antique frames. His work has a fragile delicate quality that embodies a lightness of touch. Pieces such as Memories and Princess of Butterflies appear almost museological as if they are mementos or artefacts from a long-ago time. Rayastre’s work is temporal. It traces the passage of time and references the mortality that is part of life. He explains, “I see this decay as part of my work. They’ll lose some current beauty, but an extra quality will be added. Especially in respect to memory, time and will deepen it psychologically.”
Cadavre Illuminé I combines the corporeal and the floral in a work of ethereal beauty. Rayastre explains how the transformation of his work over time is part of the work itself, “All my work will decay to a certain extent,” explains the artist “The colors of the dried flowers will fade. Some yellowing of the sellotape may occur. All antique frames have minor damage due to their old age and may well deteriorate further. All will fade.”■
Princess Of Butterflies.../ Radiograph, dried flowers, water transferred etchings, cellotape, light, in antique frame with convex glass / 35 x 30 x 10 cm
Cadavre Illuminé I / / Radiograph, dried flowers, water transferred etchings, cellotape, light, in antique frame with convex glass / 35 x 30 x 10 cm
Memories... / Radiograph, dried flowers, water transferred etchings, cellotape, light, in antique frame with convex glass / 48 x 30 x 10 cm
The female form plays a central role in the work of Anastasia Yanchuk. Women are depicted as powerful and uncompromising. Her paintings are bold and impactful, recalling hyperrealism and pop art. Yet, they also retain a sensual painterly quality. Works like Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend and I’m Nearer Than You Think incorporate mixed media elements such as Swarovski crystals and fabric. Women from across the globe are depicted with luxurious opulence using shiny reds and rich burgundies against black and skyblue backgrounds. The interplay between vivid color, light and shadow results in paintings that are recognizable for their sumptuousness. Yanchuk often focuses on certain aspects of the female form, such as eyes, hands, and lips. This lends her paintings a beguiling quality, we are drawn into the work through the beauty of detail.
Russian-born Anastasia Yanchuk currently lives and works in Italy.. ■
Words out there AJ14 / oil on handmade paper / 29 x 39 cm
Angelina Davidova’s paintings capture an unmistakable sense of spontaneity and fluidity. Her unique compositions of color and abstract forms recall ancient hieroglyphic languages or prehistoric cave paintings. There is a timeless quality to Davidova expressive visual language and instinctive mark-making. Yet, there is also something deeply contemporary about her work, her paintings refreshingly unique and hard to pin down. Davidova is a self-taught artist who draws from myriad sources for inspiration, including the serenity she finds in Christian Orthodox iconography. Working with oil on handmade paper, she allows subjects to emerge in response to the rhythm of her surroundings. The result is a creative outpouring that demonstrates the artist’s intuitive feeling for color and pattern.
Angelina Davidova lives and works in Amsterdam. ■
Words out there
Ann-Brit Christoffersen has been making art for almost three decades. In this time, she has honed her craft as a painter. Primarily working in oil and acrylic, Christoffersen is inspired by the tactile materiality of her chosen medium. In 2020 she began using her fingers to paint, explaining “It feels as if I have to get as close to the medium I work with, as possible. And I can feel shapes work their way up from the paint. Sometimes it feels like I discover the lines that are already there. I just have to search at the right spot.”
Meditation and The Light powerfully embody the artist’s deep connection to her medium. Her paintings emit a luminosity reminiscent of modernist painter Marc Chagall. She paints clouds of color and light-filled compositions. Christoffersen is interested in the connection between our inner landscape and our outer environment. In her work we see enigmatic figures embedded in fields of color, the people and the landscape are depicted as one. ■
Thouless was born in Scotland, where she continues to live and work. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting and a Master’s Degree/Postgraduate Diploma in Art and Design from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, Scotland. She have exhibited widely in the UK as well as across Europe and North America. Her artwork has appeared in publications such as Elle Decor, Red Magazine, and House & Garden.
The spray can is the starting point for Angela Thouless’ artworks, a reference to the artist’s passion for street art and the dynamism of the urban landscape. After making paintings inspired by the textures and surfaces of the built environment, the artist began to paint on spray cans in 2019. Since then, she has continued to develop her ‘Tribe All Spraycan’ artworks, painting the motif in acrylic on canvas.
The artist builds highly detailed compositions comprised of vividly colored motifs. Her work embodies a desire to fuse influences from across cultures and geographies to create a new dynamic visual language. Thouless’ work is a riot of color and pattern that contains within it a narrative quality. We are left to build our own stories from the animals, objects and symbols embedded within these highly decorative expressive images. ■
Shields’ mixed media abstract compositions give the impression that they are born from a burst of energy and inspiration. Black lines journey across the page, growing almost organically, delineating shapes and framing color. Shields uses white space as matter to be framed and moulded. The artist’s paintings defy easy explanation and that is why they are so exciting. Shields has developed a visual language that is unique and entirely her own.
Her abstract forms are as unexpected and enigmatic, as they are deeply personal. Using a range of media including paint, pastels and charcoal, Shields creates artwork as a form of emotional release and connection. Her approach to making a piece involves automatic drawing and free association, as such her work emerges from the unconscious without the restriction of predetermined ideas or expectations.
Bozena Jastrzebska’s intricately layered paintings capture something beyond language. Her vividly colored, densely filled compositions describe emotion and energy. Inspired by nature and the changing seasons, Jastrzebska takes an organic intuitive approach to her work. She is not afraid of the blank canvas, as she explains, “When I first look at the blank canvas, I see colors, then I slowly shape them, and painting starts to live.” The artist uses myriad tools including brushes, spatulas, and sponges, as well as spoons, wooden sticks, or scrubbing brushes.” The Struggle of Autumn Against Winter and Chaos and Harmony Consequences of Climate Change embody this dynamic experimental approach. Color and abstract forms interact to create something elemental, an interplay of energy and movement that is barely contained by the canvas.
Bozena Jastrzebska lives and works in Poland.■
The artist Frida Kahlo once said, “I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone because I am the person I know best.” A self-portrait documents how an artist makes sense of themselves. It is a record of how they choose to represent themselves to the world. To look at a self-portrait is to look into the mind of an artist, it offers us clues about their personality, emotions, history, and desires. As an artistic genre, it can be traced back to the ancient world and continues to prevail in the work of contemporary artists today. One of the earliest surviving examples of self-portraiture dates back to Ancient Egypt and a stone carving made by Pharoah Akhenaten’s chief sculptor Bak and his wife Taheri, dated around 1365 BC. Artio explores some of the key elements that contribute to the enduring power of self-portraiture.
A self-portrait can document an artist’s place in history. The 18th Century Neoclassical painter Angelica Kauffman painted self-portraits throughout her career. Kauffman utilized allegory in her paintings to claim her position as a female artist in a traditionally male-dominated world. In 1753 when she was only twelve years old, she painted a Self-portrait as a Singer with Sheet Music. She is looking steadfastly at the viewer while holding sheet music, a symbol of her musical prowess and her identity as a woman
in the arts. Kauffman was known for painting scenes from ancient history, re-casting the male protagonists as women. In her self-portrait from c. 17701775, she holds a ‘porte-crayon,’ an instrument for holding a crayon, and wears a neutral classical garment. Both symbolize her position within a lineage of artists and place focus on her identity as an artist above all else.
Self-portraiture can depict the psychology of an artist. Van Gogh created over 35 self-portraits before he died in 1890. The artist started to paint himself because he was too poor to be able to afford to hire models. This was the easiest way to practice painting. He described himself in one of his paintings as “quite unkempt and sad something like, say, the face of – death.” In his pursuit of painting the reality of his situation, his self-portraits chart his illness and mental decline. Now famous works such as Selfportrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889 evidence the artist’s emotional turmoil. Van Gogh saw painting as a means to heal himself. The way in which he applied paint and utilized color gives expression to the psychology of the artist.
Self-portraiture can create a mythology around an artist. Andy Warhol produced a huge number of self-portraits from polaroids to silkscreen prints. In
many ways, the artist predicted the ‘selfie’ with his vast number of photographic self-portraits that saw him trying on different identities by donning various wigs and make-up, while still wearing his signature deadpan expression. Warhol’s Self Portrait, 1986 is a monumental silkscreen that depicts the artist in his signature ‘fright wig,’ his mask-like face, floating in black space. Warhol was fascinated by fame and the power of the image. This vast self-portrait immortalizes Warhol as the king of Pop. The artist’s face is writ large, transformed into an icon that is now as famous as the celebrities he idolized.
Self-portraiture can be a powerful act of self-determinism. In ‘Självporträtt, Åkersberga’ [Self-portrait, Akersberga]) Everlyn Nicodemus painted a self-portrait comprised of multiple heads facing in different directions. The powerfully combines abstraction and figuration. Nicodemus is celebrated for her work which explores the human condition, most specifically in terms of racism, cultural trauma and the marginalization of women. For the artist, art is a compelling expression of healing. In her self-portrait, she represents the many aspects of herself. She created this painting after a decade of living in Sweden and the discrimination she faced as an African woman. After years of experiencing racism and being defined by others, she reclaims the power and freedom to define herself. This piece was the first he first painted self-portrait by a Black female artist to be acquired by London’s National Portrait Gallery.
Self-portraiture is an endlessly fascinating genre of artistic creativity. Uniquely, it allows us to explore personal and universal human experiences simultaneously. It offers a glimpse into an artist’s mind; into how they see themselves and how they wish the world to see them. ■
Concentric circles, lines, structures and abstract shapes inhabit the mixed media practice of Eva Breitfuß. The artist uses these essential forms to explore complex and universal themes, such as presence and consciousness. In a statement, Breitfuß elaborates, “Much can be expressed with only lines, dots and the silence between them...My paintings are very personal expressions. Yet, at the same time, they are an attempt to get closer to the soul of who we are at our most essential level.” Works such as Tresor and From Stillness Into Vast Creation are perfect embodiments of the artist’s practice. The soft balanced color palette encourages contemplation and emits a certain tranquility, while the dynamic interplay between abstract and geometric shapes creates palpable energy. These paintings suggest mystical and elemental forms, such as cosmic portals or microscopic cells.
Eva Breitfuß was born in Germany where she now lives and works. ■
FerZannol is a master of intrigue. Her beautifully composed photographs are deeply immersive and enthralling. In one image, balloons occupy the seats at an eerily empty table in a garden at night. In another, a single figure sits on a chair within a circle of light in an otherwise dark and deserted place, a balloon where their face should be.
These enigmatic and uncanny tableaux are strangely familiar, yet deeply mystifying. The artist invites the viewer to build a narrative from the absences she constructs, to build a story within the gaps of meaning. Zannol’s work is cool, contemporary and clever. Her images are imbued with incredible chiaroscuro, creating a strong sense of drama and emotional resonance. ■
Artist
Virginie Simon-Valory is inspired by the natural world. Her richly layered works are intricately detailed and beautifully textured. Parcelle Printemps and Forest Bag reference the structure of living organisms. Simon-Valory’s abstract and naturalistic forms suggest aerial landscape views, microscopic cells and handcrafted tapestries. The artist’s clever compositions play with perspective, in Forest Bag we feel like we are both above and within dense vegetation, surrounded by myriad reflections on water, sky, branches and clouds. The artist’s feel for color and pattern lends the work a feeling of deep abundance. Simon-Valory chooses materials and techniques to reflect the diverse textures found in the natural world, creating sensitive and tactile work.
Virginie Simon-Valory works between Belgium and Italy. ■
FALL; I’LL STAY WITH YOU LIKE THE SCENT ON YOUR BODY / acrylic and crayon on canvas / 92 x 92 cm
JENNY INK Artist
JennyInk is a mixed media artist based in New York. Her work has been showcased in galleries and collectives across various cities, including Long Island, Las Vegas, NYC, Miami, London, Milan, Paris, and Barcelona.
Painterly and deeply gestural, Jenny Ink’s paintings are richly layered compositions that trace the hand of the artist. Her expressionistic approach results in textured tactile surfaces and dynamic abstract compositions. Color is central to her practice. In works such as Summer Dalliance and Fall; I’ll Stay With You Like The Scent On Your Ink experiments with hues, saturations, luminosities and tints in order to create new chromatic landscapes. Jewel-like colours and areas of impasto imbue the work with a vibrant energy. These paintings explore the emotional and physiological impact of color. Ink’s work recalls a history of abstract expressionism, powerfully celebrating the potency of color and the materiality of paint. ■
Luly Santos draws from myriad sources and employs a range of media to create artworks that communicate the artist’s passion for the creative process. The artist has honed her practice over two decades, creating work using pencil, oil, watercolor, pastel and paint. Pieces like Inspiracion and Bella Naturaleza combine abstraction and figuration in decorative paintings skillfully rendered using materials such as gold leaf and acrylic. Gold leaf is a signature motif in the artist’s work, enhancing the interplay between light and shadow and creating reflective elements. The women in these artworks are at one with their surroundings, their features suggested by delicate lines and brushstrokes. Santos’ technique and refined color palette lend the surface of her paintings a soft tactility and give the work a gentle contemplative quality.
Luly Santos lives and works in Mexico. ■
INSPIRACION / mixed media / 120 x 100 cm
Combining new digital technologies, embroidery, portraiture and photography, Zelda Cavanaugh has created a new visual language that is uniquely her own. Exploring the creative and emotional potential of generative artificial intelligence, the artist produces potent images inspired by neuroscience and psychology. Cavanaugh prompts AI using various phrases and elements inspired by DSM-5, a criterion used to diagnose mental health disorders. The generated images are further developed by the artist before printing, after which she embroiders the canvas by hand. Works such as Beloved and Dissociation embody this intricate process that weaves many different creative elements. These images have a narrative cinematic quality and an emotional resonance. The layering of faces beneath flora, light, shadow and abstract forms gives the work a dreamlike ethereal quality. Cavanaugh is working at the crossroads of groundbreaking technology and art. Her work is an expression of AI-human collaboration, where AI is employed as a new artistic tool that expands our imagination and broadens creativity. ■
Artist
BELOVED / Printed Canvas, Gold Leaf, Embroidery / 20 x 20 cm
DISSOCIATION / Printed Canvas, Gold Leaf, Embroidery / 20 x 20 cm
NINA ENGER Artist
NinaEnger is a contemporary artist based in Norway, whose paintings have been exhibited nationally, as well as in Luxembourg, Italy, France, Monaco, Spain, South Korea, Chile, the UK, and the USA.
“I’m inspired by many elements, but the greatest being that of nature. The depth and atmosphere of light peeking through dark and threatening cloud formations fills my soul with joy,” explains artist Nina Enger. Her large-scale canvas paintings are ethereal abstract landscapes that embody the artist’s passion for the natural world. Works like Unity and Arising capture the elemental force of nature. Enger’s commanding use of light and shade creates powerful contrast and a sense of drama that is balanced by soft clouds of paint. The artist’s gentle color palette and painterly skill gives her work a beautiful luminous quality. Engher captures the sense of awe felt when faced with the force and power of nature.■
ARISING / Acrylic on canvas / 120 x 80 cm
UNITY / Acrylic on canvas / 160 x 120 cm
Walking as you did in your rags of love / acrylic and oil on canvas / 76 x 76 cm
Soraya Farha is an artist who understands the aesthetic and emotional power of color. The artist’s simplified forms heighten the impact of her chromatic compositions, distilling emotion and building a narrative using color. Her titles are signposts to meaning. Walking As You Did In You Rags of Love is composed of swathes of passionate deep red and blushes of light pink. Forest Bath captures the deep greens and blues of a forest canopy divided by a bold channel of ultramarine. Farha’s paintings capture the essence of a feeling or the sense of a place that exists beyond language. Her work celebrates a simplicity of form, a passion for color and the texture and materiality of paint, pastel and oil stick. She explains, “My inspiration is drawn from poetry, song lyrics, and the natural world, spanning from city gardens to Canada’s wilderness with its forests, lakes, and twilight skies by the ocean.”
Soraya lives and works in Canada. ■
“Beyond Borders” exhibition, hosted by ARTIO GALLERY at the European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona, Spain. October 11-13th, 2024
THE ART & CULTURE MAGAZINE
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