realism:
Disrupted
Aron Belka’s Striking Portrayal of the Human Experience and Nature’s Beauty Written By: Cayman Clevenger PHOTO CREDITS: ARON BELKA AND LEMIEUX GALLERIES
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lifetime, Belka’s work has already earned him international recognition, including as the grand prize winner of the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series. His work is represented by one of Julia Street’s most respected galleries, LeMieux, and it holds a place in the permanent collections of museums across the country.
But unlike Van Gogh, who is rumored to have sold a single painting and never saw his work gain acclaim during his
Belka’s beautiful, light-filled, Mid-City New Orleans studio is where he creates his iconic portraits and stunning landscapes. The studio boasts exposed brick and large, antique glass windows that open to display a lovely view of the skyline, and allow the sounds of the city, from the nearby train to the hustle and bustle of the Lafitte Greenway, to filter in. In the center of the room is a vintage powder-pink sofa, the only item in the studio not tailor-made by Belka for the creation of his highly textured, uniquely-marked masterpieces.
he likeness between Aron Belka and Vincent Van Gogh is so uncanny that one can’t help but do a double-take. Despite being taller and more advanced in years than the great master of post-impressionism, Belka bears an astounding resemblance to him. Van Gogh’s 1888 “Self Portrait as a Painter” could almost be a portrait of Belka himself, whose red hair and beard, coupled with his unique take on the world and significant technical skill, make this comparison particularly apt. Belka even shares that when he visited the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, patrons repeatedly mistook him for an actor portraying the artist.
12 INSIDE NORTHSIDE