Art From Around The World

Artists are regularly influenced by their environments and life experiences. Here at Carla’s Curiosities, we are proud to represent artists from all over the world. Their cultures and backgrounds shine through the amazing work they create. Let us take a look at some of the artists we represent and look for clues in their styles. 

Courtenay Kusitor was born in Ghana in the late 70’s but raised in London, UK. Despite being of African heritage, she could not pin-point the “African art” in her work until an art critic pointed out that her heritage showed through her work subconsciously and that her bold use of colour was perhaps the key. Memories of sunlight and heat illuminates the colours in Kusitor’s work as do the patterns and colours  akin to Kente cloth fabric designs which you will see in some of her communities series of work, especially in the piece London. She describes a happy childhood filled with long, fun days spent with her sisters along with the freedom to play and explore her local areas; both back in Ghana as well as here in the UK. She has spent much of her life living in villages, from rural Ghanian villages near Akwatia, Koforidua and Kumasi to Roehampton Village where her parents work dictated the movements of their family. Her ink art  especially illustrates free-form and fluidity and much of her work is based around various subjects around Life, Humans, Nature and the Environment.

From a somewhat more contrasting climate is a master fine art oil painter Alexander Donskoi. He describes his place of birth as one of the most unique, mystical and enigmatic places on earth, centuries ago it was a very powerful, strong kingdom called Balhae. 

Siberia and the Russian Far East are home to some of the most profoundly beautiful wilderness areas left on earth. Russia’s landscapes support incredible biodiversity, including one-fifth of the world’s forests! you can imagine how inspiring that must have been for a child growing up?

Donskoi’s work is certainly full of fantasy and mysticism, take a look at The Touch Of Eternity for example. Each detailed and carefully finished painting tells its own tale. Throughout his art works, you can almost imagine what is happening in each scene. The muted tones of colour also give clues to the temperature, most of the subjects are wearing heavy attire and many of them look like important figures of political or spiritual stature. 

Like perfect scenes from distant period times, we get a glimpse of what life may have been like in Far East Russia in the early centuries. 

The unmistakable vividity and striking colours of Thushari Gamages oil paintings tells us that she is an artist who is not afraid to express herself through colour. Much like Kusitor, living in a hot climate with an abundance of sunshine intensifies how you see the world around you. Sunlight will illuminate the already beautiful colours of nature as we can see in this piece; Lotus Plucking. Having an early love for art, Gamage discovered the use of charcoal at an early age and would spend many hours drawing on walls near her home. Over the years she developed a love for the spectrums of colour that we see in her work today. Her mission is to show the beauty of her country, culture and universal power of love through her paintings. Thushari Gamage originates from Sri Lanka, we hope you can see a little of her heritage, culture and experiences through her art.

Now picture Massachusetts in the 60’s and 70’s and what do you think of? Not sure? Let us take a look at some of the work of our American artist Susan Diamond. There is no denying that Susan’s work has a cool, edgy western feel to it. Bold in subject and colour too. With a sci-fi narrative behind some of the characters. Some of Susan’s work feature dominant alien-like feminist characters as shown in Alien Intrusion. Some of the paintings which include cityscapes seem to have an American art deco influence to them such as Blank Strip is Black. Susan is not afraid to be direct with her messages of female empowerment, science fiction in art and seductive vamp like female characters. 

Environments, experiences, interests and influences shapes the art around us today. Art is not only the history of an artist, but the history of our world as a whole. Learn more about the artists we represent here.