Brian Viveros – jaded beauty

The moment I saw Brian Viveros’ work I was sold. I wouldn’t know how to put it into words and feel I made it justice but there’s something about his art that gets an emotional reaction out of me. There so much of everything in this world that you just can’t react to it all so when you do, or more truthfully when I do, it’s to something special that hits home in more ways than one. 

For me his portraits talk about the dark side of everything beautiful, the desire for destruction and self-destruction that’s in all of us, how we’re so jaded and hopeful at the same time, so powerful and so very weak, how we get wounded everyday by all the small and big things we never thought would happen to us, how we all pretend and play the many roles we have to, how we see ourselves and how others do, it’s about all the beauty and ugliness that coexist in this world, it about all the love and all the hate, all the contrasts that we live with.

I love how Brian paints these incredibly beautiful wide-eyed women while also giving them a super heroine quality that makes you feel they are true fighters. They are stunning and vulnerable but you wouldn’t want to mess with them. I guess ultimately it’s about how things are never black and white and how beauty gets tainted and soiled and wounded in the struggle to be happy or get wherever we want to get, how perfection is overestimated and how we are all damaged and fucked up but sometimes better in spite of it all.

Blue Velvet

Cleopatra

  Blue Rose

  Seeing Red

 La Frida

“A technical perfectionist, Brian Viveros’ oil, airbrush, acrylic, and ink paintings are highly saturated with pigment, luminosity, and depth, while the compositions are poignant and simple. The artist’s emphasis tends to be on focal points such as the eyes, lips, and skin, conveying the subtlety of minute expression and the power of an impaling gaze. The paintings feel cinematic, like haunting stills from a film, owing to their evocative suggestion of narrative and to the iconicity of their subjects. The artist’s creative cosmos is beautifully stylized, never derivative, and distinctly recognizable as his own.” – this is a quote I found on his website that I subscribe to so I had to share it.

Scorpio Rising

 Baroness

 Octopussy

 Captain Dirty

 Fake Empire

  Poetry in motion

 Photos

The text reflects my feeling towards Brian Viveros’ work and being personal I don’t expect everybody to agree but I would love to hear your thoughts about it.

 

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Mustafa Soydan - Zodiac

This week’s artwork spotlight is all about the Turkish artist Mustafa Soydan and a really special set of illustrations for each sign of the Zodiac he made for Trendland.  

He’s based in Istanbul and does a lot of different things: illustration, mixed media and drawings - all of them are really beautiful. Much of what he does is fashion related and Mustafa has a very personal take on this world.

I also really loved something he said:  “The theme in my works is totally complicated. It changes with my mood; it contains my past, my wishes for the future, pictures of the moment, and daily pleasures. My passion is to put my love for living into my work and make a mark on life.”

 Aquarius / Varsator

  Pisces / Pesti

Taurus / Taur

Gemini / Gemeni

Cancer / Rac

 Leo / Leu

Virgo / Fecioara

 Libra / Balanta

 Scorpio / ScorpionSagittarius / Sagetator

Capricorn / Capricorn

  Photos

What do you think? Recognize any of the ladies he used for the zodiac signs? What sign are you by the way? I'm a Libra and Sara is a Leo!:)

Illustration spotlight – Fab Ciraolo

We live in a world were everything is possible and we are permanently surrounded by things that leave us speechless. Or at least that’s the case with me. I see so many talented people in a variety of areas - dancing, singing, acting, painting - and talent is something I appreciate with all my heart.

And as wonderful as it is seeing all of the magic that they can create, it’s even harder to have your own thing, that special talent that separates you from the crowd, making people recognize your work. It’s the ability to choose from all the subjects out there and find the one that defines you as an artist. And today we’re talking about such an artist - one that has found his niche and made it art.  

Fab Ciraolo is a Chilean-born illustrator that takes pop icons, superheroes, cartoon characters and even historical ones and illustrates them with a modern twist. He also ads a fashionable angle as he changes their outfits but keeps, at the same time, a vintage vibe. He uses subdued colors and psychedelic backgrounds to create the impression of space.

His technique involves “painting, a lot of drawing, acrylics, color pencils, mostly anything I have near that might work to get a final result that makes me happy. I can remember using coffee in some paintings.”

Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe as modern day stereotypes

This is brilliant: Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld in the Pietà pose!

Old school heroes

And even though this has been done before, in the sense that he is not the only one to bring into his work famous people from the past, he does it in an original way. Fab Ciraolo remains fluent in his work by keeping his signature “space” background and changes only his subjects. He creates this amazing mash ups, putting together elements from pop culture, science fiction and just a hint of wired.

While his characters still have their signature styles he transforms them into present day stars. They are somehow reborn into the hipsters and rock stars of our days.  There’s a lot of irony there, mixed in with humor and even a bit of social commentary - Fab Ciraolo’s work is provocative! Pop culture is his playground and I love it all!

Edward Scissorhands and  Charlie Chaplin

Alfred Hitchcock

Salvador Dalí  and Frida Kahlo

 Photos

What do you think? I would very much like to have  any of these hanging in my house!

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Decades in fashion

These wonderful illustrations are made by Jakarta native Eko Bintang for Elle Indonesia and showcase an iconic look for every decade between 1900 and 2000.

I love the retro/nostalgic feeling they have and the simplicity the artist employes to get his point through! They remind me of some of the first vintage Vogue covers I've seen.

 Couture Begins, Charles Worth, 1900s

 Eastern temptations, Poiret, 1910s

 No Corset look, Chanel, 1920s

 The Avant Garde, Elsa Schiaparelli, 1930s

 The Neo Romantic, Christian Dior 1940s, 1950s

 The Baby Boomers, Yves Saint Laurent 1960s

 La Boheme, Halston, 1970s

 Age of Abundance, Versace , 1980s

 Clean Slate, Calvin Klein - 1990s, The Individualist, Alexander McQueen  - 2000s

 Photos: 1.

  Hope you enjoy these as much as I did! 

Artwork/Illustration Spotlight - Belinda Chen

Belinda Chen is a 24 years old freelance illustrator, visual designer and print-maker who has graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. 

After having lived in Melbourne and Berlin for a while she now resides in Shanghai. Belinda creates amazing drawings and collages in mixed media style and she loves character design and narrative story telling.

 Flamingo Sands - my absolute favorite illustration by Belinda Chen

Here are some of my other favorite pieces form Belinda’s expanding portfolio:

I find Belinda has a very unique and imaginative style and I appreciate her confidence in trying different things when it comes to her art while also being true to herself! 

I absolutely love her play with outlines and the fantastic pops of color against white backgrounds. This technique makes her fashion illustrations look effortless, elegant and truly inspirational.

No wonder her work has been featured in numerous magazines such as Nylon, N*Style, Madison, SOKO and Gloss Creative.

I also found this interesting presentation/interview of Belinda’s on touchnote that I feel gives us a little more insight into her creative world:

I guess I enjoyed drawing a lot and I love seeing people enjoy my work.

Who's my favorite artist? Frida Kahlo, she is amazing! I love the colors, passion and story. I also love surrealist stuff involving space and dreams.

I am very much into Pop Art, such as Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. I love the fun aspect of their work and the bright colors they use. I also like retro images and photos.

I love the detail and delicate lines in Wenzel Hablik crystal and geological inspired etchings. I find lines fascinating; lines in children’s drawings, lines in nature, lines created by fireworks, etc.

 Piccolo Degree Apartments - amazing lift lobby graphics

Photos

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do! How do you feel about her work?