Dianthe chirino
After her business studies, Dianthe decided to follow her heart and embark on an artistic adventure. In 2003 she chose Florence as the city which would inspire and teach her the craft of fine arts. Her search brought her to several schools and private studios like the Angel Academy of Art, Accademia Delle Belle Arti di Firenze, Rossotiziano Centro Arti Visive and the Florence Academy of Art where she graduated in 2008. She received a classical education, following the teachings of the old masters.
Overwhelmed by the natural beauty she found in the coastal area of Tuscany, Paint Away Tuscany has come to life offering courses accessible to anyone interested in landscape painting.
7.1- Giovanni Abath was born in Curaçao on January 23, 1974 and is better known by his artistic name 7.1.
This stands for the numerical version of his initials. (7.1 = G.A)
7.1 is a self-taught artist and is known for his sculptures and installations made of stainless steel, iron, foam and wood. Besides sculptures,
Giovanni also works in other different expressive areas such as theater, film writer, designer, presenter and animator.
gIOVANNI ABATH
jean girigori
Jean Girigori is one of the leading painters of the Caribbean. Her work is colorful, vibrant and joyous, her Expressionist-Naive style unique. She was born at sea, lived in the Dominican Republic during her childhood, and settled by way of Haiti on Curaçao, the country of origin of her grandparents.
BIO
TATIANA FELIX
Tatiana Felix is a multi-award winning artist and owner of Tera Percussions.
Tera Percussions is a percussion manufacturing company based on Curacao. Tera Percussions manufactures handcrafted-and-tailor-made instruments for local musicians as well as international world-renowned musicians.
In 2012 Tatiana accidentally stumbled upon her passion: drum-making. She quit her job as a graphic designer to pursue her passion. Since that moment she won many prestigious awards and got much recognition from the Government as well as other important local entrepreneurs for her worldwide achievements through drum-making. One of the most memorable moments in her career was the Obama tambú. She managed to build a relationship with The US Consulate as well as the White House Staff. Her efforts didn’t go unnoticed. The Government of Curacao showed support in any way she needed.
Besides making quality instruments Tatiana was curious to what else she could make. She started making furniture, industrial lamps, wooden and Black Coral Jewerlies just to mention a few. She also hosts creative and experiential workshops for kids, adults and teambuilding workshops for the corporate world.
Nowadays Tatiana is also a transformational speaker. She has been an inspiration for many as a female powerhouse being excellent in what many consider a man’s job.
BIO
bert kienjet
Decades ago, graphic artist Bert Kienjet shifted his artistic activities far away from his hometown and hometown of Leiden in the Netherlands to Curacao. The special differences between the image of Curacao as a tropical paradise with white beaches and swaying palms, and the reality of an island with an unrelenting, sometimes hostile and difficult to access nature, became a source of inspiration for the artist accustomed to the open Dutch landscape. .
To experience this special nature experience for himself, Kienjet walks, when he is on the island, in the rugged mondi of Curacao, and finds his inspiration for the etchings that are now shown here. In this series of etchings, Kienjet depicts the beauty of the rugged wilderness, but also the closedness of the Curacao mondi. For Kienjet, this is a metaphor for the social structure of Curacao society that is distorted and complicated for the outsider. A 'makamba in the mondi'
Jhomar Loaiza was born in Coro, Falcón, Venezuela in 1977. Since he was a child he has had artistic inclinations, perhaps influenced by the abilities that he perceived from his parents. He recognizes teacher Ángel Sánchez, resident of La Vela, one of the first people to teach him painting techniques, in the same way he recognizes in Emilio Peniche, Osterman Velásquez, Alirio Sánchez and Nicasio Duno, artists who have provided important advice for the development of his work. Loaiza is defined as a self-taught artist, given that his training during his time at the Tito Salas School of Plastic Arts, was very short in 1996. Of his most outstanding facts within his career as an artist, can be mentioned that he has obtained important painting awards, among them his first prize in 2004. Obtained in the I Salon of Novice Artists, in 2008 he won the 3rd prize at the Cacique Bacoa Regional Exhibition, 2010 he won the 2nd prize for the Bicentennial Cultural Explosion, 2011 he won the 1st Prize at the Regional Salon Cacique Bacoa. In 2016 he wins 1st prize at the XVII Salón Churugura. In addition to mentions in national and regional exhibitions, he has been awarded different distinctions for his contribution to the Arts in the Falcón state. He has also represented Venezuela, in countries such as Mexico, Curaçao and Spain. Currently this artist has been residing on the Island of Curaçao since 2018, where he has made a significant number of murals in different parts of the country to name a few: in Punda, Otrobanda (Kaya Kaya Street party) in Barber and most recently at Sentro Deportivo Kòrsou (SDK).
JHOMAR LOAIZA
KATY BRANUM
Born an island girl, water and light has always fascinated me. Often described by painters as the most difficult topics to paint, I am attracted to their delicate dance. Here on Curaçao, we are given unlimited opportunities to capture these powerful elements that stir an artist’s soul.
When I look at a scene, I am enthralled by the challenge. I find that it is not until I have mastered this unique dance that each painting truly comes to life.
I hope that you enjoy the paintings I have created, each one is unique and one of a kind.
I am available to do commissions, so if you have a colour scheme in your home that you would like to match, or a seascape that you have photographed and wish to have transformed into a painting, I would be delighted to work with you.
Thank you for your interest, please follow me on Instagram.
Born on the island of Curaçao 1960
At a youg age, drawing and painting captures my interest!
The motivation of my father by giving me the opportunity at the age of 11 to follow painting lessons with the late Antilian painter-artist Luigi Pinedo had triggered my motivtion and curiosity.
I attended 2 years at the then existing art academy 'Akademia di arte' in Curaçao.
On my 24th, I choose for my passion and went to Holland. Where I started the S.O.L. (Stichting Opleiding Leraren), with drawing and craftsmanship as main courses and completed my styudies in 1989.
In addition to my job as a teacher at a secondary school, I continued to draw and paint. I Attended several drawing / painters courses at Artibus in Utrecht and been busy assignments.
Painting and taking care of painter- and drawing lessons especially for children is my mane subject at the moment.
omar maduro
LESLEY PETERSON
Lesley Peterson, born on the island of St. Maarten, has painted his whole life since he was in his teens. He sold his first paintings when he was nineteen and still in school. He is self-taught and developed and broadened his skills and knowledge of art through the literature on painting techniques and art history. Also by visiting museums and art galleries all over, gaining an appreciation for the masters and contemporary painters. In the seventies, he was a member of an art foundation called Libertas. In the past, he has painted surrealism but now dedicates himself to realism or what he calls symbolic realism. He also teaches art classes to beginners and intermediate students and has had several exhibitions on our island. Although he formerly painted with oils his favorite medium now is acrylic.
HORTENCE BROUWN
The human body is the main theme of my work.
The inner feelings of the human being come to expression in movement and attitude. That is what I express in my work. Feelings like sadness, happiness, fear and despair reveal themselves in the body language. Even when a person is seen from the back, his essence can be read.
I use both natural as well as man made material for my sculptures.Natural material like marble, limestone, Curacao limestone, alabaster. Man made material like bronze, cement composites.
Hortence Brouwn started in 1973 with moulding and casting in concrete. By then Dries Kreykamp – a well-known sculptor and architect in Holland – coached her. Before that she only used to work with clay. In 1989 she started a 2-month workshop in New York, carving stones. She also used to work several times in Pietra Santa, Italy in Carrara marble.
In 1997 she started a bronze foundry, with the help of different people and organizations in Curacao. Most of her bronze sculptures are casted here. Sometimes, when they are too busy, she casts her sculptures in Holland.
tony welte
Tony Welte' s art, known as Welt-art, is art built up with primitive/expressionistic images full of pure colors that enhance the content.
The image and the color show the artist's confrontation with himself and his personal situation. The image therefore becomes a time sketch of that moment, passing into his creations.
Life is also depicted in general, with all human fears and urges.
Welt-Art = Welt-History
Heleen Cornet was born in Holland. She obtained a degree in education and a master’s degree in fine arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Amersfoort (Holland). After having lived for a couple of years in Norway she moved in 1975 to Bonaire (Neth. Antilles). There she taught fine arts at the high school for five years. After living for one year in Curacao and St. Maarten she moved in 1986 to Saba were she has been an art teacher at the Saba Comprehensive School. Together with her husband Tom van‘t Hof and family she has made Saba her residence ever since.
Cornet was asked for prestigious exhibits where she participated with installations of rainforests as there is the Fundatie in /Zwolle, the: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Biennial, Santo. Domingo, Republica Dominicana and, the 23rd Bienal International, San Paulo, Brazil.
HELEEN CORNET
MICHELLE MESKER
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Michelle Mesker is native to Curacao, an island in the Caribbean. She attended the Royal Academy of Art in the Netherlands. As an avid hiker and birdwatcher she feels inspired by nature and enjoys it`s tropical colors. Her exotic work reflects her love of nature.
Her art of choice is Batik**, an ancient art form from Asia. Dye resistant bees wax is delicately applied to cloth. During her designing she thinks of a ‘negative’ and `positive` result at the same time creating the image, before the cloth is soaked in dye, one color at the time. This time consuming process allows a skilled artist to build up color schemes.
Traditionally a Batik artist starts the image with a light color and builds the image up with darker colors. Michelle’s technique is unique in that it is more advanced, still originating from the ancient technique. It consists of multi-color processes. The colors you see in her work do not exist next to each other in traditional Batik work. Her technique takes much more time. Each work consists of 7 to 10 wax applications and color dye baths. It requires color vision, precision and patience. But it allows her to create the colors that are important to her and that so distinguish her work.
Curacao’s capital Willemstad is protected as a World Heritage site because of its old Dutch architecture. Michelle mostly draws her inspiration for her images from these bright colored Colonial houses, rural houses, fisherman boats, sunsets, local wildlife like flamingos, fishes and flamingos.
For 5 years Michelle lived in the South of Spain. She is enchanted by the devoted Saint Virgins in every church, each with their own halo or aureola. She adorns them with lace, glitter and embroidery. To her creating Batik art is a meditative experience.
Every year for a few months she stays in the Netherlands and she is fascinated by the multiplicity of the color green in nature. She is drawn to landscapes with their contrasting skies.
Michelle’s dedication to the Batik process is unparalleled. Her work is sold both locally and throughout the world.
cliff hasham
Visited the Design Academy Eindhoven Netherlands.
I was a Design teacher at Eindhoven University of Technology. After my retirement I continued to draw and paint from
mainly buildings on the island.
I also like to photograph buildings and street scenes.
The wooden sculptures are all about Gwen Garcia’s close encounters with himself. “My emotions, my pride and my identity”.
As a sculptor Gwen has a style that is not so typical. Gwen combines different kinds of wood and seeks a new connection between them through the growth rings of each type and thus creating a new unity. For Gwen the growth rings symbolize the Garcia family’s deeply rooted relationship with art and with each other. His father is painter Wilson Garcia. His mother always assisted his father with setting up his exhibitions. She was the driving force behind his father, but also behind Gwen. As Gwen reflects:
“You have to do something with your drawings, etchings and paintings, mom said. She apparently saw much more than I did or wanted to see at the time.
She never gave up trying to get through to me.”
After Gwen’s mom died in 2018, Gwen embraced his passion for sculpting and decided that it was time to show his work to the world. The influence of Gwen’s father is noticed in Gwen’s sculptures. Subtle undertones and hidden layers invite the observer to come closer, take a second and a third look just to discover yet again something new.
Path of live
Gwen Garcia (Curaçao 1964) left for the Netherlands after finishing high school at Radulphus College to study General Subjects at the Conservatory in Utrecht. After a year he switched to history and drawing at the Stichting Leraren Opleiding. For the past thirty years Gwen made a living working in ICT as Technical Consultant Unix / Linux.
‘Profundo’ (November 7 to December 5, 2020) was his first ever exhibition, supported by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Caribbean Region.
The exhibition was an ode to Gwen’s parents.
Some paintings by his father Wilson Garcia were also part of the exhibition to show the connection between father and son.
GWEN GARCIA
Uruguayans living in various parts of the world is nothing new, knowing about Uruguayan artists is not too strange either, but what is not common is a Uruguayan living on a small Dutch Caribbean island and who is also an artist.
He is also the only Uruguayan artist who has had individual exhibitions and who is part of the Permanent Art Gallery of the Curacao Museum.
He is the son of the ceramic master of the Carlos Paez Vilaro Art Workshop. Santiago Carlos Misol Roche received from different sources his taste for the visual arts (painting, sculpture and scenery).
He lived for several years in Curacao and was responsible for the complete decoration of the Kura Hulanda African Art Museum. He also restored the complete furniture of several museums, including the Curacao Museum, the Octagon Museum (Museum of Simon Bolivar) and Rooi Katochi, an old hacienda that now functions as a library. He, in addition to having done work for different Catholic and Protestant churches, hotels, restaurants and private homes.
During his stay in Curacao he held three individual exhibitions with great success. His art is known both in Curacao and in the Netherlands, where several of his works were taken.
Santiago Misol roche
