Iryna Calinicenco

Iryna Calinicenco is a painter, mixed media and digital artist who has exhibited across Europe including Bosnia, Spain, France, Italy, Czechia, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and internationally in Taiwan and the United States. She has been published in Art Magazineum, represented by Anima Mundi Academia Gallery, and has a vast body of art which includes over 2,000 works. Iryna has also been featured in collections on Saatchi Art.

For clarity, Iryna’s acrylic paintings are the first four images from the top of the article and the final five images at the bottom of the article are in what she describes as digital ‘new media’. The new media technique entails drawings which are physically altered and exposed to elements, photographed, and then manipulated on the computer digitally. Because the acrylic paintings and digital works are difficult to differentiate between the two, the structured placement in the article will provide a clearer approach.

These beautiful abstract and abstracted paintings rely on form, distortions, linearity, and a playful color palette. Iryna’s strongest pieces tend to involve elements of perspective and great integration between line and spaces of hue and tone. Often energetic, stimulating, and compositionally complex, the art guides the viewer’s eyes equally and harmoniously across the two dimensional surface.

One of her most interesting paintings, Selfie (top of article), suggests figurative distortion by the title. Although indicating very little anatomical references, the painting remains flat with a soothing monochromatic theme of white spread across the surface followed by harsh smears of red, yellow, and orange in circular motions and in the shape of a V. There remains structured fixtures to the painting in what appear to be holding in place a square going off the surface containing scratches of various perspectives. The constant push and pull of the lines create a sense of improvisation one would expect from music, but seldom seen in fine art.

If we may compare three digital works simultaneously, let us take a look at Synthesis (pictured above), April Stories and Refraction (both pictured directly below). Synthesis offers an almost minimalistic approach with forms, almost appearing to crystalize in shades of blue against the monochromatic background of whites. The digital painting offers quite a unique composition with diamond-like and triangular shapes. There remains a sense of balance and structure without being tedious or cliché. While centering the eye vertically and horizontally simultaneously, the painting may be viewed as relaxing and stimulating at the same time. In contrast, April Stories and Refraction offer a different approach of filling the entire space and creating overwhelming sensory stimulation, dragging the viewer's eyes in numerous directions. The high contrast of purple and black along with stretched out lines creates exciting work meant to instill a sense of awakening to the viewer as if sipping on an energy drink or espresso.

Iryna Calinicenco’s paintings are bold and intricate, containing a sense of rejuvenation and life essence which may be difficult to capture in abstraction. These breathtaking works push upon us to seek imagery outside of our boundaries, to visualize abstraction outside of just paint and surface, and put forth upon us imagination and experimentation. The works help us ruminate on the purpose of medium and how varied approaches in application can inspire us to explore new methods of abstraction and image-making.