This portfolio represents some of my work over the past four years. While my exploration of various forms of media is diverse, my current focus is oil painting.
HER NAME IS NOBODY. 2021. Mixed Media.
This mixed media piece is a representation of the world I believe a character created based on the colour Crimson may live in. I utilised paper cutouts as well as cutouts from magazines and books to create a collage-like effect for this piece. I also found phrases from magazines and books that I believed represented human senses like smell, hearing, and touch, as well as identity. Although this piece Is a landscape it is relatively abstract conceptually and allows the viewer to interpret it in whatever way they choose.
REFLECTION. 2021. Acrylic on Canvas.
This acrylic on canvas piece is meant to represent the concept of calm within the storm. The mirror in this photo shows a reflection of an ideal world which contrasts the world outside of the mirror. The ground in the world outside of the mirror is cracked and dry, the sky is grey, and there is no sign of life. This piece generally shows an escape from gloom into beauty. The vibrant colours and texture of the flowers and clouds in the mirror world are also meant to draw the viewer in, making it even more clear that this is an ideal world.
UNTITLED. 2021. Oil on Paper.
This oil and paper piece is meant to depict a biracial family. I also wanted to play with familial roles and decided to make the father seem like the more nurturing figure. This piece is meant to depict the beauty of diverse families, subverting the ignorant belief that people should marry within their own race. This piece shows that love is boundless, and that any two people that love each other can create a beautiful family regardless of race or gender. The natural and cool tones in this piece create a calm mood and emphasize the peace and natural beauty that this family holds.
THE ROSE WINDOW. 2021. Acrylic on Paper.
I created this monocromatic piece to test my ability to work with different shades of one colour for a whole piece. This piece is called “The Rose Window” as a play on the phrase “the eyes are the windows to the soul”. This piece allowed me to explore a very realistic and detailed painting technique while contrasting that technique with an unrealistic colour palette.
SELF PORTRAIT. 2021. Coloured Pencil on Canvas.
This piece is a hyperrealistic coloured pencil on canvas self-portrait. I created this piece from a reference. To create this piece I had to test my skills in realism and working with coloured pencils, which before the creation of this piece I was not fully comfortable with.
HER BLUE TEARS. 2021. Coloured Pencil on Paper.
I created this coloured pencil on paper piece as a book cover for an imaginary book called “Her Blue Tears”. The concept behind the book was a girl looking for her missing sister in a large city. The eyes are meant to symbolise how people can so easily disappear despite the many people around them. I also used a honeycomb around the eyes to symbolise truth and healing, as honey is often used as a form of medicine. The shades of blue used in the title and figure in this piece are meant to connote the sadness that the main character feels as she struggles to find her lost sister.
CONNECTION. 2021. Acrylic on Canvas.
I created this acrylic on canvas piece based on the quote, “she took his hand and squeezed as hard as she could” which can be seen in the piece. The concept behind this painting is the idea of a one-sided relationship, where one person exhausts themselves emotionally and physically to keep a relationship intact as the other person continuously pulls away. I illustrated this concept by making the woman’s hand a skeleton to show that she is the one putting in all the effort and time. I also added red dripping paint to symbolise what the female figure put herself through to save her relationship.
PINK NOISE. 2021. Acrylic on Canvas.
From Chaos Exhibition.
This acrylic painting is a depiction of one’s efforts to silence their own internal chaos. This piece was inspired by a dream I once had about walking down the street in the rain and not being able to turn around to see what was behind me. The title “Pink Noise” is a reference to where on the frequency spectrum the sound of rain falls. The figure in this painting is using “pink noise” to drown out the chaos of their own mind and surroundings as illustrated in the skeleton hand emerging from darkness. The cool tones contrast the warm tones in this piece to evoke a sense of unease.
LIES. 2022. Mixed Media.
From Chaos Exhibition
This piece provides commentary on the combative nature between prominent political parties in The Bahamas when in reality, they share very similar values and often tell the same “lies”. The use of cut-up campaign posters in this piece not only creates texture and dimension but also highlights how once you look at both sides, you realize they are both an amalgamation of the same thoughts and ideas.
AMBEDO. 2022. Oil on Canvas.
From Chaos Exhibition
The use of oil paint in this piece contributes to the fluidity of the paint being manipulated by the figure. This piece is a reflection of someone just getting out of the shower as they wipe the condensation off the mirror and the experience of waking up in a foggy haze first thing in the morning. This idea links to the theme of chaos as this is what I interpret as the least chaotic time during the day – when your mind is not yet fully awake and you are in a state of tranquillity, when the chaos is silenced.
FREEDOM, CONFINED. 2022. Oil on Canvas. From Chaos Exhibition
The oil paint in this piece is used to reflect the fluidity of the water the figure is being forcibly baptised in. The chaotic way in which the doves, which ironically represent peace and freedom, are illustrated links to my exhibition theme of chaos. They serve as a sensory overload for both the viewer and the figure. The neutral tones reflect the angelic mood of the piece. This piece is mainly inspired by my own struggle with my religious identity and how I have questioned the existence of some higher power throughout my life.
QUERENCIA. 2023. Oil on Canvas.
From Chaos Exhibition
The two figures in this piece are meant to represent the personification of comfort (figure on the right) and a person being comforted (figure on the left). This relationship links to chaos because it showcases how many people cope with their own internal chaos – by confiding in someone or something that cannot judge them or even see them. The figure draped in cloth is inspired by The Lovers by Rene Magritte and the sense of anonymity that is illustrated in his work.
BUNNY BOY. 2023. Oil on Canvas.
From Chaos Exhibition
This piece is inspired by the film Gummo by Harmony Korine. The exploration of aggressive realism and the obscure corners of humanity in Gummo link to the depiction of the chaos of self-discovery in this piece. The smudged lipstick and bleached eyebrows link to the desperation to find one’s true self through experimentation. The bunny ears link to a character called “Bunny Boy” who does not speak in the film, but symbolizes lost hopes and optimism in a town struck by disaster; there is a link to hope and optimism within self-discovery. And the bacon taped to the piece as seen in the film simply adds more confusion to again emphasize the chaos of identity.
CONTROL. 2023. Oil on Canvas.
From Chaos Exhibition
Dealing with mental illness or any kind of “invisible illness” can be difficult considering at first glance that no one knows what you’re going through except you. It can feel like you are isolated in a state of internal chaos. The hands in this piece are used to reflect the idea of faking a smile and the internal struggle with one’s own chaos. The red shade of the hands connotes the danger and pain the figure is going through, hence the cool and neutral tones in the rest of the piece.
FOG. 2022. Photograph. From Chaos Exhibition
The theme of this piece is internal chaos. It is meant to illustrate what it would be like if the thoughts and feelings you bottle up were personified and could be seen by everyone. The fact that this piece is photography allows for the raw, unfiltered depiction of human pain. I was inspired by photographer Bill Wadman and his manipulation of human motion and movement in the development of this piece.
Isabel Cristian 