BIOGRAPHY OF NIINA
| Niina is a Canadian
artist who is presently living in Hokkaido, Japan. Over
the past twelve years, Niina has worked both as an art
instructor and a painter. Throughout this time, she has
had the opportunity to live and travel in areas of
Europe, Central and South America, Thailand, Nepal and
India. Travel and teaching has provided Niina the time
and experience to pursue themes in her paintings in a
very personal way. Her approach to each theme or 'series' has been an exploration of energy, balance and rhythm. Niina's work is most closely defined as "Romantic Expressionist". Romantic in nature, as artists of the nineteenth century who were concerned with the emotional extremes of human experience. Expressionist in terms of further abstraction with greater concentration on the power of colour. Stormy skies, winds raging and the mystery of the exotic have been Niina's influences, seen in the compositions of Goya, Delacroix and Gericault. Her interest in harmony and energy is linked closely to the work of such artists as Chagall, Kandinski, Franz Marc, Camille Claudel and Rodin. Though Niina's work is most often semi abstract or figurative, her most recent series of paintings have also taken on abstract shapes. Since her arrival in Japan, she has developed a series of work based on kanji. "Both the history and development of these ancient forms are fascinating. I wish to capture the essence of what each character means. Although I have so much to learn in this language, I feel I have found a means of understanding it slowly and in a personal way. It has been very interesting to share my vision with Japanese people. I enjoy watching their expressions as they work out the meaning of my kanji pieces. What is also very interesting is the fact that kaku, the Japanese word for 'writing' is also used for paintings |
GALLERIES AND EXHIBITIONS Annie Mourillon Gailerie (Strasbourg, France) L'Estampe Gailerie (Strasbourg, France) Oppertshauser Gallery (Stony Plain, Canada) Latitude 53 Gallery (Edmonton, Canada) Harcourt Gallery (Edmonton, Canada) Edmonton Art Gallery (Edmonton, Canada) Ortona Gallery (Edmonton, Canada) Sassenach Cafe (Sapporo, Japan ) Las Chicas (Tokyo, Japan) Obihiro International Center Gallery (Obihiro, Japan) Gallery Café Bauhaus (Sapporo, Japan) ACQUISITIONS Alberta Art Foundation 1996 PUBLICATIONS "Eric Vu-An" 1993 (illustrations of a dancers's biography) |