annika banko artist statement...
As an abstractionist, expression through my work is essential to my being. My paintings are depictions of desire, emotion and life experience. They embody love and heartache, pleasure and pain, deception, peace, chaos and at times delightful sadness. My practice comes from within.
A second generation artist, I’ve always been surrounded by art in its many forms. At a young age I developed a passion for expression through movement and melody. The first step in my creative process is music. I fill my studio with sentiment and gesture to arouse my creative strategy. I approach my canvas directly, in the moment, using my entire body to create the work. Mysteriously generating power, my process continuously moves me around the canvas offering me the freedom to change directions at any point in my execution. I use bold colors and random applications of light and blackness to reflect mood and create contrast in my compositions.
My technique alludes to mental space beyond the pictorial. I paint what I feel and continue to learn and evolve with my art. My work has been exhibited in Maui, HI – San Diego, CA – Wynwood, Miami – Birmingham, MI – Chelsea, New York.
- Annika Banko
