Chritch in her studio An intricate mosaic of geometric shapes forms the dynamic surface of artist Chritch’s canvases, intersected with delicate lines that encompass her paintings and add vitality and movement that brings her works to life. The subtleties of the surface finish owe much to her use of acrylic, which she also sometimes mixes with collage elements including paper, palm fronds and sand. The rapidity with which the acrylic dries makes it incredibly versatile. Painting in thin washes, she builds the pigments up in layers giving a glazed, translucent finish—this, combined with her unique mix of media, allows Chritch to build up depth and complexity on the flat surface. She employs a muted palette, but works nonetheless within a wide range, placing ashen reds with smouldering ochres and tan, juxtaposed with pastel blues and white. It is her mosaicism that allows such variation, using a myriad of colors that remain subtle and harmonious, rather than the loud and clashing expressions of a rainbow brush. Chritch leaves her creative process free and open to expression as she works into the paintings. None of them are planned and the process begins directly on the canvas. Colors and shapes merge and transform as an abstract composition forms. From out of this abstraction, characters and objects emerge and fix themselves, accruing color and texture around them. It is only once the entire process is complete that Chritch stands back to view her work critically and analyze it, giving whatever title suits the completed work.

The figures in Chritch’s work are portrayed with their eyes closed, as if in constant reverie or trance. The paintings are an exploration of the depths of the human soul, with its many-layered subtleties and fractured harmony, and as such, the works possess an incredible presence combined with delicate lightness.

Chritch has exhibited internationally to great acclaim. Born in Cairo to an Armenian family, she has always had a strong sense of multicultural identity which she has carried with her from Montreal to Paris and through to the UAE where she currently resides.

www.chritchgallery.com

www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Chritch.aspx