“I’m fascinated by stories that mix the real world with the imagined, dreamy one,” says figurative surrealism painter Hanna Ilczyszyn.
Hanna Ilczyszyn is a Polish figurative surrealism painter who discovered her talent around the ages of 15-16 and has never looked back. She studied painting in Poland and Belgium respectively, then she made a permanent move to Belgium where her paintings have now gained prominence.
It might appear the love of art runs in her background because she mentioned her grandfather possessing artistic talents though he never practiced as a professional artist. However, she said she’s still in possession of his old paint in her studio.
Figurative Surrealism: The Art of Illustrative and Expressive Images
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The art of expression
“My work is intuitive and in a way expressive as I like to capture the feeling of a certain moment. With my subjects, I like to float between dreams, daydreaming, and memories,” says Hanna Ilcyszyn.
Artistic influence
Hannah mentioned her fascination with painters from late Impressionism and Symbolism when her interest in art began. But she specifically studied works from Vincent Van Gogh due to his expressive way of painting and resolute attitude towards keeping his art alive, despite the difficulties he was faced with. She enjoys the dreamy atmosphere of Fernand Khnopff’s work and the mysterious Gustav Moreau.
She also takes inspiration from illustrations and books like “Alice in Wonderland”, and also from stories that mix the real world with the dreamy ones. One writer with such a surreal style she’s fascinated by is Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.
Inspirations and expectations
As an intuitive painter, Hannah is inspired by the relationship between animals, plants, humans and their surroundings, which explains her expressive way of painting with surreal and illustrative images.
Though she possesses such a unique skill and talent, her desires aren’t extravagant, because all she wants is the continuity of the exhibitions of her work, which isn’t so much to ask for such a brilliant artist.
To see Hannah’s latest paintings, visit Saatchi Art >
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What do you think?