Artist Profile
Svetlana Drinnan
'Margarita'
Artist: Svetlana Drinnan
Russian born artist Svetlana has recently moved with her family to Hawke’s Bay from Australia. Svetlana received some formal art education, graduating from her hometown school of art. She worked in Moscow as a graphic designer before settling in Australia, where she recommenced painting. Svetlana paints mainly with oils and uses old master's techniques featuring underpainting and layers of luminous colour.
Svetlana's current main focus in her art is the expression of the individual. She extensively uses allegorical symbolism in her art to tell a story about her subjects, who often do not represent real people but a mere substance, feeling or a projection of the artist`s inner world.
Svetlana gets her inspiration from the many beautiful things that surrounds her daily as well as a simple idea or a memory, or sometimes a very intense feeling inside that is looking to take shape and colour.
While in Australia she was a finalist in the Rotary Art Spectacular in both 2014 & 2015. Also a finalist in the Lethbridge 10000 and the Clifton Art Prize. Her works reside in collectors` homes around the world.
Description: The artwork was inspired by a Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov and his genius novel "Master and Margarita". Margarita is one of main characters of the novel to whom I can very much relate.
In the novel she lives a comfortable life, but in an unhappy marriage. Not without self-torment she chooses love and freedom instead, and pays the price of becoming a witch, which also transforms her appearance.
"Joy surged through... her body, she felt as though bubbles were shooting along every limb. Margarita felt free, free from everything...".
In the painting I wanted to capture the moment of that transformation towards lightness and freedom.
Oil on Canvas
Size / dimentions: 91cm x 76cm
Media Type: Painting
