Issue 46 of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, with artist Jennybird Alcantara’s fantastical painting, “The Seduction”, on the cover is on sale now! Contact one of our Stockists or Shop Online, but don’t miss this special Issue. Take a peek at what’s inside below.
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 46
Inside this Issue, we delve into the painterly works of Aaron Westerberg. With a notable edge of old-world elegance, his style is heavily influenced by his artistic hero, John Singer Sargent, who, among other painters, collectively defined much of our 21st century schemas of 19th century art. Aaron is not a painter of portraits, but rather, a portrayer of emotion. In letting his sentiments flow through his brushstrokes onto the canvas, he releases the emotion from his body, processing the feeling and letting it go.
We also discover the inspiring work of American sculptor, and 1st Prize Winner of the 2023 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award Forest Rogers, who will take you to an enchanted place, full of mystery and ethereal beauty, a place where you see wondrous transformations happening before your very eyes and yearn to believe that they were real.
There is something about the tension between one quality and another, the in-between points, the contrast of grace and fear or strength and delicacy, or avian and human: these combinations engage me.
Forest Rogers
There is a bittersweet charm to Issue 46 cover artist Jennybird Alcantara’s paintings. On the surface lies a sentimental sweetness. Her work feels reminiscent of antique chocolate box cottages furnished with kitschy wallpaper, floral China tea sets and cherished knick-knack ceramic figurines. Woodland creatures with their big doe eyes, untouched by the horrors of the world, beckon viewers forward. Take a closer look and one might realise that hidden behind these charming pastels lie gloomy shadows and blackened corners, as a looming sadness approaches only to be gently washed away by a sense of hope.
There’s a sliver of time before you actually fall fully asleep where the mind is in between the conscious and unconscious state, and the subconscious can come into view. If you can let your mind linger in that place for as long as possible, vivid pictures can appear, showing you possibilities of where the artwork can go. I’m assuming that this isn’t special to me and can work for anyone who gives it a go, but it’s something that I’ve done as a means of accessing ideas just out of reach of the conscious mind for as long as I can remember.
Jennybird Alcantara
Next we take a look at the fantastic visions of Pol Kurucz, a self-taught artist that has been making vibrant strides within both the art and drag communities with his hyper pop photography style all while making cultural critiques on social, gender and aesthetic norms that feel both humorous and palpable in style and tone.
I hope my work will help the audience challenge their perception of normality and transport them into a world that is remote enough that one can be freed from toxic triggers and reimagine themselves.
Pol Kurucz
Time to get inspired as we learn what Victoria Olt, owner of Victoria Olt Gallery in Estonia would like to add to her personal collection in this Issue’s Curator’s Wishlist.
We also take a deep dive into the work of 32-year-old UK photographer Claire Luxton whose oeuvre has mostly centred around photographing herself. We uncover fascinating contradictions and paradoxes within Claire – the person and the artist – and her work. The introvert behind the camera who thrives in front of it. Open and honest stories hidden in symbolism and double entendre.
My use of textiles is not only a conceptual way to make a statement about craft and its feminine associations, but I also want to reveal their artistic possibilities and qualities: that all materials are equally important and permissible to make art with.
Anne von Freyburg
If a Rococo masterpiece could speak, what would it say? Anne von Freyburg, a modern woman and contemporary artist who is consistently questioning the social and aesthetic constructs of femininity and western beauty, was willing to dive in with works pairing the fine art of painting with that quintessential “female” pastime, embroidery – letting ideas, hypotheses, and emotions burst into a beautiful chaos of acrylic and spray paint, sequins, polyester wadding, and hand-dyed fringes.
Thoughts get wings in the hands of Matthias Verginer. The soul rests. The world stops spinning. Nature is at arm’s length. It’s time to breathe again and let the mind fly. A quiet cartographer of the psyche, Matthias uses sparing, minimalist concepts, and carefully chosen materials that speak volumes through shared moments of truth.
What are in essence Matthias Verginer’s autobiographical self-portraits, sublimely and forever steeped in silence, are also a rallying cry for everyone to hit pause.
Excerpt by danai molocha
Bold colours cast upon darkened backgrounds make the flora and fauna of Fatima Ronquillo’s paintings come to life. Existing somewhere between Rococo and Baroque, these extraordinary pieces feel right at home alongside Vermeer and Boucher. The spellbound expressions show figures devoted to the stories so carefully crafted for them.
My instinct to hide away has been overtaken by the more crucial need to represent and be seen, to use the pictorial voice that I have been gifted with. Like a lot of artists I have always felt like an outsider, doubly so for being a minority. I think it is invaluable that all children (including those who would be future artists) should see themselves mirrored in the paintings that they see, to have a sense of belonging.”
Fatima Ronquillo
Noah Norrid, a resident of Copenhagen, Denmark does not consider himself uniquely preoccupied with themes of mortality and life’s fleeting nature, these concepts naturally surface in his work. His focus on the natural world allows him to explore universal themes and relationships, tapping into a long history of humans depicting nature as a reflection of their experiences.
Travel deeper into Issue 46 and see how Laine Bachman’s fascination with fables and fairytales from her childhood have deeply influenced her work. She delves into the history and beliefs behind these stories, drawing on a wealth archetypes and symbols that resonate across cultures and time. This allows her to create hybrid creatures and imagined flora and fauna, presenting them as if documenting undiscovered species and their habitats.
Lauren Marx mesmerizes us with full page reproductions of her evocative watercolour paintings inside this Issue’s Lookbook Editorial.
In the Quick Q & A editorial, we ask Alfred Liu, Hiro, Mao Hamaguchi, Abigail Goldman, Garis Edelweiss [1st Prize Winner of the 2023 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Digital Art Award], and Andrea du Plessis to answer the same questions:
- What are your goals as an artist?
- What do you struggle most with as an artist?
- What was the most helpful feedback you ever received?
- How do you approach the challenge of staying relevant and current in the rapidly changing world of contemporary art?
In this issues’ Collector’s Profile, Yasha Young, juror and sponsor of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize’s Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award speaks to us about her life as an entrepreneur, curator, collector and mentor.
I believe that art should be inclusive and accessible to all cultures. Observing gaps in cultural representation and opportunities, I felt a strong need to build something that would include diverse voices in the discourse of art history. My mission has been to offer opportunities regardless of educational background, ensuring that everyone has a chance to contribute to and benefit from the art world.
yasha young
Yasha Young is a name known throughout the contemporary art world. Blessed with a natural drive and unimaginable energy, she has forged her path as an entrepreneur in the arts, supporting creatives of all ages and cultures to better thrive doing what they love best.
In this Issues’ Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory editorial we highlight the work of many exceptional artists and photographers including: Rocio Villanueva, Miguel Casco, Ibicella Costume Designer, Maysa Bogheiri, Takahiro Hirabayashi, Carmit Haller, Alessandra Maria, Kristine & Colin Poole, Patrice Pit Hubert, Sally K, Kuang Chu, Dave Seeley, Tassy, Chichetam Okoronta, Farnoosh Doroudgar, Hilary Martin, Loles Romero, Forest Rogers, Garis Edelweiss, Lo Chan Peng, Nika Nyoko, Severine Pineaux, Richard Williams, Markus Akesson, Nick Pedersen, Natasha Zraikat, Odhara, Jason Mowry, Petite Doll, Nico Pearleyes, and Nasim Pachif.
Next let us slow down for an inspiring Letter from the Editor, as Danijela Krha Purssey, Editor in Chief, touches on exhibiting part of her – and husband and Co-Founder Richard Purssey’s – personal art collection at the New England Regional Art Museum [NERAM] in Australia.
Richard and I had a much smaller art collection prior to the launch of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine in 2013, and, more specifically, prior to the first of our curated exhibitions. Almost all of the works in our home, and in our exhibition at NERAM, have been acquired from our own shows. The artworks from these exhibitions are incredibly important to us, not only because we love the works themselves but also because we feel a deep need to support the emerging and mid-career representational artists within the Beautiful Bizarre aesthetic.
Danijela Krha Purssey
She also embraces the incredible legacy of this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize. When you are reading this in September you will have had your opportunity to vote for the Catherine K. Gyllerstrom People’s Choice Award from the 149 short-listed Finalists here. So make your voice heard – vote for your favourite works today! The Winners of the 2024 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize will be announced via our usual channels during the week of the 13th of September.
We also highlight more of the artisan fashion designers that have caught the eye of our Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief, in this Issue’s Some of our Favourite Things editorial.
And last but not least, enjoy a beautiful collection from Our Community, featuring some of the amazing hashtagged #beautifulbizarre artworks from our social media of over 1 million followers!
All this inside Issue 46 //September 2024, which showcases some of the best and most inspiring emerging and mid-career artists of our time.
Visit our online store and enjoy Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 46.
