Statement — NOURA RICCIARDI

What is art?

Is it an expression of beauty, is it an expression of the artist perception of the world around, is it the manifestation of the malaise of a decadent contemporain society, is it supposed to please, to shock, to make you think, is it to force you to develop your imagination, is it a tool to help your transcending the reality, is it supposed to bring new ideas, new conceptions, and new messages?

Art is really all of that.

But my art, that consists essentially of portraits and still life, is the interpretation of the way my eye perceives beauty in every face, in every object, and in everything that surrounds me... it can be the corner of a door, the smile of a child, or the waves of a marble countertop!
Banality can evoke beauty.

Crock — This crock that I painted, reflects all the simplicity of a domestic life, it
touches somewhere a very ancient kind of collective consciousness,
everyone has come across sometime in his life this kind of object that
brings back memory of childhood of some sort…

Still — One sentence that I always have in mind when I paint, and that every artist should remember: painting is drawing in colours!!!

I am always interested in following and capturing the different stages, and evolutions of my painting...

I am also very often tempted to stop in the middle of the work leaving it unfinished, just because I feel I have captured the essence of it ....

But of course finishing it
gives it more consistency...

Another sentence of the famous Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum that I love: “Painting Is Math without numbers“ Absolutely right, it is all about perceiving the 3rd dimension, of capturing “la géométrie dans l’espace “, mastering volumes and proportions, taking in consideration the right angles and perspectives.

It all brings us back to the symmetry of the old masters’ paintings, that are
a perfect delight for the eyes, the order that gives the feeling of peace and
ease when looking, one does not suspect and realize, that underneath lies
all the work of balance and a symmetrical world of harmony, that exudes
from the work of art.

For what is beauty? if not harmony, what is beauty? if not a rhythmic flow of colours lights and darks, la “cadance“, that is ruling any form of art whether it is a music, a book, a movie, a ballet, all about rhythm and equilibrium!!! Interrupted with, I have to admit, some element of surprise.

From a very early age, I have been fascinated by the “chiaroscuro” effect
in the old master paintings, this a portrait were I was translating the
features of the model, and at the same time capturing the light in the
jewelry!!

“Bird in Carnaval” Is a still life , where I realized that a painter is like a conductor of an orchestra, in charge of leading a multitude of instruments simultaneously, producing a coherent piece of art. In painting it would be juggling the forms, the colours, the edges, perspective, the materials, (l’étoffe) the darks and lights, the shades, keeping beauty always lingering in between!!!

One thing that I am obsessed with is finding the likeness, there is no point doing a portrait if the model does not recognize themself in the work of art!!!

I also love painting with pastels, it feels like sculpting the painting, as I very often use my fingers.

The purpose of these exercises is bringing out the particularity and consistency of the fabric of each item separately.

I like to paint models with a good solid defined bone structure ...

I like to paint models with a good solid defined bone structure...

Not to forget the magic sides of some subjects.

I followed recently a workshop of the very appreciated contemporary artist
David Chevelino, and produce in the same week a série of alla prima, wet
to wet portraits, painted in a few hours.

A big source of my inspiration are the pictures that I took of my family in
different stages of life, one of my very first ones is of my husband and
son.

Not to forget the beloved Jaws our most favorite dog ever.

And of course my daughters.

But the most touching and capturing portrait that comes from my heart,
is the one and very first picture i have from my early childhood when I was
2, in my look resides all the desolation and innocence of a toddler yet a
baby…

Self-portrait Noura age 17

Noura, in times of Covid