Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The Art Of Dina Shubin

By Etta Bowen


The distinctive style of an artist who enjoys portraying women is becoming increasingly popular today. Her women are like spirits or muses who have a tranquility and at the same time manage to convey inner power. This artist is Dina Shubin. She grew up in Moscow and studied there before emigrating to Canada. She has had exhibitions in many large cities from New York to Tokyo and today her works hang in many private collections all over the world.

As an artist Dana is versatile, painting both still life and abstracts. Many of her paintings feature muse-like women with long hair. They are often accompanied by musical instruments like harps, cellos and flutes. Her abstract works feature triangles, squares and rectangles with sharp edges that are full of energy, light and color.

She has her own distinctive style but the women in her paintings have certain aspects that are reminiscent of some great artists. Like Klimt, she combines abstract backgrounds with real flesh. The elongated proportions of figures cannot help but remind one of Modigliani and her faces reflect something of the style of Giotto. The nature of the poses bears some resemblance to ancient icons.

It is the changed proportions of the women that give them unearthly appeal. They are like muses or spirits, evoking serenity and inner power. Beautiful veils are included in some of the paintings and the fabric of the dresses is exquisitely delicate, sometimes contrasting with the abstract background and at other times blending in with it. In one painting the dress and background blend seamlessly together and yet they are distinctive too, showing great technique.

The abstract backgrounds against which her women are posed are richly colored and textured. They contrast with the flesh tones and smooth, long hair. The dresses the women wear are delicate and also contrast with the rougher background. In one painting, however, the dress worn by the woman is painted in the same way as the background, drawing attention instead to the light face and hair. In this painting, a realistically painted violin sits at her feet, also drawing the eye.

Beautiful vases of flowers are often painted realistically and these also stand out against the abstract backgrounds. Women touch white lilies or gaze at vases of tulips. Many of the elements surrounding the women in the paintings are those which delight the senses. One can almost smell the fragrance of flowers and hear musical notes in the air.

The artist manages to capture inner power and yet tranquility at the same time. This is demonstrated in a painting of a woman resting against the edge of a rowing boat and dipping her hand languidly into the water. Another painting that captures this is one where a woman perches on a window seat with her arms resting on her drawn up knees. Her pose is static and at the same time it reflects power and serenity.

The style of this artist is enjoyed by people all over the world her seek out her art. New paintings are added on a regular basis to the galleries selling her work. Her way of contrasting the realistic with the abstract as well as her way of expressing the divinity of women is what her admirers most appreciate.




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