BAROQUE MEET ABSTRACTION

Two hearts beat in my chest, says Anja Wulfing.One beat for portraits, painted by the Old Masters, and another  for abstract compositions.Many of her captivating subjects closely resemble the portraits of Sir Anthony Van Dyck, their enigmatic expressions suggesting emotional depths.She paints her figures using oils, and once the portrait is complete, she starts to plan the abstract elements. This is done , using  a series of small paintings where she tries to create poise by using complimentary colours and shapes.Once satisfied with the effect, she returns to the original canvas, changing from oils to use acrylic paint. Transferring the composition from the small painting is a subtle process, where ‘frequencies’ seem to appear suggesting attitudes and moods. It is possible to imply relationships or boundaries with a single brushstroke.Wulfing is based in Cologne, Germany, where she trained and worked as a graphic designer.Commenting on a recente exhibition, art historian Laura Toussaint summed  up Wulfing’s paintings:”She deals with Baroque Masters whom she studies intensively and, inspired by their works, devotes herself meticulously and precisely to oil painting, bringing the figures onto the canvas.Once captured, she sends the characters on a journey. Free of rules, emotionally charged and intuitive, she finally creates the context of the respective work in acrylic”.Galeria Côrte-Real, in Paderne is her sole representative in Portugal.