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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Get your copy or download the digital magazine today!

Enjoy my Note from the Editor, published in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 45

Beautiful Bizarre Magazine lands on the moon!

This is our 11th Anniversary issue, and we have much to celebrate this year! On 23 February 2024 [Sydney time] Beautiful Bizarre Magazine officially landed on the moon as part of the Lunar Codex project on board the Odysseus spacecraft. Yes, seriously! “Today for the first time in more than a half century, the US has returned to the moon. Today for the first time in the history of humanity, a commercial company launched and led the voyage. Congratulations to everyone involved in this great and daring quest at Intuitive Machines, SpaceX and NASA.” [Bill Nelson, NASA]. What a truly incredible feeling – this honour is one I could never have imagined!

I am immensely grateful to physicist, author, and art collector Dr Samuel Peralta, the Founder and archivist of the Lunar Codex cultural time capsule, for valuing Beautiful Bizarre Magazine and its contribution to the arts so highly that he chose to include all of our covers from 2017 to 2022 – now permanently archived on the moon.

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A Message-In-A-Bottle to the Future

“The Lunar Codex started as a project to spread hope during a dark time – the years of the COVID-19 pandemic on Earth. The Codex instils the Moon with some of the heart of humanity, our art, so that when we look to the sky, the Moon is a tangible symbol of hope, of what is possible when you believe. The Codex is also a message-in-a-bottle to the future, so that travellers who find these time capsules might discover some of the richness of our world today. It speaks to the idea that, despite wars and pandemics and climate upheaval, humankind found time to dream, time to create art.” [Dr Samuel Peralta]

Artists whose artwork is now on the south pole of the moon: Martin Wittfooth, Jonathan Viner, Tim Okamura, Del Kathryn Barton, Malcolm Liepke, Camille Rose Garcia, Miss Van, Ray Caesar, Hannah Yata, Troy Brooks, Brad Kunkle, Matthew Grabelsky, Omar Rayyan, Yoko d’Holbachie, Camilla d’Errico, Audrey Kawasaki, Jeremy Mann, Julie Filipenko, Michael Hussar and Mary Jane Ansell.

Just think about it for a moment, and let your mind expand to take in the possibilities. When life on earth is no more, and all our museums and galleries are dust, the Nanofiche files on which Beautiful Bizarre Magazine is digitally archived will remain on the moon. Giving alien life or future humans the ability to get a glimpse into our art, culture and lives from this moment in time. Yep mind-blowing! On behalf of all the artists and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, I am deeply grateful. This legacy is beyond anything imaginable!

Another mission will launch late this year, which will include the magazines in their entirety, from Issue 8 in 2015 to present. This time capsule will archive not only all of the artists/artworks published, but also the writer’s work, and our advertising galleries and artists throughout the years. I will bring you more news on that when the next mission successfully lands on the moon!

Our Curated Exhibitions & the 2024 Art Prize

When you read this our first exhibition of 2024, Fable & Folklore, will have also just closed at Copro Gallery (Los Angeles, CA, USA). If you would like to take a peek at the exhibition you can do so online via the Gallery website. The second exhibition of 2024 will open at Modern Eden Gallery (San Francisco, CA, USA) in November this year. This exhibition will also include the winners of this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize. So if you haven’t yet entered, please do – this is your opportunity to get your work in front of me, the Directors of Modern Eden Gallery, our esteemed Jury Panel, and of course win some amazing prizes! With $75,000 USD in cash and prizes to be won this year you’d be mad not to enter! I look forward to seeing your work.

So until next time, I hope you enjoy the read of this inspiring issue, and as always thank you for your support of our independent magazine! We couldn’t do it without you.

Much Love xo

Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine

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Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 45

Inside this Issue, we delve into the work of Olga Esther, Born in Valencia, Spain on the very cusp of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in 1975, Olga grew up surrounded with ideas of revolution and rebellion. Changing our perception of what it really means to be a princess, Olga shines a light on the harsh realities of gender, feminism, and womanhood.

We also discover the deeply inspiring work of Fabio Viale. Steeped in symbolism from the traditional tattoos used by Russian and Japanese criminals to tell their stories on their own bodies, Fabio connects past to present and high culture to the darkest corners of society’s underworlds.

Issue 45 cover artist, Arantza Sestayo, has been endowed with the special gift of fleshing out these characters and tales in gorgeous, uncanny detail for the rest of us to reach, generously handing us the key to visions we don’t possess. Magical earthscapes dominated by exquisite creatures with flowers adorning their cascading locks, fair-skinned maidens and sensual mermaids born in another time and place.

Next we take a look at the work of American artist Kevin Sloan who meticulously and beautifully portrays wildlife as we would like to imagine it, in lovely arcadian settings, but always loaded with surrealistic symbolism depicting the ever-present threat posed by mankind.

Time to get inspired as we learn what Bernadette Bender, Director of Bender Gallery 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 British painter Alison Friend, the best “pawtraiture” artist of our times. She creates vivacious paintings of the furriest companions, often in comical and adorable poses: enjoying coffee, eating pizza, and playing cards.

What do the great Dutch masters, pop surrealism and Scrabble have in common? No, it’s not a trick question, although modern trompe l’œil virtuoso Natalie Featherston readily uses trickery to give her well-studied subjects a fresh dimension. What at first glance can seem like a quirky assemblage of lost-and-found paraphernalia, teasingly reveals its meaning – and startling mastery – upon closer inspection.

This is the story of a teller of stories. They say that a picture tells a thousand words. When the pictures are of words – thousands of typed words on mysteriously scattering pages – the effect is exponential and there is much that is being told. And thus we immerse ourselves in creative captures of Damian Drewniak, the 47-year-old photographer and photographic painter from Poland.

When an artist shares that they get bored easily, and that they are always ready to do the next thing, you can expect a life of rich and diverse creativity and projects. American artist Brian Haberlin is no exception. His works are known for their striking quality, celebrating the power of colour, lighting, and often experimenting with playful viewpoints.

As well, in this Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Mark Jeffrey Santos whose dedication to mastering the chibi style shines through in his current body of work. His whimsical, pop surrealist paintings prominently feature a young boy characterised by large, curious eyes and rounded features typical of the chibi art style. He pairs this style with the core themes of travel and wandering as his work follows the many adventures of his young protagonist.

Art is connected to emotion, imagination, and creativity. As such, the paintings of Megan Elizabeth Read, also known as Mae, are all these things. In the short time she has been a professional artist, she has crossed epic thresholds of both imagination and reality as she brings her oil paintings to life. With her seemingly impossible brushstrokes creating a dreamlike reality, Mae’s art borders on hyperrealism, but dances somewhere in the space between the corporeal and the ephemeral.

Ito Chieko mesmerizes us with full page reproductions of her evocative portraits inside this Issue’s inspiring Lookbook editorial.

In the Quick Q & A editorial, we ask Fandi Angaa Saputra, Diego Fernandez, Grant Perry, Stephanie Inagaki, S.V. Williams, and Shinya Takanezawa answer the same questions:

• What is the biggest change you’ve made to your art practice since you started, and why?
• If you could only create one more work what would you like that work to say?
• What impact has your upbringing and cultural background had on your work, and how it has influenced your approach and aesthetic?
• What motivates you to keep going even when sales are slow or you hit a creative block?

In this issues’ Path to Creation, Brian Mashburn, takes us through the creation process of one of his incredible paintings.

In this Issues’ Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory editorial we highlight the work of many exceptional artists and photographers including: Sara Lee, Ellie Nesbitt, Noar Lee Naggan, Mary MacGregor-Reid, Carolin Leary Prinn, Chiyoko Kana, Chloe Chen, Nathalie Tousnakhoff, Saskia Huitema, Kristen Eisenbraun, Rachel Ivanyi, Anne-Marie Zanetti, Elyse Fournier, Reinhard Riedel, Haley Manchon, Kym Lee, Yanran Chen, Katie O’Sullivan, Lilith Divine, Farzad Golpayegani, Kim Anderson, Patrizia Vignola, Mishelle Sherri, Rossella Paolini, Katie Harmon, Pearl Whitecrow-Brown, Steve Cleff, Amy Kollar Anderson, Debra Keirce, Ana Priscila Rodriguez, Joanne Brooker, Cyndy Salisbury, Red Persik, and J L King.

Inside this, our 11th Anniversary issue’s Letter from the Editor, we have much to celebrate! Our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey reflects on the extraordinary milestone that Beautiful Bizarre Magazine officially landed on the moon as part of the Lunar Codex project on board the Odysseus spacecraft on 23 February 2024!

When you read this our first exhibition of 2024, Fable & Folklore, has just closed at Copro Gallery. The second exhibition of 2024 will open at Modern Eden Gallery (San Francisco, CA, USA) in November this year. This exhibition will also include the winners of this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize. So if you haven’t yet entered, please do – this is your opportunity to get your work in front of me, the Directors of Modern Eden Gallery, our esteemed Jury Panel, and of course win some amazing prizes!

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 collection from Our Community, featuring some of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artworks from our social media of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 45 // June 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 45.

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Welcome to the March 2024 Issue 44 of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Queen of pinup Olivia De Berardinis‘ legendary painting, “Irving Claws (Bettie Page)” on the cover!

The March print issue has sold out, but you can download the digital magazine here.

Enjoy my Note from the Editor, published in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 44

Happy New Year, and welcome to the 44th issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, with the Queen of pinup Olivia De Berardinis’ fabulous painting of Bettie Page on the cover.

It is with sadness that I start this message to you, but I feel it is important to acknowledge the life and passing of my soul-dog Monty, who died just before Christmas. The last month has taught me the true force of love, through the depths of grief. In my 48 years of life, I have never experienced this kind of pain. Monty was a beautiful Golden Retriever whom I had the pleasure of sharing my life and office with for the last 13 years. He was with me when Beautiful Bizarre Magazine was born, through all the challenges and successes, the tears and the joy.

His sweet, gentle, loving nature brought me so much happiness. From the first moment I saw him as a fluffy golden baby with big black soulful eyes, until his dying breath, I loved him so deeply that sometimes it hurt. I miss him every moment of every day – because he was there with me in all those moments, in all those memories, in all those places and spaces. He was the most beautiful, precious soul and now he is gone. If love could have saved him, he would have lived forever.

Unconditional Love

Grief does, however, make very clear the preciousness and depth of true love, and the privilege we receive from loving a being so deeply that their loss cracks us open. Reveals a part of ourselves we didn’t truly understand until that moment. As Josh Billings so beautifully put it: “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself”, and I am deeply grateful for the years I received Monty’s unconditional love. Vale Monty, my precious boy.

But life must continue, and my work gives me something important to focus on, and helps to bring the light back into my life – for which I am deeply grateful. So I move into 2024 with gratitude, with love, and purpose.

Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize

When you read this the 2024 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize entries will be open! Once again, we are giving away over $56,000 USD in cash and prizes thanks to the generous support of our amazing sponsors. We also have a brand new Palladium sponsor, Musonium Gallery, who have generously supported the Grand Prize Award – creating even more value for this year’s winners.

So, whether you paint or draw either with traditional or digital media, sculpt or take photographs – believe in yourself and your practice, enter the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize via our website today. The Prize not only provides funding, but also global exposure to a diverse group of art lovers, curators, collectors, and media, along with recognition and career development.

Each year our esteemed artist jurors change, giving artists who enter the best possible opportunity to win. This year I am proud to announce the following artists will be judging their respective areas of expertise: Michael Parkes [RAYMAR Traditional Art Award], Kirsty Mitchell [Photography Award], Erika Sanada [Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award], and Karla Ortiz [Digital Art Award].

Curated Exhibitions

We also have two very exciting curated group exhibitions this year. Fable & Folklore, our second exhibition with Copro Gallery in Los Angeles, CA, USA in May, and our sixth exhibition with Modern Eden Gallery, in San Francisco USA in November, where the winners of this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize will also exhibit.

As always, this issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine is filled with the fascinating stories of the 50+ visual and wearable artists, I hope you enjoy the read!

Much Love xo

Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine

All images throughout this Note From the Editor are by Issue 44 published artists.

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Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 44

Inside this Issue, we delve into the work of Jeremy Lipking, who resides in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California, where the landscape becomes both muse and subject. His earthy oil paintings carry the mysticism and grandeur of the westward United States. Often, he paints what he knows. The giant mountains, grey peaks, crimson plateaus: landscapes coloured like late sunsets. He captures the seasonality of an ancient homeland: the deepest wintry snows and the lime-yellow leaves of turning time.

We also discover the inspiring photography of Han Yang. Influenced by her Chinese heritage, she draws upon the ancient principles of Yin and Yang, using circles to express the fluidity of motion and continual change while squares represent the stability of a grounding force.

Issue 44 cover artist legend, Olivia De Berardinis, known for her work simply as Olivia, has been creating art for more than 50 years and has borne witness to the ebb and flow of fine art movements. Whether in her earlier pinup work for magazines or her more recent art capturing the zeitgeist of the times by featuring superheroes and science fiction or horror movie characters, Olivia’s female figures could never be called shy and retiring. With direct, powerful gazes they challenge the viewer to accept them as they are, on their terms.

We also take a close look at Shawn Hawkins work and the passion he holds for his ancestors’
history that imprints itself onto his unique art style that blends the meticulously detailed portraiture of 18th and 19th century revolutionary paintings with the modernity of 21st century America. His work reframes classical American artworks in a darkly humorous way and utilises fabrics, textures, and text to showcase his appreciation for the history of his homeland all while equally criticising the nation in a modern millennial fashion. Shawn’s work is always contemplating and questioning, providing viewers plenty of food for thought as he critiques politics, social media, and one’s own self.

Get inspired as we learn what Leslie Ferrin, Director of Ferrin Contemporary, 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 Lisa Lach-Nielsen, the graceful, highly detailed portraits she paints are not characterisations of any one individual, or even of particular feelings, but mirrors for viewers to gaze into and decide what to see. Lisa’s artistic point-of-view is primarily expressed through speculative portraiture. Her characters are realist in composition,
contemplative in mood, and as strong and determined as they are effeminate and frothy.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword. It turns out the humble pencil can slay the highest definition DSLR camera in a winner-takes-all fight to the sketch, at least when in the hand of 34-year-old South African artist Jono Dry. Jono’s incredible works announce themselves with a gravitas which is instantaneously imposing. They project a thematic intensity through compositions which are theatrical, dramatic and sometimes confronting. The resulting effect is as if each figure were a performer, on stage and under a spotlight against a blackened backdrop, in a display of performance art which demands our focus and for which we remain silent until the curtain falls out of respect for the artist.

We immerse ourselves in purple flowers, whimsical bugs and birds, mysterious snakes and mischievous butterflies as they perform an intriguing ballet in Tuesday Riddell’s creative forest. As if they were themselves telling the poetic tale of the creation of their species. Through japanning, the artist offers a unique perspective on contemporary art.

We next see priceless works of art being deconstructed not only physically, but metaphorically as they transform from abstract narrative or portrait to a frozen in time still-life through the work of Patrick Kramer.

As well, in this Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Karla Pereira leads us into a universe populated by lost hearts, steadfast superwomen, masked maidens and Baroque seductresses, where Alice and Rapunzel comfortably sit side by side.

We also explore Ukrainian painter Artem Rohovyi‘s paintings of languid nudes in alluring tones of red and gold, whether immersed in the warmth of a summer evening or casting an ethereal glow in melancholic winter landscapes, produce captivating blends of earthly and divine elements. This fusion evokes a striking harmony reminiscent of the luminous aesthetic of Klimt, intertwined with the mysterious allure found in Tim Burton’s dark fairy tales

Edith Lebeau mesmerizes us with full page reproductions of her evocative portraits and figurative paintings inside this Issue’s inspiring Lookbook Editorial.

In the Quick Q & A editorial, we ask Takuya Mitani, Alexis Trice, Kaetlyn Able, Marie-Eve Proteau, Alexandra Lukaschewitz and Christina Ridgeway answer the same questions:

• How do you approach the challenge of staying motivated and inspired in your art practice, and what strategies do you use to keep your creativity flowing?
• Can you talk about the role of storytelling and narrative in your work?
• What do you consider to be the most rewarding aspects of your work?
• What advice do you have for aspiring artists who are just starting out?

In this issues’ Collector’s Profile, we speak to Noah Musher, Co-founder & Owner of Arch Enemy Arts, about his personal collection.

In this Issues’ Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory editorial we highlight the work of many exceptional artists and photographers including: Jennifer Allnutt, Adrian Dominic, E.E. Kono, Berk Günay, Sharon Covert, Yoko d’Holbachie, Alex Garant, Sarah Lee, Anna Wypych, Christian Boehmer, Hannah Tjia, Carmen Rosa, Karen Turner, Karin Hauck, Paulina Góra, Matteo Weber, Eduardo Landa Velasco, Cédric Brion, Gabrielle Tito, Ryu Entei , Michaela Ďurišová, and Bob Coonts.

Inside this issue’s Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey takes time to reflects on the passing her beloved soul-dog Monty. She delves into the profound experience of loss, the journey of healing and planting seeds of hope. She speaks to the heart of moving into 2024 with renewed gratitude, love, and purpose.

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 collection from Our Community, featuring some of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artworks from our social media of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 44 // March 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 44.

The post Issue 44 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Welcome to the December 2023 issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, with Kukula’s fabulous pop surrealist masterpiece “The Attachment” on the cover.

The December print issue has sold out, but you can download the digital magazine here.

Enjoy my Note from the Editor, published in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 43

This cover offers us the escapism we need right now. A vivid, joy filled world of cute baby octopus friends and adventure. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all just enjoy our lives without fear of harm? Tragically that isn’t the case for many people around the world at this moment. As wars rage, and many people suffer the effects of this devastation, it’s hard not to feel afraid and insecure. It feels like the world is becoming a more and more dangerous place.

Those that are not directly affected can’t avoid doom-scrolling and absorbing the hurt and suffering into our consciousness. Particularly those of us who are most sensitive, as creatives often are. However artists have a superpower, the ability to create new worlds, to take us outside of our reality and into a new, exciting, joyful place. Art can surprise and delight us in unexpected ways, and offer us the escapism and solace that we need.

Serendipity

This ability to surprise can often come from moments of serendipity, and happily artists are able to embrace and exploit the unforeseen. Serendipitous moments can provide artists with inspiration, influence their creative process, and even shape the final outcome of their work into something beautiful and remarkably unique. Serendipity is the spark that ignites inspiration.

Which brings me to the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition, Serendipity, which was on view at Haven Gallery in Northport, New York from 4 November to 3 December 2023. This exhibition was our 16th in 10 years – including both commercial and museum exhibitions, and our 4th with the prestigious Haven Gallery.

I am incredibly proud of the work for this exhibition, and all of the artists involved! Over 80 artists from around the world created the most astonishing works in an array of mediums, including painting, drawing, fine art photography, etching, sculpture, and digital painting. This exhibition, of course, also included the brilliant winners of the 2023 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, some of who exhibited their winning artworks and others that have created new work especially for this exhibition. When you read this all of the work will be available for your viewing pleasure on the Haven Gallery website. I’m sure you will be very impressed with what you see.

It is also that special time of year when we begin reaching out to businesses and philanthropists that are passionate about the visual arts, about sponsoring the 2024 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize. If you are one of these brands or individuals who would like to give back to your community in a meaningful way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us regarding how we can collaborate to bring real value to your brand and artists globally. Artists, mark your calendar! Entries for next year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize open in February.

Our mission to champion artists

Thank you dear reader for purchasing Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, and thus helping to encourage, grow and promote our community of 1 Million + creatives. It is through your readership that we are able to continue to fulfill our mission to champion artists from all corners of the globe. I hope you enjoy the read and find inspiration for your own practice and collections within the pages of this issue.

Much Love xo

Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine

All images throughout this Note From the Editor are by Issue 43 published artists.

The post A Note From the Editor: The spark that ignites inspiration appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 43

Inside this Issue, we delve into the work of Riikka Sormunen, whose sensual creations emerge from a blend of influences, from her fashion-oriented past to the works of other artists who have left a lasting impression on her. Riikka’s art is a testament to her visual hunger, a constant need to create and explore the world through her unique lens.

We also discover the incredible vision of Lo Chan Peng, the Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize! Those who know his work will be familiar with his stunning realistic portraiture, and the soulful deconstruction that he utilises to emphasise the emotions in his
pieces.

Issue 43, cover artist Nataly Abramovitch, better known as Kukula, is keeping the traditions of the Rococo period alive all while giving it a fresh, feminist, sex positive spin that would make any stuffy old man blush. Kukula takes the period best known for its dramatic, decorative art and architecture, and icons like Marie Antoinette and François Boucher and spices it up with a generous spoonful of pop surrealism.

We also take a close look into the dark, ethereal realms of Brooke Shaden. Whose photographs have a lingering effect. They seem as unforgettable as they are unique, each photograph belonging to its own world while simultaneously preserving the bond between Brooke’s other works. In a way, the artist poses the question of identity through grief, pain, fear or sadness and the mask of being and appearing.

In this Issues’ Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory editorial we highlight the work of many exceptional artists and photographers including: Brittany Markert, Barrett Biggers, Nicomi Nix Turner, Ryan Pola, Marco Santos, Eugene Varzic, Gina Matarazzo, Yulia Pustishkina, Theodora Capat, Jill Feenstra, Kayla Mahaffey, Robert Steven Connett, Allison Reimold, Liba Waring Stambollin, Lexi Laine, Yoann Penard, Ciane Xavier, Ingrid Baars, Sasha Krautman, Pausha Foley, Rob Domenech, Noah Adam Norrid.

Get inspired as we learn what Vicki Fox, Director of Quirky Fox Gallery, would like to add to her personal collection, in this Issue’s Curator’s Wishlist.

We are also showcase the Winners of the 2023 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize!

• Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize – Lo Chan Peng
• Winner of the RAYMAR Traditional Art Award – Markus Åkesson
• Winner of the INPRNT Photography Award – Petite Doll
• Winner of the Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award – Forest Rogers
• Winner of the iCanvas Digital Art Award – Garis Edelweiss
• Winner of the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Founders’ Emerging Artist Award – Sarah Lee

Next we take a look at contemporary collage artist, Sarah Jarrett, a modern-day alchemist of the arts, and similarly to the medieval alchemists who were dedicated to their craft, Sarah’s art is her life.

We also take a deep dive into the work of Ed Binkley, whose technique goes beyond capturing the subject exactly as the eyes can see; he crafts a sense of personality through gestures, the play of lines, the quirk of a smile or crease at the corner of an eye. But unlike traditional portraiture, Ed’s subjects are not standing in front of him or drawn from a photo; his muses come straight from his imagination.

Metaphors of crossroads are apt when encountering the beautiful art of Hirabayashi Takahiro and searching for their inspiration and meanings. East intersects West. Ancient intersects now. Spirituality intersects science and dreams intersect reality. Flora meets fauna and humanity re-encounters the nature from where and from which it originated.

The sculptures of Emil Melmoth are part of a macabre parallel universe full of symbolism where they exist as mute beings in need of salvation. The religiosity of the creatures is based on pain and fear. After taking on their corporeal form in our plane, the clay creations lie dormant in their creator’s home, soaking up the energy around them, including that of their creator.

As well, in this Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Lesley Thiel takes us on a journey. Her viewpoint is reminiscent of that of a few eco-feminists who emphasise the need to understand male domination as an overarching structure impacting negatively on the environment. There is this idea that women are, in a way, connected to nature by the subaltern position they and nature are relegated to.

Gabriel Moreno captivates us with full page reproductions of his expressive figurative and portrait drawings, inside this Issue’s inspiring Lookbook Editorial.

In the Quick Q & A editorial, we ask Dolce Paganne, Mary Perkins, Brad Gunn, Marc Le Rest, and Raul Guerrato answer the same questions:

• How do you approach the challenge of creating a cohesive body of work?
• How do you balance the commercial aspects of being an artist with the creative part?
• Do you compare your work to your peers? How does this affect you/your practice?
• What are your goals and aspirations as an artist, and what do you hope to achieve with your work?

Inside Issue 43, Juliet Schreckinger takes us through the creation process of one of her incredible drawings, from ideation to completion in Path To Creation.

In this issue’s Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey reflects on this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and the exciting new Emerging Artists Award, which she and Richard Purssey, her husband and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s Co-Founder, have personally sponsored.

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 collection from Our Community, featuring some of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artworks from our social media of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 43 // December 2023, 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 43.

The post Issue 43 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

The 42nd issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, with Eric Fortune’s evocative painting on the cover has sold out, but you can still download the digital magazine here.

Enjoy my Note from the Editor, published in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 42

It’s July as I write to you, which is always a super exciting time! We are currently having lots of amazing entries come in for this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize. This year we have a new Award, the Emerging Artists Award which myself and Richard Purssey, my husband and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s Co-Founder, have personally sponsored. We strongly believe that emerging artists deserve their own platform, greater recognition, and the means to take their careers to the next level. This Award gives them this opportunity.

I wanted to once again thank our amazing gold sponsors who have been supporting the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize for several years now: INPRNT, RAYMAR, iCanvas, and Yasha Young Projects. As philanthropists and arts related businesses, their ongoing support of artists from all different countries and cultures is not only deeply appreciated, but is an incredible legacy for themselves and their businesses. On behalf of all the artists whose lives and careers have been uplifted by their sponsorship of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize over the last 6 years, we thank you!

When you are reading this you will have had your opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award from the 140 short-listed Finalists [25 per Award category: Digital Art, Photography, Sculpture; 50 from the Traditional Art Award category; and 15 from the Emerging Art Award category]. I hope you took some time to vote for your favourite artworks. The Winners of the 2023 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize have been announced via our usual channels and we hope you’re as pleased as we are!

A Patron of the Arts

If you are a philanthropist, arts related business, or commercial brand, and you would like to leave a real and lasting legacy – one that will change the lives of countless creatives from all over the world – please do contact our Deputy Editor Natalia at natalia@beautifulbizarre.net, about how you can support next year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize. We would be thrilled to hear from you!

Would you like to leave a real and lasting legacy – one that will change the lives of countless creatives from all over the world?

The exhibition that corresponds with the 2023 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize is being held at Haven Gallery in Northport, New York, in November this year. This exhibition, Serendipity, will exhibit the works of over 80 of the world’s best representational artists, including this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize Winners. I have already started to see some of the completed work for this exhibition and trust me you won’t want to miss the Collectors Preview! If you are thinking of adding to your collection, please email gallery director Erica Berkowitz at info@havengallery.com, and she will add you to the preview list.

On the Horizon

Of course, we have many more exciting projects in the works including our 2nd exhibition at Copro Gallery, Los Angeles, in May next year, negotiating our 2025 and 2026 exhibitions, and the ongoing pleasure of welcoming new artists to the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory. If you are an artist who is looking for community, and doesn’t want to feel alone in your practice, then come join our special community of talented artists and photographers. You will be able to directly connect with me and our amazing community of creatives via a platform where we share ideas, advice, challenges, concerns, and of course our victories! To find out how you can join, please visit the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory.

Until we speak again, please enjoy the unique and inspiring stories of 40+ artists and artisan fashion designers in this issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine. I hope you enjoy the read!

Much Love xo

Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine

All images throughout this Note From the Editor are by Issue 42 published artists.

The post A Note From the Editor: Patron of the Arts appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Issue 42

Inside this Issue, we delve into the work of Andrew Valko is a master in hyper-realism and representational art, who has cultivated a unique style that radiates the essence of photography whilst merging cultures and overlapping artistic techniques. To gaze upon an Andrew Valko painting is to be consumed by a quiet wave of nostalgia for the long abandoned American dream.

We also learn about Legend MAD magazine artist Richard A Williams, who gives us further insight into his artistic process as he tantalizes audiences with his sultry muse, burlesque aesthetics, and elegant compositions. In an era where a stray nipple must be censored and can get you banned from social media sites, nudity has become, once again, a very controversial topic. Amusingly, despite the various layers of clothing we adorn ourselves in, we are all naked underneath.

Issue 42, cover artist, Eric Fortune creates an emotional connection with the viewer of
his work. Eric’s style is truly his own, built on themes both the fantastical and very much of the world that we live in. His luminous works successfully bridge the hard logic of present day life with the flights we all take in our imaginations, making our wishful thoughts tangible, and bringing us tales that inspire and provoke.

Take a closer look into the dreamy world of Aron Wiesenfeld as he paints fleeting moments suspended in a delicate balance between the realms of nature and urbanity: bypasses, forests, greenhouses, and railways. His canvases evoke a sense of restraint and minimalism, with spare and muted hues. Singular figures, adrift and unencumbered, often inhabit Aron’s creations. Lost or found, their destination remains uncertain.

In this Issue, we celebrate our new Artist Directory! The Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory is the premier platform for discovering and connecting with the most exceptional, innovative and skilled artists working in various mediums and styles. A global network that brings together artists, collectors, galleries, curators and media. Through our comprehensive and curated list of artists, we present the best artwork from around the world. Want to join? You can do so here.

Inside Issue 42, Alex Garant takes us through the creation process of one of her incredible artworks, from ideation to completion in our Path To Creation.

Get inspired as we learn what Leesa Hickey, Director of Side Gallery, would like to add to her personal collection in this Issue’s Curator’s Wishlist.

In this Issue, Japanese sculptor, Yoshitoshi Kanemaki captivates with his extraordinary wood sculptures that delve into the concept of “ambivalence”. His work beautifully portrays the conflicting emotions and hesitations that are inherent to the human experience. He shares insights into his artistic journey, creative process, collaborations, and the profound meaning behind his sculptures.

Next let us deep dive into Travis Louie‘s innate storytelling. His signature aesthetic flirts with the same part of our mind which finds sepia and black and white filters seductive. Beyond the period-era aesthetic, there’s a youthful playfulness and vitality about the surrealism and cute critter characters in Travis’ paintings.

Tina Spratt’s mastery has fluttered the hearts of many around the world. Her eye for the subtle
nuances of this integral visual provides many additional layers to her already-captivating portraits. Her use of illumination generates an inviting warmth, a gentleness, and greatly enhances focal points to draw the eye. Inside Issue 42, we delve into the magnetism of her work.

Never short on inspiration, Angela Gram takes us on a journey with her animal creatures that seem to be in total communion with the landscapes they inhabit. Her paintings collectively examine the current state of this relationship where the realm of the mind distorts, allegorises, and projects onto the subject of nature within society and also through the lens of contemporary art.

As well, in this Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, we see that Naya Kotko’s photography which is as intriguing as it is unsettling. Naya taps into the electrifying darkness of modern acceptations of the goth aesthetic with ease. Her photographs include what we can identify as witches. Majestic creatures of the dark. Powerful feminine energies, simultaneously piercing through the darkness and moulding it.

Travel further and learn about Michael Bergt, who through a careful combination of sharp lines and cross-hatching, uses precise strokes to whittle images depicting subjects as old as Hellenistic Greece. The classic combination of black and gold, while prevalent across many artistic movements and mediums, combined with Michael’s signature style, harkens to Greek vase paintings.

French visual artist, Bastien Lecouffe Deharme, mesmerizes us with full page reproductions of his dark fantasy digital paintings, inside this Issue’s inspiring Lookbook Editorial.

In the Quick Q & A editorial, we ask six artists: Kremena Chipilova [2nd Prize Winner, RAYMAR Traditional Art Award, 2022 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize], Sooj Mitton, Kristy Moreno, Monica Ikegwu, Laurie Hogin, and Sofia Bonati to answer the same questions:

• How do you approach the creative process and what is your process like?
• What’s one of your biggest regrets as an artist?
• What impact has the contemporary art scene had on your work?
• How do you engage with your audience and foster a relationship with your fans?

In this issue’s Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey reflects on this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, and the exciting new Emerging Artists Award, which she and Richard Purssey, her husband and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s Co-Founder,
have personally sponsored. To further drive her inspiring mission to champion artists from around the world, you now have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award from the 140 short-listed Finalists [25 per Award category: Digital Art, Photography, Sculpture; 50 from the Traditional Art Award category; and 15 from the Emerging Art Award category]. Voting closes on 7 September, so don’t miss your opportunity make your voice heard!

We further learn that this year’s curated exhibition that corresponds with the 2023 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize is being held at Haven Gallery in Northport, New York, in November this year. This exhibition, Serendipity, will exhibit the works of over 70 of the world’s best representational artists, plus this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize Winners.

Additionally, she touches on the many exciting projects in the works including our 2nd exhibition at Copro Gallery, Los Angeles, in May next year, negotiating our 2025 and 26 exhibitions, and the ongoing pleasure of welcoming new artists to the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory.

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 collection from Our Community, featuring some of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artworks from our social media of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 42 // September 2023, 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 42.

The post Issue 42 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

The 10th Anniversary Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, with magical realism legend Michael Parkes’ incredible painting on the cover, has sold out! Don’t miss this inspiring, milestone issue – grab your copy today of the digital issue here.

Enjoy my Note from the Editor, published in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 41

Yep, 10 years! What an amazing and important milestone for the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine team. You can read my interview which discusses the magazine’s challenges and successes inside this issue.

I touch briefly in this interview about my ‘imposter syndrome’ feelings. To better understand where this feeling comes from, even after ten years, it’s important to understand a little about my career before Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Even though I studied art in high school, I felt lost when it came to deciding on a career. Because of this I decided not to go to University and spend years studying something I wasn’t passionate about, instead I went down the practical route to enable me to get a decent job and earn an OK income. I was a senior Personal Assistant [aka secretary] for my entire working career up until my late 30’s. Working in various industries, doing the same old boring admin work.

You know what it’s like – same thing, different day. None of this inspired me, I just went to work to earn an income and that was pretty much it. I did however always keep my toes in the water when it came to art. I still enjoyed looking at artwork, following artists’ journeys both online and via galleries. In early 2012, this led me to create the Beautiful Bizarre Facebook page, so I could share my love of art with the world in my personal time.

It was so wonderful to be able to engage with artists and art lovers in a direct way! From this group the idea of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine was born. One day the idea just popped into my head – why don’t I start an art magazine? This way I can not only publish the work of artists that I admire and share their work with a global readership, but I can also earn an income from what I truly love. So I did – I worked out how, and just went for it – and in 2013 the first issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine was born, and the rest, as they say, is history!

New Beginnings

Much of my and the business’ success has been thanks to serendipity, with opportunities presenting themselves at just the right time, and the rest – hard work, long hours, a huge amount of learning, constantly stepping outside of my comfort zone, and of course creating meaningful lasting relationships with artists, galleries, and my team.

… in 2013 the first issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine was born, and the rest, as they say, is history!

When I first started Beautiful Bizarre Magazine I had no idea about the publishing business, but I did have some understanding of business and team management. From my experience as a Personal Assistant, having both good and bad bosses, I knew very well what not to do when it came to managing and working with people. This has served me well. The rest I have made up as I have gone along! Creating my own idea of what publishing can be and what a magazine can encompass.

Deserving of success?

This brings me to ‘imposter syndrome’. “Imposter syndrome is loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. Many question whether they’re deserving of accolades.” [Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey]. I know this feeling is quite common in artists as well. Why do we feel this way? What is it about creative people particularly that makes us feel that our success is not deserving? That it is luck rather than our own talent/hard work that has brought us success?

Why after 10 years, and creating a successful business, do I personally still feel this way? Good question! Perhaps it has something to do with my nature, being an introvert. I prefer to just work hard in the background rather than stand up in front of people and discuss my achievements. Perhaps it is because I have no formal education in the arts, or in business? Perhaps I still feel like this is too good to be true? Honestly, I don’t know.

Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, through its people, brings a fresh perspective to magazine publishing, a personal and down to earth engagement with artists and the industry. One built from the ground up without pretence, just love, curiosity, wonder, and an open heart and mind.

However, perhaps this feeling also engenders humility? A real and honest appreciation and gratitude for those that have supported me and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine over the years – perhaps this is what makes Beautiful Bizarre Magazine unique? Beautiful Bizarre Magazine through its people brings a fresh perspective to magazine publishing, a personal and down to earth engagement with artists and the industry. One built from the ground up without pretence, just love, curiosity, wonder, and an open heart and mind. If this is the case, then I think these feelings of being an ‘imposter’ are not entirely a bad thing.

Can you relate to the ‘imposter syndrome’ feeling? If so, have you been able to overcome it? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Finally, from one art lover to another, please accept my deepest gratitude for your support of our independent magazine! It is through your purchasing the magazine that Beautiful Bizarre Magazine is still in print 10 years on, and I am so thankful.

Much Love xo

Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine

All images throughout this Note From the Editor are by Issue 41 published artists.

The post A Note From the Editor: 10 Years of Beautiful Bizarre appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

The 10th Anniversary Issue 41

Inside this Issue, we delve into the work of Andrew Hem, an artist whose Cambodian background, his father’s love of landscapes, and his immersion in LA street art, have all come together to make work that bridges these disparate influences and captures the essence of the people moving through them.

A natural-born visual storyteller of old and new worlds, Tamura Yoshiyasu, captivates us with soft portraits of mysterious women dripping in the traditional dresses of geisha, richly decorated in alchemic patterns.

Cover artist, Michael Parkes has been one of the living legends of magical realism for the last 50 years. Now 78, Michael is a high-energy individual whose creative output is prolific and prodigious, meticulous and intelligent. As you will find out, Michael has learned that there is something magical about human consciousness and the ways of our universe, which is more real than many of us know.

We also take a keep dive into Tania Rivilis’ work, where she urges the spectator to become an artist themselves. A teller of stories whose canvas is someone else’s; a sort of meeting between the metaphorical canvas of imagination and the physical one of a painter. This dance, initiated by the artist, betrays a particular sensibility and savviness in the way she approaches her artistic creation and how to showcase it.

In this Issue, we launch our Artist Directory! The Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory is the premier platform for discovering and connecting with the most exceptional, innovative and skilled artists working in various mediums and styles. A global network that brings together artists, collectors, galleries, curators and media. Through our comprehensive and curated list of artists, we present the best artwork from around the world. Want to join? You can do so here.

If you’ve ever wondered about the birth of Beautiful Bizarre, we take a closer look at 10 years of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine with an exclusive interview with Danijela Krha Purssey, the woman who started it all. Learn how her journey began as a small online community and flourished into print-on-demand publication. Which has since grown into a truly diverse international, multi-faceted business incorporating not just the magazine itself, but also our yearly curated exhibitions, the annual Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, and now of course the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory. All driven by her mission to champion artists and photographers from all corners of the globe.

We also discover Modern Eden Gallery owners and curators, Kim Larson & Bradley Platz’s long and winding journey, from selling art supplies and meeting each other, to establishing a world-renowned gallery and growing a spectacular collection that overlooks a contemporary art movement in the making – in the Issue 41 Collector’s Profile.

Get inspired as Louise and Martin McIntosh, Directors of Outré Gallery, share what they would like to add to their personal collection in this Issue’s Curator’s Wishlist.

In this special Issue, Roxanne Sauriol Hauenherm notes that her characters represent who she is trying to project into the world. ”With that also comes all the preconceptions and social expectations that we are subjected to as people in general, particularly in my case, as a woman. Sometimes this process forces me to expose harder truths about myself. But by putting them into physical reality, I alleviate the effect these truths have on me.”

Next let us deep dive into Yuki T Photography‘s incredible photography which captures fable-like reveries, moments frozen in time, in rugged and deserted places. In these desolate realms, we meet women with bewitching energies that look as though they’ve been summoned from the depths of someone’s daydream.

Inside Issue 41, we also peek into the creativity of Jennifer O’Connell, an artistic chameleon. To some she is known as “Jennifer Strings”, to others she is called “Known As Myself”, but usually everyone calls her Jen. Art is power. It’s a human creation that’s as old as time itself. For thousands of years, art has offered comfort to those wishing to tell their stories. Art is a healer, but only if the artist is brave enough to pick up a pencil and face themselves. Jennifer O’Connell is an artist who was brave enough to pick up her tools and choose to heal through animation.

Next we are intrigued by the soulful gaze of artist Ilya Zomb, a skilled painter and visual artist whose career spans several decades. According to the artist, every situation depicted in his paintings exist in a realm of semi-objective possibility, in spite of how unreal it might seem at first glance. “There is nothing supernatural, but there is a certain moment of balance and equilibrium when everything becomes possible. Each element of my paintings is realistic, and their connection is possible, even if only within the canvas. That’s why I call my style pseudo-realism.”

As well, in this Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Paolo Puck – whose vibrant soft sculptures and richness of the characters make their world believable as opposed to telling their story. “People will fill in the gaps with their own imagination” he states, “there’s magic in the mystery.”

Drink from the potion and fall under the spell of full page reproductions of Nona Limmen‘s haunting photographs, inside this Issue’s ever-inspiring Lookbook Editorial.

In the Quick Q & A editorial, we ask five artists: Lou Benesch, Petite Doll, Karen Turner, Loputyn, and Win Wallace [2022 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Honourable Mention], to answer the same questions:

• How do you maintain your individuality as an artist and avoid being influenced by others in your field?
• Tell us about your earliest memories of creating art and when you first realized that you wanted to be an artist?
• How do you balance your personal life with your art career while ensuring a healthy work/life balance?
• How do experimentation and risk-taking play a role in your creative process?

In this issues Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey celebrates Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s 10th year in business. She shares with us further insight on her background, successes, challenges, including her ongoing feelings of ‘imposter syndrome’, as we delve deeper into her personal journey.

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 collection of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artwork from our social media community of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 41 // June 2023, 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 41.

The post Issue 41 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

The 40th Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, with fantasy art Legend Kinuko Y. Craft’s magical work on the cover is on sale now! The print magazine has sold out, but you can still download the digital issue here.

Enjoy my Note from the Editor, published in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Issue 40

2023 is our 10th year in business – time sure does fly when you’re having fun! I still have to pinch myself sometimes, when I consider how very fortunate I am to be working every day immersed in my passion. To be surrounded by an amazing, dedicated team, and so many inspiring creatives on a day to day basis is both a blessing and a joy, and for which I am deeply grateful.

2023 is our 10th year in business – time sure does fly when you’re having fun! I still have to pinch myself sometimes, when I consider how very fortunate I am to be working every day immersed in my passion.

The Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory

Our mission is to champion emerging and mid-career artists, by leveraging our global influence and reach across our various outlets including the magazine itself, website, email marketing, our 1M+ social media community, annual curated exhibitions, and of course the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize.

Giving artists the visibility and validation their practice deserves. The purpose that Beautiful Bizarre Magazine serves is to support and enable artists, with this in mind we have launched an exciting new service for artists – the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory. The goal of the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory is to become the premier platform for discovering and connecting with the most exceptional, innovative, and skilled artists.

The Artist Directory offers a global network that brings together artists, collectors, galleries, curators and media.

Through this comprehensive and curated list of artists we will present the best artwork from around the world. New artists who join the Artist Directory will be included in the new editorial which will print in each issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, launching in the June 2023 issue.

Through the new Artist Directory, artists will also have their profile and gallery on our website, be featured in a special regular email to our mailing list, and have their work shared across our social media channels. The Artist Directory offers a global network that brings together artists, collectors, galleries, curators and media. For more information regarding how you can join the list of cutting-edge artists from around the world on the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory, please email my personal assistant at editors_pa@beautifulbizarre.net.

The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize

The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize is also open for entries! This year we are giving away over $50,000 USD in cash and prizes thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. My sincere thanks to our Silver, Bronze, supporting sponsors, media and academic sponsors for their generous donations, plus of course to our ongoing major Award sponsors INPRNT, iCanvas, RAYMAR and Yasha Young Projects for their continued support year after year!

Would winning $10,000 change your life? Enable you to take your practice to the next level? I’m sure it would definitely help!

The Grand Prize Winner will receive $10,000 USD cash – would winning $10,000 change your life? Enable you to take your practice to the next level? I’m sure it would definitely help! But prize money isn’t the only reason to enter.

The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize is a cost-effective way to invest in yourself and your practice. It provides global exposure to a diverse group of individuals, curators, collectors and media, provides recognition and career development, the opportunity to network with gallerists, curators and collectors, and of course will help build your collector base

Over the last couple of years we have received feedback from emerging artists saying how important it was for them to have their own dedicated award – to give them an even playing field – and we listened! Hence this year we have a new category – the Emerging Artist Award. So if you are an emerging artist that works in a representational style, in any 2 or 3 dimensional traditional medium, digital medium or photographic medium, you are eligible to enter the Emerging Artist Award.

Over the last couple of years we have received feedback from emerging artists saying how important it was for them to have their own dedicated award – to give them an even playing field – and we listened! Hence this year we have a new category – the Emerging Artist Award.

I am once again on this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize Jury Panel, as are representatives from our Award sponsors, and the Directors of Haven Gallery. However, each year the esteemed artist jurors change – giving artists who enter each year the best possible opportunity to win!

This year I am proud to announce the following artists will be judging their respective areas of expertise: Rebecca Leveille [RAYMAR Traditional Art Award], Ellen Sheidlin [INPRNT Photography Award], Ellen Jewett [Sculpture Award], and Laura Rubin [iCanvas Digital Art Award].

Secret Longings & Serendipity exhibitions

We also have two very exciting curated group exhibitions this year. Secret Longings, our first exhibition with Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles, CA, USA from March to April. In November Serendipity will open at Haven Gallery, in Northport, NY, USA, where the winners of this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize will also exhibit. As always, our exhibitions include the best representational artists in their fields, so please reach out to the galleries directly to get on their Collectors Preview lists.

Until next time, please take care of yourself and your loved ones, and please enjoy the unique and inspiring stories of 40+ visual and wearable art creatives in the current issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Much Love xo

Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine

All images throughout this Note From the Editor are by Issue 40 published artists.

The post A Note From the Editor: Time flies when you’re having fun! appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Inside this Issue, we immerse ourselves in the work of American painter J Louis, an artist whose very raison d’être is the making of art. Through his work, we can see that with sensitivity, respect, and an acknowledgement of his female subjects innate strength and beauty.

With a wave of her wand-like brush, Katie Gamb sweeps us away from mundane reality, casting us into the charming settings she conjures into existence. Her art speaks not to a nostalgia for a geographical or literary place from our pasts, but rather a nostalgia for journeys on the wings of our untainted and uncomplicated imaginations, with the great storytellers of old as our guides or the occasional imaginary friend. Learn more about Katie and her work in this inspiring issue.

Cover artist, Kinuko Y. Craft – otherwise known as the beloved mother of fantasy, is the master of illustrating visionary worlds of legend and make-believe. Her work can be described as biblical for imaginative souls because it charts the mysterious realms of lore and myth: inside this issue we find ourselves in the ripe forests of palatial gardens, the clouds of sky kingdoms, and the jelly-blue waters of sunken cities. Kinuko’s art appeals to the young and old, and welcomes us back into our childhood bedrooms where we can once again lose ourselves in adventure stories and become the protagonists of heroic tales.

We also take a keep dive into Alessandra Maria’s work, where the figures depicted are portrayed with very soft features. Paying homage to Renaissance drawings, Alessandra uses her chosen medium’s advantage, shading lightly enough for facial features to emerge but not dark enough to fall into the shadowy depths of the charcoal’s true nature.

In this Issue’s Artist + Artist editorial artist couple Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo share an intimate conversation about life, their shared history in bodybuilding, and a sense of playfulness and humour that is integral to this duo’s practices. The couple, both partnered in marriage and sometimes within their painting, are as much in demand as ever. An aesthetic set in stone in previous generations of fantasy, it is like visual popping candy for the brain to see modern actors portrayed amidst the dramatic environments. Look closer, and you will see the subtleties of modern culture embedded. This wonderful mix of nostalgia and contemporary references is refreshing, playful – and most importantly, shows there is very much still a place for fantasy painting in the modern age.

Inspire your own practice as Amanda Greive takes us through the creation process of one of her incredible paintings. The creative relationship with flowers is a signifying element within her paintings. We discover her vision and watch it unfurl in this issue’s Path To Creation.

We learn what Sherri J Trahan, Director of Corey Helford Gallery would like to add to her personal collection, in this Issue’s Curator’s Wishlist.

Blissfully unaware of the mortal realm’s rules, we experience everyday moments entirely unencumbered, our wide-eyed wonder peering through a lens of magic and all that is the art of Fernando Vicente inside this special issue.

Inside this issue Japanese-born and now New York-based sculptor Chié Shimizu [Winner of the 2022 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Sculpture Award] invites us to rid ourselves of all stereotypes before embarking on the journey she carved for herself and, by extension, others: “I choose figurative sculpture as an aesthetic means and to visualise the invisible, and to explain the unexplainable, in a manner that speaks to all of us. My ideal form of art is that which reflects my thoughts and feelings in the most honest and direct ways possible, so that the message is clear”.

We also dive into the joyful imagination of Lucia Heffernan, an artist who strives to give animals a voice whilst showcasing the unique and often absurd sides of the human experience. Her wicked sense of humour and adoration for animals is bound to make anyone smile.

Next we are welcomed to look through the creative lens of Anna Karvounari. She is her own Venus, her own artistic subject. Her photographs are self-portraits and explorations of femininity that oscillates between pain, sorrow, joy, melancholy and euphoria. A woman represented by and for herself, in all her complexity.

As well, in this Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, let us introduce you to the inspiring aesthetic merits of Solmaz Tohidloo’s hyper realistic, traditionally rendered acrylic paintings. Our eyes are indeed surveying an entrancing vision of loveliness that is even more affecting due to the direct gaze of the Tehran-born artist’s bedecked belles, which suggests that – regardless of the trials and tribulations that they have endured – their emotional and spiritual resilience remains as potent as ever.

Do we dare continue on into the complex and infinite universe of Johan Barrios? Yes, of course. Come with us as we travel further through Issue 40 as Johan offers a space to explore the concept of balance and feel the ambivalent sensation that is only to be found between two opposing realities and extremes – fearing emptiness, darkness, and solitude prevents us from embracing what we seek.

Let us also delight in the full page reproductions of kelogsloops and a world of watercolour on paper, inside this Issue’s awe-inspiring Lookbook editorial.

In our Snapshot series, we ask six artists: Kim Anderson [Honourable Mention, 2022 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize], Mei Mei, Yousuke Kawashima, Tanja McMillan, Taj Francis and Dan Zollinger answer the same quick questions:

• If you had to choose only three words that you feel best describes your work, what would they be, and why?
• What advice did you get as a young artist that still influences you today?
• What do you love most about the medium you have chosen to work in?
• How does art add value to society?

In her Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey celebrates the start of 2023, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s 10th year in business! She also shares the exciting news of launching the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory soon [more information on that soon], and the joys of this year’s Art Prize, especially our new Emerging Artist Award.

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 collection of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artwork from our social media community of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 40 // March 2023, 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 40.

The post Issue 40 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Inside this Issue, we enter the artist’s garden of Kelsey Beckett, whose fashion-laden portraiture manages to balance beauty and power: femininity as strength, not fragility. And no matter her medium of choice, her technique remains flawless, almost airbrushed in effect.

In these troubled times of pandemic, wars, climate change-induced disasters and runaway inflation, we all need something to lift our spirits and lighten our hearts. Let us introduce you then, to the perfect panacea for what is occurring in the world today, the uplifting and joyful works of the Grand Prize winner of this year’s Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, painter Kristin Kwan.

Cover artist Jana Brike forges an emotional connection with the chapters of our life, which have shaped and defined us. Each painting is imbued with intensity, depth, and rawness of the emotional meaning. This is art which deserves to be understood and cries out for interpretation. There are intentional meanings here to be deciphered. Jana’s brushstrokes are the runes in which her life’s diary has been written. The landscapes are transportive and evocative of another realm and another time, one in a perpetual Spring: an Eden where nature reigns supreme and uncorrupted.

We also take a keep dive into Ukrainian artist Denis Sarazhin‘s painting practice, and speak to him about how the war in his home land has affected not just his art but also his life. “I wish that nobody knew what war felt like.”

In this Issue’s Artist + Artist editorial artist couple Senju Shunga & Anna Maia share an intimate conversation about life, love, and living and working together. Even though both artists are heavily influenced by Japanese art and aesthetics, they life on the other side of the world in Sweden where they have carved out their own little piece of Japan. Theirs is a fascinating tale of two gentle souls clashing against the cultural norms, and, as you’ll see, their conversation brings up many insights into what it is to be an “outsider” within your own home country.

Transport your imagination as Teresa Oaxaca takes us through the creation process of one of her incredible paintings. We discover her vision and watch it unfurl like a flower in this issue’s Path To Creation.

We learn what Esther Koch and Hans Bos, Founders of KochxBos Gallery, would like to add to their personal collection, in this Issue’s Curator’s Wishlist.

Take a glimpse into a world where four-legged creatures are unbothered by the hardships of life. Only joyous expressions of curiosity and playfulness exist in this realm. To a cat lover, there is nothing more spectacular than laying one’s eyes upon the wonderful paintings of Phoenix Chan.

We also dive into Australian artist Hannah Flowers’ creations on canvas, wood, and skin. Moved by her delicacy, textures, and depth, our eyes eagerly following each curvature and contour in the cabinet of curiosities she summons. However, the love for her work reaches much deeper than the first subcutaneous layer of our bodies: Hannah triggers all the viewers’ senses, and travels from our brains to our hearts, causing a bizarre sensation in our guts with every brushstroke.

Next we are welcomed into Turkish artist Melis Buyruk’s world. Melis wants to be close to nature, and in order to achieve this proximity, she is willing to sculpt nature itself out of clay, copper or porcelain.

No, we didn’t accidentally put a few pages of the latest runway fashion magazine between the pages of this issue of Beautiful Bizarre. You are actually looking at the work of Colombian artist Efren Isaza, who not only is an excellent fine art photographer, but also skilfully wields brushes and paints. Just look closer.

As well, in this Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, let us introduce you to Hiroshi Hayakawa’s muses, brought to life by his graphite and coloured pencils. They offer the viewer an opportunity to reflect on their own mortality as well as sensuality. The Ohio-based artist’s Vanitas series teeters the line between tradition and contemporariness, borrowing to each side its ability to depict the female form in its most vulnerable state.

As recognisable as the cheerful plants, happy-go-lucky insects and diverse wildlife species of this terrene appear to be, they look positively beige the moment that John Walker’s haberdashery loving animal-hybrids come into focus. Learn more about John and his practice and inspirations inside Issue 39.

Inside this special issue we also share the winning artworks from this year’s Beautiful Bizarre 2022 Art Prize:

• Grand Prize Winner of the 2022 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize – Kristin Kwan
• Winner of the RAYMAR Traditional Art Award – Ron Hicks
• Winner of the INPRNT Photography Award – Jenny Boot
• Winner of the Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award – Chie Shimizu
• Winner of the iCanvas Digital Art Award – Jennifer Bruce

Plus we enjoy full page reproductions of Ramon Maiden’s captivating mixed media and ink drawings on found objects in this issue’s Lookbook editorial.

In our Snapshot series, we ask six artists: Jennifer Parks, Bénédicte Voglio, Clare Toms, Kristen Egan, Elizabeth Blair Stephenson, and Jenni Pasanen answer the same quick questions:

• What is your favourite part of the creative process and why?
• What are your thoughts on the use of AI technology in art?
• What do you want the viewer to feel when they view your work?
• How do you feel about the recent changes to Instagram, I.E. reels, deprioritizing photos?

In her Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey speaks on the strength and resilience of the feminine – which is particularly important during these times of escalating oppression and violence against women and female identifying people around the world.

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 collection of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artwork from our social media community of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 39 // December 2022, 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 39.

The post Issue 39 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Inside this Issue, we dive into the dreamy work of Olga Suvorova whose boundless imagination creates elaborate worlds full of beautiful flowers, exotic birds and charming animals. In the Pre-Raphaelites / theatrical painting style Olga brings modern narratives to these traditional styles.

We also learn about the Mitch Griffiths’ hyperrealistic visionary style as he explores themes that are at the very heart of today’s society – technology, polarisation, nationalism, consumerism and wastefulness, social isolation, addiction (to both substance and social media), conflict, the environment – in a way that is both visually and emotionally arresting.

Cover artist Franz Szony is, all by himself, a force of intrigue and enchantment, but his work also sparkles with his magical cast of characters – celebrity or otherwise – who all share a common thread of charm and unapologetic, almost bombastic, personality. Akin to a ringmaster, curating spectacle and wonder. But that does not mean his work, behind-the-lens, is mechanical or involves a mere pancake of blush, a tightened corset, a click of the shutter. It is a much more nuanced process of unrestrained expression. His photographic artworks involve a state of engrossment and evolution, constant growth that seems tireless but perilously exciting.

We speak to Chie Yoshii and immerse our artistic desires within her enigmatic odes to beauty, nature, and the human experience. To fully appreciate the complexity and depth of her weighty narratives, we must be open to transcendental truths that are handed down through the ages.

Growth comes with experimentation and the bravery to push boundaries. In this Issue’s Artist + Artist conversation, we learn just that and discover artist couple Jason Mitchell and Stacey Ransom, better known collectively as Ransom & Mitchell, and how this collaboration changed their lives. Both artists, as independent creators and an artistic duo, are genuine stars shining brightly in an often-defeatist world. Now more than ever we should let ourselves be influenced by Stacey and Jason’s approach.

We also go behind the scenes and behind the lens with 2021 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Photography Award 1st Prize Winner, Bella Kotak, as we learn firsthand about her Path To Creation. In this series, we gain more than just a special insight into Bella’s creative process. We get a glance behind the veil to see how her “artist spirit” began to heal. Muses can be all around us or found in the unlikeliest of places, and learning about Bella Kotak’s process is as inspirational as it is beautiful.

Next we delve into Agnieszka Nienartowicz’s artistic realm, and discover the secrets that lie behind her subjects’ backs, underneath their dresses, inked and ingrained into their skin like tattoos. The way Agnieszka paints resembles meeting a stranger and having the desire to peel back the layers of their stories and personalities. The women in her artworks exude grace and elegance with their physique and posture while hiding the fact that they treasure secrets only the fortunate ones can uncover.

We also look at Rogan Brown’s many intricate layers and paper complexities. In curious ways, Rogan is a cellular explorer, clearing our paths to the source of life. In a sense, he offers a new approach to ecological art by using recyclable materials to show us what is underneath our skins or our soil, in our water or in space. He also seeks to make us question humankind’s harmful practices. There are true ecological preoccupations in his desire to sculpt coral-like sculptures from paper.

We are quite literally over the moon, to learn what Dr. Samuel Peralta, Founder of the Lunar Codex, and Alice Peralta, partner at the Windrift Collection, would like to add to their personal collection, in this Issue’s Curator’s Wishlist.

Next we are welcomed into Elisa Anfuso’s universe. The Italian artist paints symbolic portraits where, at the centre, feminine figures emote fiercely and interact with the elements surrounding them. Symbolism and dreams are recurring themes in Elisa’s paintings. They are materialised by elements from nature such as birds, tree bark, lakes, flowers, forests, or plants, or man-made elements such as cakes, oversized lollipops, threads, cages, or cloth.

Travel further into Issue 38 and the dark surreal universe of Randy Ortiz. The dark pieces he portrays often come from an internalised agony and reflect a rather epic battle to bring some hope to others. Randy brings these ‘darker topics’ to the public as a way of encouraging his audience to discuss mental health issues in a more open way. The gamut of human emotion should be an open book rather than a stigmatised demon lurking in the shadows of society. Beautifully articulated skulls and images of mortality seep through his pieces as if whispering dark secrets to his audience.

As well, in this Issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, let us introduce you to Telmo Miel, two urban artists dedicated to taking our “minds off worries, for a moment ever so brief.” The Dutch duo Telmo Pieper and Miel Krutzmann, self-proclaimed “surrealists on wall and canvas”, strive for connections and balance in their creative practice, a quality that is visible both technically and conceptually.

Vibrant compositions pop as if they were digital pieces with the intensity digitally-enhanced, yet they are entirely traditional oil paintings. In Allison Reimold’s first feature interview, we learn about the many painted elements that are masked by an aesthetic which would otherwise pass for the classically beautiful – physical attractiveness, romantic skies and exquisite landscapes.

We also thoroughly enjoy José López Vergara‘s stunning vision that is quite focused on stripping away the extraneous aspects of a visual composition in favour of elevating that which is most aesthetically impactful. Just as individual pieces of art require careful contemplation to fully manifest, identifying one’s creative voice can also be an ongoing work in progress.

As well we plunge our imaginations into the captivating paintings of Jon Ching in this Issue’s Lookbook editorial.

In our Snapshot series, we ask six artists: Luis E. Toledo del Rio, Ema Shin, Yayu, Tina Yu, Kseniia Boko and Robert Duxbury the same quick questions:

• What type of art do you create and what motivates you to make it?
• What is your biggest pain point as an artist?
• Tell us about an important life moment that influenced the direction of your work.
• How has social media changed your practice?

In her Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey reveals our plans for the September 2023 issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine! Queer artists this ones for you… more details on this soon.

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 collection of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artwork from our social media community of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 38 // September 2022, 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 38.

The post Issue 38 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

We feel Henrik’s painting represents our contemporary times and the shared trauma over the pandemic, the eroding of women’s rights, social and political unrest, and of course, the climate crisis. Can you relate?

Inside this issue, we dive into the work of Natalia Fabia, who has elevated the nude. Her female subjects do not meekly reflect the male gaze – they own their bodies and identity! Natalia’s subjects are confident, playful, and not afraid to get dirty. They are unashamed in their skins as they interact with one another and their surroundings. These strong women shine bright through the bubblegum pinks and the pretty sparkles, and we see them for what they are – unafraid to exist authentically, to love themselves and share gestures of tenderness with one another. A rare peek into what real sisterhood can look like!

We also learn about the fantastical worlds of Daniel Merriam, whose genre of fantasy has no limits. There is a seamless mixture of baroque, art nouveau, and surrealism in Daniel’s pieces and his mastery over colour provides an almost ancient lens that offers the audience a comforting serenity.

Inside this issue we also speak to Julie Heffernan, whose quixotically mythical, visually incandescent worlds invoked by the painter are so prodigiously detailed, so hyper-saturated, so heartbeat-thumping, and so alluringly strange that everything dragging us down in our mortal realm instantly falls away. It’s almost as if we’re gazing at the artistic version of the Northern Lights given the degree of unbridled awe that her spectrally dynamic imaginings conjure within us.

Cover artist and 2021 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Traditional Art Award 2nd Prize Winner, Henrik Uldalen has not allowed himself to be constrained even by the medium he uses to share these universal human experiences, with murals and now digital and video art creating other avenues for us to appreciate how he is able to bring us to the very heart of what it is to be human. Emotions are front of stage in every work that Henrik produces, with the central figure emerging, most often from a darkened background, and then transformed with what can only be described as emotion given physical form in oil paint, from hazes of ecstasy or uncertainty, to harshly riven expressions of sadness, fear, and self-doubt.

Experiences of healing through art can remind us of the significant effect that creativity can have. In this issue’s Artist + Artist conversation, artist couple Hayley Welsh and Andy Faraday delve into the topic with their hearts on their sleeves. To see how they have both used art to heal and process is an uplifting and fascinating read. That need to just create, without a dominant end goal, is a pure form of creativity which not everyone can easily tap into.

Let us next step inside the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine curated exhibition Interconnected, which opened on May 13 at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale, New South Wales. It is the second Museum exhibition by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, and the first to be held in the magazine’s home country, Australia. To celebrate this exciting event, read our interview with the Director of NERAM, Rachael Parsons, and the Editor-in-Chief of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Danijela Krha Purssey.

We also delve into the practice of the 2021 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Traditional Art Award, 3rd Prize Winner, Lavely Miller who uses her fingers to create her unique and haunting portraits. Some artworks are clean, with fine lines and crisp brushstrokes that mimic a photograph. Others can be faded, with blurry swatches concealing details in a dreamlike fugue. Not often do the two mix, but when they do, the result is something rather extraordinary, something Lavely has accomplished expertly. Her technique in distorting the canvas with wrinkled paper provides the perfect amount of noise to give an impossible age to the paintings.

We also look at Daantje Bons’ self portraiture which doses us with sexuality, sensuality, humour, and provocation. She has even came up with a slogan to describe her style and creative process: rebellious by heart, seductive by art. “The rebellious part is a side of me that loves to explore and push boundaries, especially the ones that are limiting gender and sexuality”.

Additionally, we learn what Kathie Olivas, Contemporary Narrative Artist and Curator of Stranger Factory, would like to add to her personal collection, in this issue’s Curators Wishlist.

Through intricacy and illusion of movement, Spanish sculptors Joan Coderch and Javier Malavia – commonly referred to as Coderch and Malavia (members of the 2022 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize Jury Panel), create their own artistic legacy where tradition and contemporaneity exist in the same realm. They work with bronze, the noble material excelled with by Ancient Greek sculptors, yet which, in their hands, grounds them inside our environment by creating their own aesthetic rules and symbols.

Travel further into issue 37 and watch as you are transported through an interdimensional portal that leads directly into the alternate universe of Peter Ferguson’s wildly outlandish imagination. Unabating anomalies do indeed play out in this Canadian artist’s world, including leviathan-sasquatch sightings and air assaults between massive ape-devils and far more diminutive but still frighteningly tentacled ghosts.

As well, in this issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, we take a closer look at Amber Cowan’s glass sculptures that celebrate a certain eye-catching aesthetic of phantasmagorical busyness, creating a never-ending visual display of delights. Having worked with glass for over twenty years, this American artist has ample experience in twisting glass to her own advantage.

With magical scenes of childhood innocence, we immerse ourselves in the imaginative depths of Italian artist Millo, who predominantly regards himself as a street artist, more so than a studio artist. As an architect and human, Millo is troubled by the blandness of modern town planning. We should know better, but we constantly design and build soulless cities for ourselves which repress our humanity, crowding out creativity and concreting-out nature: uninspiring urban cityscapes which stifle our mental well-being, leaving us feeling lost in the enormity of what we have built for ourselves.

We also enjoy Calvin Laituri’s fascinating collection of black-and-white etchings, whose work is defined by the wilderness – arcane backcountry – that is secluded and unforgiving but nonetheless sublime. It is also the home of beasts, human or otherwise, and can be described as the playground of metaphysical hunting games to satisfy the persistent hunger of something not yet found but always sought. This feeling of pursuit, the endless hunt, lurks in Calvin’s works created with ink and blade.

In our Snapshot series, we ask six artists: Maya Fuji, Robin Whiteman, Erica Rose Levine, Ryan Pola, Nicolas Roa, and Lix North the same quick questions:

• What does success as an artist look like for you personally?
• How do you silence your inner critic?
• What are the things you wish you knew when you started out?
• Do you think art can help people connect to vital issues about our world?

In her inspiring Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey shares her thoughts and moments of gratitude. She reminds us that despite how difficult these last few years have been for us all, that we are not alone, and how important it is to take a few moments to reflect on the things that we are thankful for each day. Remember, what we think becomes our reality!

We also highlight more of the wearable art 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 collection of the amazing hash tagged  #beautifulbizarre artwork from our social media community of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 37 // June 2022, 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 37.

The post Issue 37 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Inside this issue we dive into the work of Rob Woodcox, whose creative eye moves beyond that initial visual impact to a deeper consideration of works that carry a message within their very essence. It would be a big enough task for any artist to take on the prejudices that are still so rife in modern society, but Rob has his sights set higher still. To use his art as a platform to help steer us in a direction whereby the “us” also includes the way that we treat our planet and all of the flora and fauna we share it with. To foster love, acceptance, and appreciation for nature in all of its myriad forms as well as humanity in all of its diversity.

We also learn about the muted palettes of Ron Hicks, who does not rely on colour to tell the stories within his works, rather, the focus of the viewer is always drawn to the figures themselves. Ron’s ability to convey a sense of time, of place, and, most importantly, of emotion, expertly captures a moment that adds life and depth far beyond the simple two-dimensional scene.

We take a look at Lo Chan Peng, whose muses seem no longer capable of weathering the slings and arrows of their corporeal existence and have transitioned to Lo Chan’s sacred painterly sovereignty. The Taiwanese oil painter – who counts purity, truth, and passion among his guiding tenets – regards his creative journey as “pathfinding in an inhuman land”.

Cover artist, Mary Jane Ansell, an oil painter known for her female portraiture that evokes sentimentalities of peace and power, but also loss and surrender. This conflict becomes most perceptible in her paintings that display women dressed in military regalia, covered in medieval armour, or swathed in the royal blue, red and white of the British flag. The images seem to ask, “Are we victorious?” Perhaps not when the battles rage on and on.

When you live and work together, certain boundaries disappear, and relationships must adapt – especially when a baby enters the mix! In this issues Artist + Artist conversation, artist couple Elizabeth Winnel-Wittfooth and Martin Wittfooth share with us not only an insight into their working practices, but how they have found that notion of balance in all elements of their lives. Perhaps most interestingly, it shows how finding that balance can become the fertile soil for ideas and design.

In our Collector’s Profile editorial, we step inside the home of Erica Berkowitz and Joseph Weinreb and speak to them about their passion for the arts, which is infused in every aspect of their lives, not only as collectors and champions for the arts, but also as co-owners of Haven Gallery in Northport, New York. We learn about their extensive collection, where they started, and what they hope to see in the future.

People’s Choice Award Winner, 2021 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Stephanie Rew’s gold leaf oil-painted portraits are often of solo women, alone in an art space playing host to the magnificent textiles worn about their bodies. In her multiple figure paintings, she seeks to convey the empathy, support, and love that can be shown by gesture alone – the silent conversations many women have with mothers, friends, sisters, and daughters.

Next we delve deep into the ethereal pale glow of Juli About’s fascinating sculptures. An Honourable Mention in the 2021 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, Young Projects Sculpture Award Category, she describes how the link between the inside and the outside has always been there in her mind, but it has manifested itself in different ways throughout her life. Juli’s work invites us into an emblematic world where symbols such as hearts and needles forge new meanings.

Plus we also learn what Jennifer Rizzo, Curator of Hashimoto Contemporary and Spoke Art, would like to add to her personal collection, in this issue’s Curators Wishlist.

You can also immerse yourself in the world of SilllDA, whose sad girl ecstasy and unique melancholic work denotes visceral feelings of anxiety, unhappiness, and fear; the worldly terrors of the known and the unknown that constantly pressure the human psyche into submission. By talking with SilllDA, we get to know a little bit more about the method behind the madness and understand why her drawings inspire that uncontrollable sensation of butterflies fluttering around in our tummies.

Travel deeper as we explore the creative mind of Japan-born artist Sui Yumeshima, who weaves that very same purity of spirit – hearkening back to the days of shadow puppets and dancing like no one is watching – into her blissfully logic-defying delights. What a joy it is to set rules, regulations, and expectations completely aside in order to rekindle our romance with the unbridled possibilities of the creative mind.

As well in Issue 36 of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, we take a look at Australian Artist Judith Nangala Crispin. Her work asks us, what does nature mean to you? For some, nature is a connection to the very heart of the land and those that came before us, along with their values, stories, and cultural commitments of a place. For Dr Judith Nangala Crispin, and many people of Australia, this connection and acknowledgement of traditional owners and ancestral territories of the land is summarised as Country. With such a colossal notion behind this one word comes a vast array of ideas and stories that fascinate, soothe, embolden, and frighten those who would seek to listen and learn.

We also delve into the imagination of Fumi Mini Nakamura who uses gouache, colour pencils, and graphite, to hook her viewers into her portrayal of nature, infused with her advocacy and personal experiences.

We enjoy the magically-surreal paintings of Peca in this issue’s Lookbook editorial. Plus discover the fascinating paintings of Eva Gamayun as she ruminates about the source of her passion for art and pursuing a professional career as an artist, among other things.

In our Snapshot series, we ask six artists: Colleen Southwell, øjeRum, Kim Slate, Lexi Laine, Jenny Orchard, and Jisu (1st Prize Winner of the iCanvas Digital Art Award, Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize 2021) the same quick questions:

• How do you respond to criticism, and does it influence your future work?
• With the move to more online exhibitions, what role do physical galleries have in the arts going forward?
• If you had unlimited resources, what would you do what would you do to further your art career?
• How does your work reflect you as an individual?

In her inspiring Letter from the Editor, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey shares her thoughts and reflects on exciting millstones despite the pandemic and its many challenges.

We also highlight more of the wearable art 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 collection of the amazing hash tagged  #beautifulbizarre artwork from our social media community of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 36 // March 2022, 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 36.

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Inside this issue we dive into the work of Cuban painter Darian Mederos, whose life philosophy and career has been filled by the quest for freedom. A traditionally and classically trained artist, Darian sought to master the craft of painting, only after this did he begin his search for freedom within the canvas. This exploration eventually brought his well-known Obscura series to life. We also learn about the visual lens of Shae Detar, NYC fine art photographer, known for her painted analogue photography, capturing women in the wilds, both present and dreaming.

We also take a look at Roland Mikhail the Grand Prize Winner of the 2021 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, a man whose deep connection to his art goes far into our historical past. He creates art because it fulfills something within the soul. Because it is the language which harks back to those our ancestors used to communicate experiences and emotions, beyond words and even cultures. It is a process to better understand oneself.

Cover artist, Michael Hussar indulges us with his lapsed ‘Christian zombie circus freak little daddy’s girl’ vibe, which is emblematic of our era’s ongoing “highly sexualised clown show”. Wondering how and under what circumstances the oil painter’s unorthodox, somewhat discomforting visuals came into being is only natural. For the past 37 years, Michael Hussar has excavated the shadowy folds of the psyche, offering the beholder an avant-art reality awakening.

We learn more about artist couple Sara and Shane Scribner, who have been learning together since school, successfully developing that kind of symbiotic relationship which many of us can only dream about. As artists, they share in victories and support each other through their technical difficulties; it’s a beautiful and balanced relationship.

We also look in depth at June Stratton’s artwork creation process in our Path To Creation editorial, and learn how she uses the rich opulence of textured golds in her paintings, while still maintaining a sense of grounding, even demureness. She overlays her figurative paintings with handmade casts which are created from both her local natural environment, and a selection of curiosities that she has collected over the years. Her large paintings can contain as many as 30 individual casts, which are then gilded or painted with oil.

While Erik Mark Sandberg presents a fascinating dichotomy in his work: the desire to cuddle up to the plush toy-softness, and the repulsion of seeing excessive hair (on what’s normally soft, smooth, human skin) – this ambivalence is powerful. This intersection between beauty and the bizarre is what Erik is particularly interested in articulating through his work.

Next we delve deep into the opulence of Fabiola Jean-Louis’ beautiful muses, each one of them dressed to the nines in the upper-crust finery typically worn by 15th to 19th century nobility, which slowly eases the beholder into a jarring history lesson – one which society continues to turn a blind eye ignore.

Plus we also learn what Lawren Alice, Co-Founder & Curator of Arch Enemy Arts, would like to add to her personal collection.

You can also immerse yourself in the world of London artist Ben Ashton, whose portraits have been visibly defaced: faces are glitching, smearing, stretching, contorting and diffusing in gaseous wisps.

Then travel deeper as we explore the artistic calling of Jennifer Allnutt. The Melbourne Australian based creative’s oil paintings which are reflective of omnifarious genres and aesthetic elements and very indicative of her self-propelled drive to achieve ever greater degrees of technical expertise.

As well in Issue 35 of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, we take a look at Charlie Immer who has over the years of his practice mastered the art of alluring violence. With their non-threatening silliness and flimsy exteriors, the characters in the Maryland-born artist’s work seem to transcend the gore, to become creatures of whacky whimsy in many of Charlie’s surreal narratives.

We also delve into the imagination of Lindsey Carr who creates an environment without a landscape. She sees her watercolour paintings as a decorative storytelling device, a playground where she can toy with the scales of flora and fauna.

We enjoy the striking figurative paintings of Ania Tomicka in this issue’s Lookbook editorial. Plus discover this year’s Beautiful Bizarre 2021 Art Prize winners!

In our Snapshot series, we ask six artists: Laura H Rubin, Gina Kalabishis, Evan Lovejoy, Ebony Russell, Sandra Yagi, and Klaudia Gaugier / Horka Dolls the same quick questions:

• What’s one thing the pandemic has taught you?
• What do you find is the most exciting part of the creative process?
• Do you think art should have a deeper meaning or value or can art be just for art’s sake?
• What response do you want to evoke in your viewers?

In her inspiring ‘Letter from the Editor’, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey shares her thoughts on the COVID fatigue many of us are experiencing, and ways we can support one another through this challenging time.

We also highlight more of the wearable art 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 collection of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artwork from our social media community of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 35 // December 2021, 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 35.

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Inside this issue we dive into the work of Italian painter Alessandro Sicioldr, and soon realise that we have encountered the very essence of fabulous in both of the word’s meanings: the extraordinary and the mythical. Here are tales, rendered in oils with colour, light, and technique that would not look out of place amongst the Old Masters, brought to us with a very 21st century flavour, delving deep into the inner realms of the human psyche. Delivered with a mastery of his materials, Alessandro shines a light into the sometimes uncomfortable world within us all, and by doing so enthralls us with the beauty and mystery of his work and, in evidence of an artist who puts deep thought into his oeuvre, makes us ponder the very nature of ourselves.

We also learn about the creative odyssey of Michele Kortbawi Wilk, whose nurtured passion and work largely revolves around the realistic rendering of wildlife.

We also take a look at Ivan Alifan’s paintings with their varying shimmering textures, from frosting-like drips to multi-faceted opalescent finishes. Ivan’s work is bountiful and deliciously tactile, the surfaces capture something you can practically taste if only you could gently brush a piece with your fingertips. As for the celestial figures in Ivan’s work, beautiful and indulgent, they appear with closed eyes and open mouths, as if found in a state of ecstasy. Completely immersed in their decadent universe and unaware of the viewer’s gaze, their facial features and expressions, which are partially obscured, create a visual language full of sexual subtexts left for the viewer to decipher.

I’m inspired by performers who push boundaries on sensitive topics like gender and sexuality.

Ivan Alifan

Cover artist Julie Filipenko‘s work does not capture the specific imagination of childhood, but it does contain all the elements to lead one there. There are exaggerated colours, impossible realities, and, of course, personified animals. Julie’s bright paintings illustrate a childhood innocence amidst the portraits of her work. Her art delicately tugs at the bindings of what should and should not be, to allow enough room for the imagination to fill the gaps.

We learn more about artist couple Erika Sanada and Calvin Ma, whose living and working together has led to an incredibly special existence full of creative energy. Both of these artists are well-respected sculptors in their own right, forging paths in their unique signature styles. The harmony of their intertwined lives has grown a stable foundation for them to each strengthen their individual practices.

We also speak to Andi Soto in our Path To Creation editorial, and learn how she is a conduit for the fanciful and the folkoric, moving between realms of consciousness. Her line art blends effortlessly into her anatomical and botanical studies, which again echo the mythical beauties and flora of times gone by. We follow Andi through her creation process from conceptualization to completion.

While talking to Rafael Silveira, one senses that lived experience has shaped the 42-year-old Brazilian painter, his philosophical beliefs and the artistic aesthetic through which he explores the mysterious and fragile nature of the human condition.

Next we delve deep into the slightly dark misfits of Bill Mayer, whose contemporary illustrative style and capricious characters seem to be stoically channeling the Queen’s Guard. We also learn what Ken Harman Hashimoto, Owner & Director of Hashimoto Contemporary and Spoke Art galleries, would like to add to his personal collection.

You can also immerse yourself in the world of Joseph Lorusso, whose work is a reflection of emotions like passion and romance, which connects to the masses simply because of the common experience in being human.

In the end love and intimacy is the greatest thing, and if we can experience it, then I’m all for it.”

Joseph lorusso

Then travel deeper into the imagination as we explore the visual aesthetics of Jean-Pierre Arboleda who is deeply inspired by his Ecuadorian roots. He shows us just a glimpse of this sacred jungle sanctuary in his artworks. Jean Pierre paints vibrant, surrealist scenes of exotic creatures in their equally unique and beautiful wilds. However, within the beauty of Jean Pierre’s paintings remains the sobering reminder that such life is precious, rare, and continues to be lost.

As well in Issue 34 of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, we take a look at Australian figurative artist Scott Breton’s striking oil paintings that create a multi-sensory experience. Scott is fascinated by static images that feel as if they are moving – as though the painter is able to transmit to the viewer the sensation of the gestural and volumetric quality so palpable in observation.

We also delve into the visual fairy tale of Kristin Kwan, both sweet and sour parables about all sorts of weird and wonderful characters. Much of Kristin’s work is inspired by tall childhood tales and messy yarns about history. However, all her paintings share kindred magic and romance, which gives her entire collection a dream-like quality. It makes her work playful, endearing and pleasantly sentimental, as though we were children once again being read fairy tales in bed before falling to sleep and dreaming of fantastical worlds that don’t really exist.

Plus we engage our imagination with JeeYoung Lee who destroys the installations she makes. Once she positions the last cotton ball to form clouds, ensuring the right angle to display a lifelike effect, or applies the last orange coat on an egg sculpture before cracking it, she displays them for her viewers; transcends them into her beliefs and practices; grants them access to her self-analysation and self-observation; and photographs the sculptures to capture the impermanence of her art.

Plus, enjoy the arresting figurative paintings of Martine Johanna in this issue’s Lookbook editorial!

In our Snapshot series, we ask six artists: Paul Neberra, Kelsey Bowen, Sharon England, Feral Plains, Stephanie Kilgast, and Daria Aksenova the same quick questions.

• What barriers have you had to overcome to get to where you are as an artist today?
• Is there a piece of feedback (positive or negative) that you’ve received that continues to drive you?
• In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, has your creative profession felt like a blessing or a burden (and why)?
• How do you develop your imagination as an artist?

In her inspiring ‘Letter from the Editor’, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey shares her thoughts on the ongoing COVID situation and its affect on the visual arts globally.

We also highlight more of the wearable art 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 collection of the amazing hash tagged #beautifulbizarre artwork from our social media community of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 34 // September 2021, 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 34.

The post Issue 34 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Inside this issue we delve into the inspiring work of Adrian Cox, who has created a canon of imagined folklore, which he passes on through visual storytelling. We learn about the masterful figurative work of Matthew Stone, known for hybridization, combining traditional painting and digital techniques to create the energy of unity through his work.

We also take a look at Swedish artist Nick Alm’s impressionistic muse. Capturing contemplative moments, his timelessly eclectic scenes of the refreshingly honest seem to suggest that he’s peering into our souls. While cover artist Jeremy Mann sings a painterly song and brings intensity of thought to his creativity across various mediums including painting, drawing, analogue photography and film. Undoubtedly, his emotive tone and impassioned style speak directly to the heart.

We learn more about artist couple Carolynda and Alan Macdonald, who share an intimate conversation about life, love and creating together.

We also speak to Andrew and Shawn Hosner (owners and directors of Thinkspace Projects in LA) and while they consider themselves homebodies and love relaxing with their cats, we learn more about their incredible collection of new contemporary art and their ethos for collecting.

While Lúcio Carvalho adorns his historical muse with oversized metallic helmets, like hand-painted porcelain teacups from yesteryear, transforming his figures into modern day super heroes.

Next we delve deep into the bright bold palette of Heather Benjamin, whose space cowgirl warriors project a feeling of feminine strength and power through acceptance of the body we live in. We also get a peek at the artwork the Founder of Instagram account @durmoosh, Kamram Bigdely would like to add to his personal collection.

You can also immerse yourself in the world of Steven Kenny where nature fuses with surrealism, and Steven’s innate ability to express himself artistically makes us feel that we are dreaming while awake. Then travel deeper into the imagination as we explore the romantic visual aesthetics of Welder Wings. With an ambiance of dark surrealism, each digital collage is characterized by existential contemplation.

As well in Issue 33 of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, we take a look at Nicole Evans’ striking oil paintings that draw attention to environmental issues that affect not only animals, but humans as well.

We also delve into the visual prowess of Mothmeister who sees “Beautyness” within the grotesques, and captures it so dramatically through their photographic medium. Plus we engage our imagination on the sweet technicolor of Super A who lets us taste the poison apple before falling down the rabbit hole.

Plus, enjoy the whimsical, otherworldly paintings of Miho Hirano in this issue’s Lookbook!

In our Snapshot series, we ask six artists: Max Sansing, Adam Matano, Christina Mrozik, Kane Kokaris, Amahi Mori, and Susan McDonnell the same quick questions.

• If you could collaborate with any creative, living or dead, who would it be and why?
• How can galleries and artists ensure minority groups are equally represented?
• How do you ensure your voice stays true to your narrative without being subconsciously influenced by others?
• Which do you think is more important and why: For art to provide escapism or for art to be a commentary on current issues?

In her inspiring ‘Letter from the Editor’, our Editor-in-Chief, Danijela Krha Purssey shares her thoughts on our eighth anniversary issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine. She reminisces over the challenges and triumphs, while expressing her deep gratitude to our readers and partners for their continued support, as she paves the way for the creative spirit and all that lies on the horizon for Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

We also highlight more of the wearable art 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 collection of the amazing hash-tagged #beautifulbizarre artwork from our social media community of over 1 million followers!

All this inside Issue 33 // June 2021, 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 33.

The post Issue 33 On Sale appeared first on Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.