Artist Dimitrina Stamboldjiev Kutriansky "Transcends the Ordinary" in New Exhibit
St. Louis, MO, November 21, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Dimitrina Stamboldjiev Kutriansky will show new works at her upcoming exhibit at Compônere Gallery of Art in the St. Louis Delmar Loop. “Transcending the Ordinary” will feature oil and pastel paintings, as well as silverpoint and mixed media drawings.
“In today’s fast-paced, technologically obsessed world, we are becoming increasingly alienated within our relationships, in our natural world, and, ultimately, from our own perceptions and selves,” says Kutriansky. “The only force that can sublimate this process of modern development is an increased awareness of what nurtures our souls, enabling us to give expression to our experiences as human and natural.”
The realistic landscapes are painstakingly detailed, as Dimitrina gives “attention to every branch, rock, or blade of grass.” Asked about the inspiration behind these works, Dimitrina explains, “These new works strive to relate the beauty of the seemingly ordinary and universally dismissed natural world…I try to express my personal connection to the landscape and, hopefully, move the viewer into a tangible world of emotions, felt and comprehended, thus transcending the ordinary.”
The exhibit’s message is not solely conveyed through landscapes, however. The artist will also be showing several drawings of her trademark figurative roots, the more surreal and cerebral works that have garnered much attention in various competitions and publications. “The organic, human-like images of roots and trees are more symbolic in nature, attempting to express the helpless, even meaningless, but nonetheless powerful, entanglement of human relationships,” says Kutriansky. “Such feelings, although very human, have an inherent malice, a stifling power that becomes the master of the spirit, thus preventing the creative element from breaking loose or allowing the individual to transcend the ordinary.”
Although seemingly contradictory, Dimitrina explains that the two types of works are actually complementary, arising from the same desire “to give an artistic expression to the complexity of the feelings that penetrate our very being.”
Dimitrina has won myriad awards for her artwork. This latest exhibit comes on the heels of a long string of honors, including being selected as one of the winners of North Light Books’ national competition Strokes of Genius 7: Depth, Dimension, and Space. Dimitrina has also participated and received awards in numerous local and national juried exhibitions. “Transcending the Ordinary” will be Dimitrina’s 7th solo exhibition in the past decade.
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Dimitrina immigrated to the United States with her parents as a child. Dimitrina obtained a bachelors of arts in fine arts from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and a masters of arts from the University of Iowa, where she specialized in printmaking and studied under the great Mauricio Lasansky, one of the fathers of 20th century American printmaking. She later obtained her certification in education and is now working full-time as an artist. Dimitrina lives in the Metro St. Louis area with her husband and daughter.
The opening reception for “Transcending the Ordinary” will be Sunday, December 7th from 2-4PM at Compônere Gallery of Art. The exhibit will be on display from November 30th through December 31st.