By
Heidi Trautmann
I
feel personally committed to say some words about the exhibition of drawings by
Christina Hessenberg. I have known Christina for many years and have watched
her working. In 2008 I did an interview with her for my art book ‘Art and
Creativity in North Cyprus, Volume I’. We have been working together in our
‘Thursday Art Group’ for many years, doing life drawing. I regard her as a very
important artist in Cyprus landscapes, Cyprus plants and trees, apart from what
we were doing together, the human figure. But please read my interview with her
attached below.
In
2011, the 14 members of our art group did an exhibition of drawings and
paintings together in Kyrenia for which she wrote a short text about her
philosophy of working:
From the time I
first started drawing, the human figure has always been an important
subject. My art education was initially
quite traditional and there was a lot of emphasis on drawing from life.
Later when I
studied Painting I became, like many other students, influenced by the abstract
expressionist movements of the American School. Our tutors were young and
progressive. I worked on large canvasses in acrylic paint. I moved away from
traditional, representational work.
But never completely. While I was a member of the Barbican Art
Studios there were a number of us who wished to continue life drawing. Our group was a mixture of artists and
craftsmen - sculptors, painters, ceramists;
there were those who specialized in stained glass, textiles, copperplate
engraving, wood engraving. For all of us
life drawing was an important discipline.
Living in North Cyprus
I returned to more traditional, representational work using mainly soft pastel
and charcoal. Landscape was a new
subject for me. And still life too. I was inspired by the light and colours of
the Mediterranean, and the patterns and shadows cast by sunlight in a garden
full of pots and cacti became another subject.
The incredible forms of old olive trees are compelling to draw. For me studying the twisted and gnarled
trunks inspires almost the same excitement as studying the human form.
Drawing from
life is a priority for me. It is a
fundamental activity. By continuing this
discipline I hope to include more passion and more drama in all my future work.
I
don’t think I have to add much more. You have to see the work for yourself.
Read the details on the poster please.