Suzi Evalenko

Suzi Evalenko lives and works in New York City. Her predominant media are oils, pastels, charcoal and pencil.

As a portrait painter, Evalenko's paintings explore her subjects' interior lives as well as their physical selves, mining the vein of individual experiences and emotional forces to communicate universal truths.

Since 2004, her work has focused on intimate relationships that have shaped her subjects' view of themselves and what is important to them. Her February 2006 show titled Paternal Instinct, illuminated the bond between fathers and their small children. The relationship at the heart of her April 2008 show, Euterpe's Disciples: Classical, Latin and Jazz Musicians,is that of the musician with his or her instrument. Studies in concentration and energy, the paintings in this show might be called double portraits, in which the musician is absorbed in the act of playing and his instrument is a living extension of his body and his sensibility (One and One make One).

Recently asked what excites her about painting, Evalenko noted that "as a figurative and portrait painter, I draw my inspiration from the direct observation of life. I am seeking the unique qualities that give each subject its personal vitality. In a portrait, I search for the self that endures beyond the mood of the moment. I am most interested in the changing drama that occurs when the person is moving, but even when he or she is still, I am looking for the flicker of thought or emotion that animates the person.

"I cannot imagine the world without rhythm and color, as I cannot imagine it without light. Color that throws off light — that is vibrant and airy — is Nature's most thrilling magic act. The process of trying to capture that magic on paper or canvas is one of the most joyful aspects of making art."

Evalenko's work has been exhibited in numerous group shows as well as six solo exhibitions in New York (four at First Street Gallery). She paints on commission both adults and children. Her work is in numerous private collections in the United States and Europe.

For further information about the artist and her work, call her studio, 646-752-8046, or email her at evalenko@speakeasy.net. Other images of Evalenko's work from recent exhibitions may be seen at www.artincontext.org.