Elkin Canas
United States
I’m a figurative and representational painter who is very interested in human emotions, people and their psychological and spiritual aspects.
I’m also interested in the truth and beauty that lies beneath every single object in this world. Honest observation and contemplation is my way to go, most of the time the true beauty is not found on the surface of the subject that is being painted.
One of my main motivation as a painter is to represent ideas that are often inspired by music that I love. Trying always to use more than one sense while painting, sounds, smells, feelings and visions are put together in order to find poetry behind every brushstroke.
I use the human figure as my main subject, and I surround it with objects or symbols to communicate the Idea that I’m trying to express. That is the reason why figure, portrait and Still-life painting are so important in my work.
Landscape is my second love. I enjoy going out to capture the fascinating and ever changing views, whether they are nature or urban scenes. I like the idea of showing others the way “I see the world”. Sometimes I use these images as backgrounds for my figure paintings in order to convey a specific mood.
For me, there are two main kind of figurative painters, those who want to say something trough their panting, “the storytellers” and those who want to paint even the smallest object trying to find the beauty that lies beneath the simplest things, the “beauty finders.” I combine the two in my own personal work.
I'm a Colombian/Venezuelan painter, born in 1974. Drawing was always part of my life, and I discovered my passion for painting at an early age. After finishing high school I studied graphic design at the "Design Institute of Caracas", and after that attended the art School. In 1999 I started working and studying with the Italian painter and sculptor Francesco Santoro.
Between 2007 and 2008 I spent summers in Florence-Italy, painting and learning from my friends and fellow painters. In 2009 I moved to live and work in this beautiful city were I had the opportunity to be part of an amazing community of artists called 'The Art Space Florence", and learning first hand from great painters such as Angel Ramiro Sanchez and Hunter Eddy.
In 2013 I moved with my wife Milixa Morón to Miami where we founded Chiaroscuro Studio of Art, an academy dedicated to representational art where we teach and paint our personal work.
I feel blessed to have the opportunity to celebrate life and beauty through my painting.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 14th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.