Irina

Daniel

Irina Daniel was born in 1974 in Almaty, Kazakhstan (then part of the Soviet Union). She developed an interest in drawing during her childhood. From 1991-1997 Irina attended the Almaty State Medical Institute, receiving a diploma in nursing, and studied foreign languages (English and Arabic) at Kainar University. She also worked as a secretary-interpreter at “Kazhakfilm”. The year she finished high school in 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed. The situation in the newly-formed country of Kazakhstan was hard and unstable; at the same time the freedom to travel arose. In the late 1990s she moved to Dubai, UAE. There she studied graphic design, receiving a BA degree from the University of Dubai in 2002. After graduating she worked for Ogilvy & Mather as a graphic designer. In 2008 - 2009 she attended drawing classes with R. Cinadella at the NY Art Student League. In 2008 Irina moved back to Almaty, Kazakhstan with her family. From 2014-17 in Kazakhstan Irina was drawn to learn more about oil painting and took classes with the renowned Kazakhstani artist Violetta Knutova focusing on oil painting. In June 2017 her first solo exhibition was held in the A.Kasteyev Art Museum in Almaty. Simultaneously, she worked as a freelancer in graphic design and art direction. In 2013 she founded a fashion brand for children Patchy&Catchy . Irina also wrote, illustrated and self-published two books for children. In the summer of 2017 Irina moved to Raleigh, NC, USA with her family. Here she continued painting in oil and took numerous classes from well-known contemporary painters, such as Alex Venezia, Denis Saragin, and Alia Al-Bermani. Irina has participated in numerous group art shows in the USA and in Europe. Her paintings are in private collections around the world. She is married and has two sons.

My art may incorporate anything I have seen or felt. These could be the bits and pieces of the impressions I experience “here and now”, the fantasies about the future or the memories from the past. ​ I start with observation. The observation of the outside world or the inward realm. Then the sense of wonder arises, followed by a desire to reflect on it and to channel through my creative vessels an expression of it in order to share it with myself first (possibly, to know it deeper or differently) and then to show this reflection to other people, so they in their turn can start their circle of “observing to expressing”. ​ Sometimes I work in impressionistic Alla Prima style with straightforward realistic outcome; at other times I choose to work in the multilayered manner using different references and fantasies, that may end up as a surrealistic painting or drawing. On another day, the abstract approach will be the one suitable to the emotion or mood I would like to express. My tools are brushes and paints and pencils, which I use on paper, canvas or board. ​ Sometimes I think about the viewer, and sometimes not. Knowing how different we are I have no expectations on how my art will be perceived. However, I do hope that my art will bring some value and enjoyment to a viewer - either intellectual or simply aesthetic.

Collage/Assemblage, Colored Pencil, Drawing, Fiber Art, Graphic Design, Mixed Media, Oil / Alkyd, Sculpture(Duplicate__1)

@IrinaDaniel

@irina_daniel_