Artist of the Month - Rebeca Nigrinis

I have had the pleasure of knowing Rebeca Nigrinis, a prominent artist in muscat, whose work has bloomed over the past couple of years. She started off as a mural artist and she had started making her mark since then and evolved to where she is today. And it is all because of her sheer hard work. 

Rebeca Nigrinis is a Colombian artist whose paintings are well known by the bold lines and amalgamation of bright colours. She developed a unique art style combining the vibrant culture of her Latino and Caribbean background, with the Middle Eastern exotic beauty. She is an industrial engineer by profession but she followed her passion for art. Over the years she has diversified her work from canvas painting to art on wood and has launched a line of décor items like wooden coasters, trays, placemats and lazy susans with her beautiful artwork on it. She has held several  solo exhibitions locally and internationally and particpated in group exhibitions as well, where she is known for her unique style of art and for her choice of vibrant colours.  

Here are some of her beautiful work

Golden Diva 

Acrylic on canvas

90x60 cm

Blue silver Arabian diva

Acrylic on canvas

60x40 cm

Camel with flowers

Acrylic on canvas

60x60 cm

Frida 

Acrylic on canvas 

80x80 cm

Recently Rebeca was honoured with an opportunity to showcase her project, called the Buddy Bear, at the German Embassy in Oman. Buddy Bear is known to be an art project that is popular in Germany where artists paint on life size bear sculptures to indicate friendliness and optimism. There was an open call for artists that was published on their website and Rebeca was chosen after she submitted her proposal. Her work on the Buddy Bear represented the unity of Oman and Germany, where she included their flags, Omani icons like royal palace, incence burner, dhow boat, mosque and forts. The work was completed in 5 full working days at the Embassy.

Here are some pictures on her Buddy Bear project

If you are in Muscat, stay tuned for Oman Affordable Art Show which will take place on December 5th and 6th, 10am to 8pm at Bahja Hall, Qurum, and you can view and buy Rebeca's beautiful work. And if you wish to follow her on Instagram please click here to access her page. 

Lets get to know more about Rebeca's creative journey:

How did your journey as an artist begin? Did you have any formal training or is it self-taught?

I’m a self-taught artist and my talent is a gift from God. After completing my degree in Engineering I got married, and soon after that, we moved to Saudi Arabia. Once there I started to paint, eighteen years ago. We had moved many times and lived in different countries and my art travels with me everywhere we go.

Has your artwork evolved during the last couple of years? How would you describe your art style?

Usually when I look back at my old work I don’t like it, and I think that’s good because it means I’m improving. Only few pieces will be forever in my favorites list. I think I’ve done a good job trying to create my own style which I honestly can’t find a single word to define, but I know I like to create people stories represented on a canvas. 

What's your inspiration for your art work? 
My travels are a huge inspiration for me. Each time I go to a new place I come up with a new series.

Initially as you started as an artist, was your work rejected at any point? If yes, how did you deal with it and overcome?

Yes! My work had been rejected of course! There were tears shed but now I understand it was part of my process. 

What is the most challenging aspect about your work?

Personally I find it very challenging to work on a single piece. My studio is full of pieces I had started and kept aside until I feel like completing them. But every single day no matter how tired I am I’ll work on one.

What medium do you use? What is your creative process like? and what keeps you motivated?

I started painting with acrylics, then I jumped to oils for a while and now I’m back to acrylics. Motivation comes when I look back and see how far I’ve got and also how far I am from where I want to become. Then I feel like I should get to the studio and get some work done. 

Do you commission different projects? And how can people purchase your paintings?

I do commissions and people usually contact me through my social media pages. I also love to attend art fairs and meet art collectors in person. 

What is your favorite art piece that you have done till date?

That’s a difficult question to answer because each piece is like a child for me. I love them all! There’s a story behind each. 

Any tips or words of wisdom to aspiring artists who want to pursue a similar career?

I would like to say to young artist: work on creating your own style. Use others work to get inspired but never try to copy them, that will totally ruin your process. 

Rebeca, on behalf of my readers, here is wishing you a successful creative journey and lots more projects. We look forward to seeing more of your work!

All the above pictures are copyrighted by Rebeca