Marion Tubiana

Reflecting the Soul

All that I look for is to give a soul and an emotion to my paintings. I paint with my heart, I put what I feel, and beyond the realism that emerges from my paintings, I try to have this something that will make it look more than like a photograph. The eyes reflect the soul and cannot lie, and the light allows me to give dimension and strength to the painting. I work oil and pastel, two completely different mediums that give me each a lot of pleasure. The painting is made on canvas mounted on a frame; the pastel is made on Pastelmat paper. The painting will bring strength, while the pastel is a little more velvety and sweetness. Whether using my pencils or my brushes, I work in communion with them, so that the details and the

realism are crying of truth and that my paintings can deliver their messages, their emotions. My paintings are created from photographs. For my creations, I first select them for what they make me feel, the expression, the look, and then I imagine how I would like to highlight them, the framing, the light that I want there put. This research sometimes takes me hours and is an integral part of the final work. I recently came across a quotation that represents well what I think of the work of an artist. It read: “The work of an artist is hundreds of hours of chess and hopes, months of frustration and moments of pure joy, it is not an object but a piece of heart, a part of the soul, a moment of life.” Thus, you will discover, perhaps, a small piece of me on the canvas or paper. That’s what I dare to hope.

Onyenwe, oil on canvas, 100 x 100 cm Onyenwe means Lord in Igbo, and what other name would be suitable for the Savannah lord. The piercing look, looking to the future, head up—i chose to achieve this in black and white to give the animal even more strength. One can imagine this great lord, looking toward a future that is still uncertain given the fact that species are increasingly in danger.

Malkia, pastel on Pastelmat paper, 50 x 40 cm The translation of Malkia into Swahili is simply “the queen.” When I look at this lioness, I tell myself that she is full of wisdom and gentleness. His eyes would rather turn to the past, with this light coming to run his fur and ignite his eyes.

Baldr, oil on canvas, 89 x 146 cm In Norse mythology, Baldr is the god Ase of light, beauty and love. A blond, resplendent with beauty, he was known for his kindness, eloquence and wisdom. I chose to put this title to my painting because I found this horse resplendent with light, stretching his neck towards us as if to pick us up. My paintings often bear titles related to history or mythology, it allows me to give even more meaning and strength to their messages.

Atacama, oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm Atacama is an area in Chile where many flamingo colonies can be found. Here I reworked the photo to highlight all the lights on the feathers, and the colors that I wanted to make more flamboyant.