GYULA SISKA
Precise Florals
Hungarian artist Gyula Siska draws inspiration for his still lifes from the 17th-century Old Dutch Masters. He is particularly fascinated by their uses of light and the precision in their paintings, which he strives to emulate in his floral works. “I paint in several very thin layers and use many brushes,” Siska shares. “Some of my brushes are so small to make distinct, tiny details. I [make] still lifes with real flowers and fruits. I use many books as reference and my imagination when painting.”
Siska’s still lifes can be consider bountiful, as the luscious bouquets he depicts overflow from their vases and off the edges of tabletops. The florals are often from gardens, with many of them being from a friend who grows beautiful blooms. “The flowers and colors I use depend on the season,” he says. “I find beauty in each season with different flowers and fruits.”
Throughout the month of November, Siska’s newest still lifes will be on view at Lotton Gallery in Chicago.
Describing his work, gallery director Christina Franzoso says, “In the style of the 16th- and 17th-century masters, Siska’s still life paintings highlight sprawling, lush, exotic flowers, succulent fruits and other natural elements, while handling light, nature and depth.”
Included in the exhibition will be Symphony of Flowers, which was titled to reference music. Siska elaborates, “Symphony of Flowers was a painting where I wanted to make the flowers dance, and I love to play opera or classical music in my studio.”
Another of the paintings in the show is Belle of the Season, a work that he painted in the springtime. Its composition is reflective of the height of the season of replenishment. He says, “The colors are brilliant and the feeling is cheerful and happy.”