NEMO
Nemo the art institutions of his native Moldova presented
a stale and uninteresting prospect. Rather than pursue a formal
art education he chose instead to travel and experiment with
new and innovative art techniques.
My goal as an artist is to be free, he says. I want to be free
to develop new techniques and investigate new subjects.
His interest in multi-media art allows him to bring vastly
different elements together as he constructs his very imaginative
cityscapes.
Technique
Multi-media and mixed media are terms that have to be used
when examining Nemos art. He can and often does work in a very
traditional style. Using both oils and acrylics he creates paintings
with a plein-air feel. He is able to capture the light and feel
of a place and impart that feeling to the viewer.
Nemo is also constantly investigating and developing new techniques.
His international cityscape series is an innovative style combining
photography, printing and painting. Through printing and subsequent
pasting of his photographs; he then paints with acrylics and
glazes to construct a fused and somewhat surreal vision of different
cities. The charm and mood of famous cities are combined to
create a dreamlike memory of time and space.
Biography
Victor Colesnicenco grew up in Chisinau, the capital city of
Moldova. This Eastern European nation is known for its rich
artistic heritage. Nemo, as he is known to his friends, remembers
being fascinated by the carvings and other craftworks that surrounded
him. In particular he loved paintings and from an early age
he was determined to become an artist.
Nemo began intense inquiry into the style and techniques of
the famous painters. He was particularly impressed by the work
of Ivan Shishkin and Salvador Dali. He enrolled in art school
but did not enjoy the strict academic style of the Russian based
academy. Knowing that a standard education was not for him,
he abandoned it to pursue training on his own. His talent quickly
flourished and soon he was organizing large outdoor art fairs
to show his work and that of other young artists.
this point in his life Nemo enlisted in the Soviet Army where
he served for two years. After completing his tour, his motivation
to become a professional artist was rediscovered. Together with
a good friend he started a business restoring works of art and
painting murals in churches. The reemergence of religious freedom
in the post-Soviet era offered many opportunities for their
business to flourish.
Moving from city to towns throughout the countryside inspired
a desire for further travel and Nemo took an opportunity to
immigrate to Canada. His family decided to settle just north
of Toronto, Ontario. To Nemo Canada is a gateway to the world.
From his new home he is able to freely explore places all over
the globe.
The prevalent theme in Nemos work is travel and the discovery
of the beauty and excitement of new places. He sometimes paints
natural depictions of scenic locales or he fuses varying cities
to create his own unique cityscapes. His fused or constructed
cities seem to offer the viewer the opportunity to visit many
places at once.
It is not surprising that when hes not painting, Nemo enjoys
many outdoor activities; especially fishing and cycling. His
work is widely collected and is represented in galleries throughout
Canada and the USA.
