Zarina Situmorang

A childhood spark

When she was 4 years old, she first visited an art school and was immediately bewitched by the magic of art (and also by the fact that she received an A+ for her linear drawing of a crooked house). Due to financial problems, she became unable to continue the course at that school after a few weeks. Since then, every time she saw an artist sitting and drawing at the museum, she felt enchanted.

Choosing art

Zarina tried to become a journalist, but she still couldn’t let go of the thought that she would never become an artist. That is why, at the age of 19, she left the university she studied journalism at and started her art journey.

Emotion in every stroke

Zarina’s art is greatly influenced by her love of classical Russian literature and her journalistic education. She feels the visual component and the meaning behind the picture are of equal importance. “I like to take a deeply personal story and show the timeless aspect of it. One of my passions is to paint hands and show emotions through them.”

Empowering creativity

Her art is inspired by emotions and feelings. What’s happening inside and outside of people’s minds. Hope, faith, support, self-doubt – all of these are themes that interest her. “And light! The changes of values, temperatures. If I were a bug, I would probably be one of those that’s endlessly beating against light bulbs. Yes, definitely.” In terms of art, she loves both traditional approaches to painting and contemporary art trends, which reflects in her work.