Cindy Wright’s large-scale portraits and still-life oil paintings on canvas play at the intersection between figuration and abstraction. At first glance these monumental paintings appear to be photo-realistic, using the photographic methods of cropping compositions and intense source lighting. But on closer inspection, only possible by physically moving up to the work, the range of mark making and painterly applications becomes astoundingly apparent. Even with this knowledge of their lush technique the paintings again become a perceptual conundrum when you step back again to view them in their entirety. They are conceptually rooted within a painting tradition that questions the nature of how we read and understand the world but are entirely contemporary in their painterly treatment. Wright’s subjects are taken from her immediate world and are transformed into iconic images for our times.
Cindy Wright studied at the High Institute of Fine Arts in Antwerp and her work has earned her numerous prizes, including the AON Prize (2007) and the Prize for Painting Maior. Her work has been acquired by a variety of public and private collections. To name but a few: the Belgian National Bank, the Province of Antwerp, the King’s Academy of Antwerp, Las Vegas Art Museum; Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego; Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; The West Collection en the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation.
