Harmony of Shapes
The newest addition to the Minus Art prints collection, Marin Vaan Zaal masters digital minimalism and illustration in colorful abstract visuals, merging Picasso-esque expressionism with a shapely and playful juvenile charm. Rich pigmented pinks, blues, oranges, and purples feature heavily in the artist's modern medleys of shape, bold hues, allegory, and symbol.
My visual style is very much dominated by color and form relationships. Some of my work is very simplistic, and some is more complex, but it always comes down to how the shapes and colors work together.
Vaan Zaal's creative process is loose and vivid. Most of the artist's work starts an experiment, discovering relationships between different forms and colors. Marin's process is very intuitive: correcting lines, redrawing shapes, and picking colors that work better in the whole composition. Similar to other expressionist artists, working fast and without premeditation allows Vaan Zaal to express freedom better.
Generally speaking, I'm happy when something simple works really well. The fewer elements, the better if it is harmonious and satisfying to look at.
Fueled by positive feedback and commentary from the fans and followers, Marin Vaan Zaal rises above the self-doubt a lot of other artists grapple with. "It allows me to move forward, to push myself, and to stay motivated. In all honesty, I look back at work from months ago and am not entirely happy with it. Most of us need to use that as motivation."
Drawing inspiration from everyday life, Vaan Zaal observes the play of shapes and color, light and dark, and uses these studies in the creative process. Currently, the artist works on minimalistic abstract art pieces, exploring new palettes, especially ones created by the natural light. "Claude Monet's studies of the Rouen Cathedral in different seasons and different times of day, simply painting the light on the façade of the building, are what has stuck with me since I saw some of them in person as a child. It stays with me today when I create something new."
