Rami Yazje

I don’t decide on what the painting is going to look like. I let it be, with as little intervention as possible. I intend the process of creation to be very spontaneous and simple, less controlled by the mind and less dependent on a pre-determined course of action. I would deliberately avoid using special techniques or mediums to create any effects which to my mind may destroy the message by producing a pretty picture about nothing! The moment I make a mess is the moment I become aware of what I’m doing. This is not to say that I paint out of the subconscious but it is this fine line between going with the flow and surrendering to my innermost feelings, and keeping a point of reference at the back of my mind to stop me from making mistakes or getting carried away too far with the spontaneity of the whole process. The process of creating the picture is as important as the end product itself. On many occasions it is after creating the picture that I become aware of what the ‘mood’ of the picture is and how it reflected my inner anxieties, frustrations or joys.

My painting practice is always in constant movement. I am never at the same place for too long, always looking for better ways of expressing myself. I am not concerned with the possible reaction of spectators to my work or the commerciality of the picture. My ultimate goal is to create art that is meaningful and valid!

I follow in the tradition of the abstract expressionists because I identify with their work. I yearn for an art that rejects illusion and brings out the emotional. I feel the need to create art that questions everything. Art that is an all-engulfing, unpretentious and goes deep under the surface to try and find answers to difficult and troubling questions.