Bryna Cohen SPRING

Bryna Cohen – Artist Statement

Painting remains central to my practice, even within the vast range of contemporary art. It is how I chose to express the beauty I see. Flora and vegetation have their own allure and vitality. Each painting begins with an emotional or sensory response to nature and evolves gradually on the canvas. Through layers of colour and careful reworking, the image emerges over time, allowing the original impulse to find clarity and voice.

I use a wide tonal range of greens in my work- the colour of growth, verdant life, and hope. Illuminating the greens are the bright contrasting colours of flowers. The complex paths of intertwining, stems or roots, and foliage, interspersed with vivid color, create movement and growth.

Whether flowers are contained in a vase or moving freely in space, my goal is to capture the energy, beauty and resilience of nature.

About the Artist

Born in Montreal, Bryna Polonsky Cohen has been a professional artist and art educator for more than 40 years. Having graduated from both McGill University in Arts and the University of Ottawa in Fine Arts, Bryna has had extensive studio education. In 1970-71 she was accepted to the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, as well as having studied at the University of Michigan and at The American Center for Students and Artists in Paris.

Her work is in the Collections of the City of Ottawa, Global Affairs Canada, and the Canada Council Art Bank, as well as corporate and private collections including that of the late distinguished artist Mary Pratt. This is her 18th solo exhibition since 1992. As an active member of the Ottawa arts community, Bryna was an art educator at The National Gallery of Canada, an art instructor at the Ottawa School of Art, and a founding member of the not-for-profit Ottawa lab ArtEngine.