Interview: Arion
Luca Curci talks with Katherine Arion aka Arion during THE BODY LANGUAGE 2021 at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello.

Katherine Arion is an internationally renowned fine artist, painting in the Romantic-Fauve style, with touches of Post-Impressionism. Her subjects are Trees, Nudes in Landscape, Landscapes, and Portraits. Her Mono-prints on gold foil represent flowers and trees. In Etchings and Works on Marble she presents subjects of historical inspiration, like scenes from the history of her native Romania, and religious inspiration. She uses a variety of media from oils to acrylics, to pastels, watercolors, etc. She paints on canvas, paper, ceramic, tiles, etc. Her technique on gold foil is unique, while her style is semi-abstract, with jewel like colors. The artist emigrated from Romania to Los Angeles via Paris, France, where she was strongly influenced by the French Art School. She participated in art shows in Europe such as the Gallery Arco, in Rome, Italy; major galleries in Paris – Charpentier Gallery, which has represented artists such as Chagall and Dali; Editions De L’Ermitage Gallery; La Nouvelle Gravure, Salon Permanent; the Gallery of the Hilton Hotel Paris. While in Paris, Katherine Arion was accredited by the famous publisher, Mr. Jaques Mourlot of the Mourlot Publishing House which has printed works by artists such as Picasso and Chagall. In the Middle East she exhibited at prestigious galleries such as Gilart and Tel Aviv Galleries in Israel. She successfully exhibited her works in the USA, California, in galleries and art events in Los Angeles and San Francisco, including Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The Rental Gallery and Sales at LACMA represented her art work for 5 consecutive years. She won an art competition and was awarded a city art project where she painted a 2,000 square feet painting for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on a fence located at Hollywood Blvd. and Vermont in 1996. Katherine had participated in some influential events in the development of American Society and Culture. As an illustrator, she designed the latest Morton Salt Little Girl image, which had been used for the last 30 years; she started the ‘Greater Los Angeles Jewish Journal’ in the capacity of Art Director; drew the storyboards for the Magic Mountain investment; drew the first MRI machine for Simon and Schuster Publications, and the first Laptop for ‘Laptop’ magazine; she painted for the Church of the Brethen the Windows in stained glass style as a permanent Public Art Work. She exhibited in over 40 exhibitions and art shows (solo and group), her work is included in prestigious public and private art collections in USA, Romania, Israel, France, Greece, Italy. She taught art privately to students of all ages and levels of ability, and participated in the civic life fundraising through art, offering donations of art pieces to support various worthy causes. She has been also involved in restoration projects of privately owned art pieces, and was commissioned to execute public and private works of art – paintings and murals. The versatile artist, Katherine Arion, is continuously inspired by the beauty of nature and the beauty she sees in the human being. She feels that her passion for art is a Divine gift which she has to honor though a life long commitment to art. The artist resides in Los Angeles expressing with pure, vibrant colors, a dreamy version of her vision of life, which she is discovering daily, ecstatically blossoming with wonders. After courageously fighting enormous health challenges, the Artist victoriously emerges (metaphorically rising again like the bird Phoenix) with renewed vitality, aspiring to higher levels of spirituality and consciousness, with faith and inspiration, ready to create a new wave of high quality, powerful works of art, as well as to teach students of all ages the joys of personal development and creative transformation through mastering the skills and wonders of Art.

Luca Curci – Which subject are you working on?
Katherine Arion – I am working on getting abstractions of my favorite subjects which are birds, flowers, trees, fish, horses, and landscapes.

LC – How did you get to your current artistic practice?
KA – I had started my art when I was 3 years old, my father brought me to the Decorative Section of a textile factory which made prints for silk dresses, from the cocoon. He worked there as a textile engineer.

LC – How do you choose your subjects? Is it a reasoned or an instinctive process?
KA – I chose my subjects both by reason and instinctively. My life inspires me and also I like to research the myriad of forms nature gives us its Godly gift of variety and beauty.

LC – Are your artworks focused on a specific theme?
KA – My artwork is focused on the beauty and intricacy of the living matter.

LC – How do you feel when you see your work completed?
KA – When my work is completed I feel like I gave birth to a child. I feel normal only when I work. After I finish a piece of art life takes a toll on me because I feel misplaced and uncomfortable with many of its realities. One that hurts particularly is violence.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this festival? How did it inspire you?
KA – The concept of this festival, “The Body Language”, is very amazing. We live in a very dramatic set of circumstances where connecting with loved ones is impaired. The connection between Dracula and his wife Elena who shows up in his dream is also a painful memory haunting the king who killed his wife and is haunted by her.

LC – Can you explain something about the artworks you have in our exhibition?
KA – The artwork in your exhibition is inspired by the dramatic life of the King of Romania, Vlad the Impaler, Vlad Tepes, or Dracula who reigned there from 1448-1462. He scared the Invaders Turks with deadly acts of cruelty against the attackers, yet he turned against his own court and family with horrible acts of aggression.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
KA – I think the event was very well organized and I would love to see more events of this organization in Los Angeles hope. Many connections with the Movie Industry, the Italian Institute of Culture, and Eli Broad Museum would benefit the talented artists I saw in the show.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
KA – I enjoyed very much cooperating with your organization and I am grateful for the worldwide exposure in a very prestigious and beautiful place like Venice, Italy.

LC – What are your suggestions about our services? Is there something more we can provide to artists?
KA – Your services are exquisite and the choice of the place for exposure is absolutely admirable. I would enjoy seeing more pictures of the exterior of the building where the show goes on and its location. Thank you very much!