Works
Overview
"My botanical drawings are probably more about construction than botany. The form and structure are the edifying ingredients with which I am searching, to get the image to materialise."
Contemporary artist Clarissa Galliano specializes in large scale charcoal botanical drawings. Her detailed observations of flora focus on the intricacies of natural structure and form.
Clarissa’s work emphasizes the architectural aspects of flowers and plants, rather than just their decorative qualities. She increases the scale of her images to emphasize the abstract qualities of tone and pattern. Their scale gives them a commanding presence while maintaining an element of intimacy.
Her botanical portraits juxtapose the delicate nature of flora with the bold abstract elements of her drawing. Gesso is often applied and worked into, retaining a visual history of decision-making marks beneath. Each drawing thus becomes a record of its own development, revealing the details of stems, leaves, and petals through the artist’s construction of charcoal marks.
Clarissa studied Fine Art at Exeter College of Art and Design in the 1980s. She has exhibited across the UK, including at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. She currently lives and works in Devon.
Exhibitions
