Rebeca Nigrinis, a Colombian artist in Oman, who is wellknown for her vibrant representation of things all around her that catch her fancy, is currently showcasing her solo exhibition, titled Vibrancy, at the Art & Soul Gallery at Water Front mall at Shatti al Qurm.

Inaugurated under the auspices of Hon. Lujaina M Darwish, member of the State Council, on January25, the exhibition will be on till February 8. Rebeca brings magic to life with every brushstroke, while all the beauty around her has served to inspire her creativity. Her paintings are a perfect mixture of latino vibrancy from her background and the delicate beauty of the Middle East where she has spent a major part of her life

Rebeca’s work has been exhibited acros the Middle East – in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman in several group shows and art events as well as in solo exhibitions. Vibrancy is Rebeca’s third solo art show and most of the pieces were created during the 2020 lockdown, a time where art became a sort of daily therapy for her, she says.

Asked what Vibrancy sought to convey,  Rebeca told Muscat Daily, “ I wanted to named this exhibition with a word that describes the emotions that people felt when they see my work. I realised, that very often, people tell me that my art is extremely colourful and vibrant. So ‘Vibrancy’ is about what my art transmits to the world – it is about happiness and good energy.”

The new collection is very colourful like all her previous work, but  in this she has introduced shades of gold to most of the pieces. Many pieces were brightened up with gold leaves and varnished to perfection. “Vibrancy’s main inspiration was Oman and women from the world, influenced by my Latin American roots,” she asserts.

The collection includes artwork on canvas and on wooden panels, and also hand painted original Omani clay pots which have been a great hit. A majority of the pieces where created during last year’s lockdown and only a couple of them were done prior to that. Also, some pieces were finalised this month and have a signature of 2021.

“The message is basically happiness, hope and good energy. I like to create pieces that bring good vibes to spaces and to whoever seems them.

I think we all went through a very difficult year and a good and happy piece of art, sometimes is exactly what we need to brighten our life,” Rebeca says, adding, “I think, artists are very lucky people because our work is actually our daily therapy. I can’t imagine how that time would’ve been for me without art!”

About the compulsion to stay indoors during the lockdown, Rebeca said, “As an artist I’ve been practising quarantine for a long time already, because I actually enjoy staying inside my studio painting for long periods. So, for me, it was actually a normal thing to do. From the pandemic, I learnt that even if we have plans, the future is not in our own hands, and we need to be able to adapt to all changes in life.”

She also pointed out that having her family around, her faith, trying to stay positive, and the time inside her studio helped her relax during the tough months which the entire world was going through.

Asked how art has affected her lifestyle over the years, Rebeca admits, “I think, I was born as an artist, so I always had lived as one. Over the years, I learnt to be more relaxed and enjoy small things in life and art has helped me with that. As artists, we are very sensible people, and through art we are able to express out emotions and opinions without words. In that way, art has helped me to communicate better with the world.”