With their dark, unflinching eyes, Paulina Archambault’s portraits are unsettling to some viewers.
But for the Virginia painter, the portraits express human emotions, like melancholy, that reach back to her childhood in Poland.
Artist: Born and grew up in Krakow, Poland, Archambault studied visual art in Poland and Hamburg, Germany, where she earned an art degree. In 2007, the visual artist started painting professionally.
In 2016, Archambault moved to the Portland, OR, area with her American husband to be near his family. Preferring the Southeast, they later moved to Virginia.
At her home in Williamsburg, she works in a small studio, where daylight comes through the windows and a creek runs through the back yard.
Art & materials: Mostly portraits but also acrylic paintings of still life on canvas and paper ($1,000 to $2,600).
“My work is very emotional,” said Archambault. “I’m trying to catch emotions in my paintings.”
Favorite tools: Large brushes.
Inspirations: Artists, including:
- Michelangelo (Buonarrotti): Although mainly a sculptor, Archambault loves his frescoes and the way he shapes the human body.
- Max Beckmann: For the movements and gestures in his paintings.
- Oskar Kokoschka: Especially for his expressionistic portraits.
Where to buy: paulinaarchambault.com. Also galleries:
Connect: Instagram: @archambault.paulina
