Aline Gaiad

Tantalising ode to domestic intimacy

With her colourful, domestic scenes, Aline Gaiad (b 1979, Rio de Janeiro, lives and works in London) creates a playful, personal universe. She draws inspiration for this mainly from her everyday life. The fact that her home and studio blend seamlessly reinforces this mutual connection. Although she also got her love for art and interiors from an early age: her great-grandfather and grandfather were artists, and her parents are passionate about design and - like other family members - also collect art. 'That environment has nurtured my own passions. I particularly like interiors that are cosy, welcoming and visually stimulating, and that house a sophisticated selection of art and design,' says Aline Gaiad.

Her passion for painting elicited only later in life. Originally studying photography, she travelled to several cities in Brazil as a photojournalist. Her attention to detail and composition that she developed during this period are still reflected in her paintings today. 'Although I still love photography, it has become a hobby. Painting is now my main artistic medium. I especially love the physicality that painting requires, and the focus needed to stay in one specific place until the work is complete. I am also fascinated by the infinite possibilities in terms of colour and shape I can add to a canvas, purely using my own hands,' Gaiad says.

'I also love rhythm and the fact that each brushstroke is the result of a new decision. Moreover, I am convinced that pronounced brushstrokes and vibrant colours engage the viewer more strongly with the work. Colours stimulate our mood and can make the viewer feel good. In addition, contrasting shades and different hues are capable of totally changing the mood of a painting.'

Intuitive and direct

Although her work evokes references to Henri Matisse's famous interiors, Aline Gaiad herself cites Brazilian artists Sebastião Salgado and Marcos Magalhães, among others, as examples. 'Because of their phenomenal contrasts and nuances, Salgado's photographs are downright breathtaking, while Magalhães especially inspired me with his enormous painterly freedom. My cousin Paulo Gaiad's collage works also inspire me,' Gaiad says. 'Although I also love the finesse in Joshua Perkin's paintings, which closely reflect my Latin American roots, and the use of chalk and texture in Ralf Kokke's work.'

Aline Gaiad herself works mainly with acrylic. 'I like the directness of acrylic, and the ability to work in layers. Although I also use oil rods, oil pastels and chalk. I also sometimes use collage techniques to add texture and shadows to the composition, or to form smaller sub-compositions in the painting. I am always looking for new ways to create texture,' Gaiad says.

'I approach art in a very intuitive and direct way. My paintings pay homage to the intimate context of our home, and the objects that figure in it as silent witnesses to the inhabitants. Inspired by Picasso's statement that he 'paints objects as he imagines them, and not as he sees them', I employ my own colours, textures, patterns and dimensions. I hope I can bring joy and happiness into other people's homes with this personal reality.'