“At the point where poetry and dreams meet, the artist captures the soul of the world. Thousands of charms soar into the sky in the music of his art. The mysterious characters, secret symbols, dreamy flights of Chagalian memory, wings and angels, a plexus of threadlike figures, timepieces, mixtures of elements and deposits of metamorphosis that has already occurred. Here the idea of Time becomes universal and comprehensive. In a continuous, creative narrative flow the artist concentrates on a consistent, focused search for viewpoints and internal perspectives. Plunging into these works, we ask ourselves just one question: how was the artist able to express so subtly the excitement about the real world that lives within each of us by the delicate and wordless language woven of fleeting allusions?”
- Art critic Pino Nicoletti on Viktoria Merki
Merki first broke out onto the international art scene in Berlin in 1992 at the Atrium Gallery. Since then, hardly a year has gone by that she wasn’t featured at an international exhibit. Today, her works can be found in private collections and museums across almost every continent. However, these paintings represent only a fraction of her contributions to the fine arts. Since 2011, she has been a curator and co-owner of the ArtNoLimits gallery in Germany, and has over a decade of experience as a book illustrator. With the works spanning the mediums of painting, drawing, illustration, and design, it can be said that Merki is truly a Renaissance Woman of the art world.
Throughout her career, Merki has dedicated herself to pushing her audience to embrace their raw emotions. A staunch believer in mysticism, she proposes that there is more to the world than could be simply explained through reason alone. We all live very different lives and have our own unique experiences - ones that are often unexpected, profound, meaningful, and intimate - and yet, inexplicable. However, art allows us to broach this complicated topic.
If even adults struggle to explain their experiences, what hope do kids have? Counterintuitively, kids might actually be better suited for this task than adults. While adults are often confined by their preconceived notions, public perception, and other factors that limit their creativity, children are not subject to such fetters on their imaginations. By introducing children to art at a young age, we allow them to start learning the language of self-expression and non-verbal communication. This lofty goal constitutes the mission of Merki’s course at Hermiona University: Ideation, Concentration, and Emotion Through Art. This interactive course is designed to teach young children how to consciously concentrate, define their feelings and emotions, and then convey them through art. Living a meaningful life means more than just succeeding in school. Give your child the gift of personal and emotional growth through this empowering course.
“Once you realize that your brush, pencil, or pen are just an extension of your hand... there are no more obstacles between your creative imagination and the canvas, paper, clay or any other materials that inspire you."
