Art families are often thought of as a feature of the Renaissance. But artistic families have been creating works of art together in modern and contemporary movements, as well. In some cases, every member of a notable family has been recognized for their artistic achievements, as is the case with the four members of the Rozenvain family. Based in Toronto, Canada, Aleksandra, Michael, Miri, and Barak Rozenvain are making waves in the art world with their vibrant nature-inspired motifs. At Marcus Ashley Gallery, we’re proud to represent this family and share their works with our community, as well as work with our clients to commission one-of-a-kind works of art.
Could artistic talent be genetic? Is it all about nurturing artistic talent from a young age? Or maybe artistic dynasties share the very best lessons and techniques only within the family.
What is an Art Family?
An art family is exactly what it sounds like: a notable family of artists renowned for creating works that are often reminiscent of each other using similar techniques. A well-known example is the Picasso family. Pablo Picasso overshadowed the Picasso family, but his father, Jose Ruiz Blasco, was a notable drawing professor who taught at multiple prestigious institutions. While their art is not reminiscent of each other, his father’s recognition of his talent led him to attend the prestigious Real Academia de Bellas Artes in San Fernando. His family didn’t end there either, as his children Paloma and Claude became designers and photographers.
What Have Art Families Accomplished in the Modern Times?
In the modern era, there have been plenty of families that have contributed to modern art. Families of modern times bled from painting into film, photography, and ceramics. A great example is the Saars art family, who were heavily involved in the Black arts movement in the late 1970s. Their use of mixed media, ceramics, painting, and sculpture impacted the way that millions of people saw race, and their last generation won multiple museum collections. This is a great example of how these artist families can change people’s lives for generations past their original pieces. Now, the spotlight shines on the Rozenvain art family and their beautifully textured artwork, leaving the rest of us wondering where their next artwork will pop up.
Who are the Rozenvains?
The Rozenvains are an art family based in Canada. Their artwork is known for nature motifs, similar painting styles, and vibrant colors that leave a lasting impact. While each family member’s artwork is distinct, Rozenvain art is easily recognizable by its similar color palette and thick oil techniques.
Michael Rozenvain
As the patriarch of the Rozenvain art family, Michael Rozenvain definitely made his mark on the family technique. With most of his work being animal portraits or nature scenes, Michael’s thick oil palette gives viewers an illusion of texture and depth, while pops of color pepper his paintings. These pops of vibrant color are seen throughout other Rozenvain pieces, making the feature distinctive of the Rozenvain art family.
Born in Ukraine in 1963, Michael Rozenvain would go on to study at the Art School of Kieve, continuing his studies at the Academy of Applied Arts in Lvov. He met his future wife, Aleksandra, while studying in graduate school. Eventually, the couple would begin to look for inspiration from the cityscapes and nature of Europe. Artist families all draw their inspiration from somewhere, and the Rozenvains parent’s motifs also exist heavily in their children’s artworks.
Aleksandra Rozenvain
While the work of Aleksandra Rozenvain has similar recurring motifs to the rest of her family, we see a lot more landscape nature scenes built from square and rectangular shapes. While the bright color palette is still there, as well as the intricate texture, Aleksandras’ work certainly has a streak of individuality. While this isn’t uncommon in art families, this form of pointillism and contemporary impressionism is certainly unique. Her technique is a structured painting with a palette knife.
While artist families do have some diversity, Aleksandra’s influence on her family’s artwork is just as prevalent as Michaels, especially in nature and floral scenes. Aleksandra was also born in Ukraine, earning degrees in the same places as Michael.
Barak Rozenvain
Barak Rozenvain follows the nature theme closely, but innovates by combining sculpting and painting into one art form. While the rest of his family utilizes palette knives or multiple applications of thick paint, Barak recreates the beauty of Canadian mountains using earth materials such as clay and sand.
Like many children from art families, Barak grew up in a creative environment. Through spending hours in the family studio, a love of 3D art, and learning from his parents, he felt influenced to paint the beauty of nature just as his family did. While using vastly different methods, the Rozenvain art texture stays strong in its lineage.
Miri Rozenvain
With similar striking colors, earthy texture, and natural themes, Miri Rozenvain‘s work borrows from all the other techniques of Rozenvain art. Using the colors to highlight the animal’s movement in a very striking way, Miri also builds texture using natural earth and stones. This is very similar to Barak’s method of placing clay and sand in order to create realistic sculptures. Miris’s style is very spontaneous and abstract compared to her other family members, but just as creative and expressive in the end.
Miri recreates a magical experience using her experience at the York University Visual Arts program in 2016. She was also inspired by the time with her artistic family and visiting many museums and international art galleries growing up. Exposed to all of this creativity, Miri used her love for wildlife as fuel to push her art to where it is today.
Commissioning One of a Kind Rozenvain Art for Your Home
What really makes the Rozenvain family stand out at Marcus Ashley Gallery is that their work is entirely customizable to the customer’s needs: you can commission a 100% unique, original, one-of-a-kind painting from any of the above artists. One of our art consultants will work with you and collaborate with the artist to ensure every detail of your dream painting is executed with precision and care.
To see more Rozenvain family artwork, visit the Marcus Ashley Gallery collection near the shores of South Lake Tahoe in California, or get in touch with us today to learn more about commissioning your next painting from this amazing art family.
