Biography – Peggy Hinaekian

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Peggy Hinaekian

Life travels in Egypt, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, North Africa and the United States have determined the nostalgic and lyrical character of my work which consists mainly of oils or acrylic on canvas, mixed technique on paper and also monoprints and etchings.
Having grown up in Egypt I have always been fascinated by the scorching sands of the desert and the turquoise blue of the Mediterranean Sea.
I touch the sand and feel its warmth and texture. I look at the sea and feel its coolness and see its never ending horizon. I collect sand wherever I visit. However, “Sahara” was painted with sand collected from the Swiss Jura mountains. “Footsteps in the Sand” was created by sand from New Mexico. The blue paintings were done from sand collected in California and Florida. The desert and the sea evoke emotions that I then transfer on canvas. I often scratch the canvas which I suppose is a direct result of my etching background.

I consider myself a color field painter and am foremost a colorist. I put myself in a color mood and apply the paint on canvas or on paper to create a layered atmospheric composition, sometimes with collages. I rarely work with a preconceived vision for the final product, thus allowing the possibility of ambiguity and surprise. Conceptually, I try to immerse the viewer in the perceptual experience of space, color and light. Therefore, my paintings actualize perception by carefully balancing these elements. I have a fascination with creative imagery that is an area of space occupied by floating forms that may join or float independently. Finally, by using color and texture, I try to breathe movement into my “abstract landscapes” of the desert or the oceans, to guide the viewer into the paintings and making him wander into a different reality.