Home
Welcome to my world of color, form, and fantasy, where the moods and feelings are being seized with a dreamcatcher and spilled onto the canvas. Please let your imagination capture that breeze of inspiration and surrender yourself completely to the realm of beauty.
- Laurian Mohai, Nov 3, 2013
The Artist Magazine - Finalist in The Artist's Magazine's 30th Annual Art Competition - 2013
"Dear Laurian Mohai,
Congratulations! Your artwork, Murphy, has been selected as a finalist in the Animal/Wildlife category of The Artist's Magazine 30th Annual Art Competition. Your name, city, state and/or country will appear among the lists of finalists published in the December 2013 issue...
The competition’s entries, over 6,000, were particularly strong this year. As editors, we had a difficult task to whittle the field; it is truly an achievement that your work was among the ones we sent to the jurors...
Sincerely,
Maureen Bloomfield
Editor"
The Artist's Magazine
Southwest Art Magazine - Jurors' Choice
"For 30 years, The Artist’s Magazine, which is Southwest Art’s sister publication, has conducted an annual art competition that is open to artists all over the world. From the more than 6,000 entries received this year, 30 winners and approximately 300 finalists in five categories were chosen by respected jurors Douglas Atwill, John N. Agnew, Ron Monsma, Amy Weiskopf, and Judith T. Greenberg. In the following pages we present a sampling of the impressive works from these winning artists."
Laurian Mohai
Where did you study art? I received formal education in the visual arts since the age of 6. Being exposed mostly to the classical masters’ work provided a foundation for my artistic development. Years later I moved to Spring Hill, FL, which is next to Aripeka, where the world renowned pop-art master James Rosenquist has his studio. I joined Mary Petricone’s art studio in order to develop new skills in drawing, pastel, watercolor, and acrylics. Mary introduced me to Antonio (Tony) Caparello, who was Rosenquist’s painter and studio assistant for 10 years. Tony was one of the finest photo-realists we ever had, and I have been privileged to study oil painting with him.
How would you describe your style? Realism and photo-realism with occasional surrealist infusion.
What’s the most meaningful recognition you’ve received for your artwork? Being chosen as a finalist in The Artist’s Magazine’s 30th annual art competition. I feel very honored by the jury’s selection considering there were over 6,000 entries this year.
What are your goals for the future? I would like to incorporate more surrealist and thought-provoking themes in my painting and to continue Caparello’s legacy in promoting the fine arts.
Southwest Art Magazine - Jan 2014 Issue
(The online edition entry posted by Joe Kovack on Dec 13, 2013)
American Art Collector magazine - Artist Focus / Laurian Mohai
Exploration of the soul
According to Laurian Mohai, “My vision in painting is to communicate emotions, to elicit soul exploration and bring out past and new experiences, to create shape and color harmonies that can resonate with one’s feelings. In other words: to create an inspiring, beautiful and attractive art.”
Mohai works in a realistic and photorealistic style, with occasional surrealist infusion. His most influential art mentor was Antonio “Tony” Caparello, a studio assistant and painter for pop artist James Rosenquist.
Of his painting titled The Chess Game (The Love Game is a Chess Game–A Tribute to Auguste Rodin), Mohai shares his musings, “If I do it, she may change her mind...or maybe not. Should I try something else?...But then, she'll do this...or that...or... who knows?...Certainly I don't...I think I'm trapped... with no choice but surrender...Yeah, this is probably what it is...I love her."
In The Eternity of Beauty, Mohai depicts a fi gure and a peek of a bright landscape. “We live in an ephemeral world where only a few things last forever (besides the diamonds in the commercial, of course). Beauty is one of them, it is eternal,” says Mohai. “Even the unstoppable time is powerless, can touch the beauty but can’t alter it. How beautiful is beauty, isn’t it?”
Solitude depicts a street corner and a surrealistic element of a face. “There is sadness in solitude, and it is so ubiquitous,” says Mohai. “Too many lone souls are being ignored in both real and surreal worlds...The sea of people surrounding them is just salt water for the thirsty castaways, and there’s not much we can do about it.”
American Art Collector magazine - June 2014 Issue
(Courtesy of American Art Collector magazine)
Jury's Favorite 15% of the Entries in the June 2013 BoldBrush Painting Competition
"Dear Laurian,
Congratulations! Your painting, "The Eternity of Beauty", was selected as part of the FAV15% (jury's favorite 15% of the entries) in the June 2013 BoldBrush Painting competition.
You may view the FAV15% paintings, including yours: http://faso.com/boldbrush/fav15/112 ...
Thanks again and congrats again!
Sincerely,
Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic"
Fine Art Studio Online
Art Critic Brian Sherwin's Post on Facebook
Brian Sherwin · 1,054 like this
June 24 at 2:30pm ·
"We may not be as big as #artprize... BUT I love seeing work like this -- Solitude by artist Laurian Mohai -- June 2013 BoldBrush entry..."
(See Brian Sherwin's post on Facebook)
Jury's Favorite 15% of the Entries in the August 2013 BoldBrush Painting Competition
"Dear Laurian,
Congratulations!Your painting, "Butterflies", was selected as part of the FAV15% (jury's favorite 15% of the entries) in the August 2013 BoldBrush Painting competition.
You may view the FAV15% paintings, including yours: http://faso.com/boldbrush/fav15/118 ...
Thanks again and congrats again!
Sincerely,
Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic"
Fine Art Studio Online