Artwork by Vija Doks

 

Artist’s Statement: “I work with series. In my Black & White Animal drawings and paintings, I am working with both minimal line and a heavy white palette on black gessoed paper or canvas. I go back to basics; the line takes central stage. Mistakes are not erased; rather they are forgiven and incorporated as movement. Paint is added en masse as needed. The weight of the paint is in sharp contrast to the lightness of the line. By this means, I hope to portray both the majesty and fragility of the animal kingdom.”

- New York-based artist Vija Doks was born in a displaced persons camp in Germany of Latvian parents. She grew up in Kalamazoo Michigan and received a BA from Western Michigan University. Relocating to New York City in 1976, she received a MS in Library Science from Columbia University and worked as a law librarian until her retirement in 2016. Vija pursued her art career starting in the 90s, by taking courses at the School of Visual Arts where she studied under Nancy Chunn, Georgia Marsh and Judith Linhares. Exhibits include a solo show at the Brooklyn Parsonage Latvian Center, and group shows at NYU's Small Works Shows curated by Ronald Feldman and Richard Witter, Exit Art, CurateNYC, and the Hudson Guild among others. Most recently, she had a two-person show at the Carter Burden Gallery (CBG) and she was the featured artist at CBG's "On the Wall" space in 2018. Her painting "Red Ibis" was included in the 2012 movie, "The Oranges." In addition, Vija has published a cartoon cookbook "Letts Eat," and her writing has been published in Paragraph and Law Lines. She recently completed a series of portraits of notable Tennessee women in collaboration with singer, songwriter Candace Corrigan. Visit Vija's site HERE.

Images and Text Copyright©2021 by Vija Doks. All Rights Reserved.