For Ela Ruaj, painting is a spiritual practice both in inspiration and execution. Her abstract works proclaim the joy of living and experiencing in a new way, which was exactly how Ruaj began painting three years ago. After closing her Interior Design studio in Bogota, she was able to dive into her passion for painting with time and vigor. What was at first seemed out of reach became her profession – a story that is transposed beautifully in her colorful compositions.

Faith in all forms describes the belief one has in something they cannot see, cannot touch, but easily identify with. One of Ruaj’s main inspirations continues to be the faith she lives by. First choosing a theme, she entrusts God’s guidance to flow from her tools. That theme such as a virtue or for example the gifts of the Holy Spirit is then experimentally given a form, perhaps one to diffuse its beauty in the atmosphere of a home. 

Her compositions come to life as mediums for making the invisible visible.

Viewing Ruaj’s work through this lens brings a new perspective to her works. The rich colors and shapes of Caribe II may gain a symbolism and quality of diffusing more than just an image but perhaps a dream, a moral, or an ideal. In Ruaj’s mind, it’s that energy that for some can be a reminder of how close we can be to God. 

 Caribe I offers a complementary composition with a similar color palette but introduces new tones and shapes. As a duo, the pieces relate to each other with the same elegance and powerful presence. The remarkable simplicity of each piece has the ability to strike a contrast between its spacious symbolism and the potential for a personal encounter with the viewer. Ela Ruaj returns the deep passion and belief in her work that has historically kept art as a mirror of cultural progress. 

 From Rembrandt to Caravaggio, for centuries spiritual symbolism and belief have been represented on canvas. With modern and contemporary styles in their often significantly pared-down aesthetic, the spiritual component may only be recognized in the artist’s statement if at all making meaningful art a more versatile option to appear in home interiors. While applying the word spiritual or religious may come with a number of connotations from all angles, no one can deny the transcendent quality of seeing image, artist, and the world unite in the experience of confronting a composition.

Ela-Ruaj-Caribe-II-Room

 Ela Ruaj offers her vulnerable pieces in both aesthetic and method. She is both bold and thoughtful; passive of symbolism but perhaps representational of belief. There is no doubt about the unique character of her work which has often led to it being the centerpiece of interior spaces. ARVIVID is proud to offer her works in a variety of formats where the colors can sing their glowing tones offering warmth and comfort to a living room or dining room. They can alight a space with the reminder and testament to the refreshing practice of breaking our preconceived schemes and trusting the outcome to lead to something beautiful.

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