Experience of Time: Art by Liba Labik
Fragrance of Time I, oil and mixed media on canvas
Alberta-based artist Liba Labik creates mixed media artworks that dwell on the experience of time. Liba is influenced by surrealist and romantic painting styles, and often combines abstraction and figurative work.
Beauty and Time of Weeds I, oil and mixed media on panel with epoxy resin coating
Liba’s recent series Fragrance of Time(s) showcases the artist’s skill at both realistic portraiture, and surreal, collaged elements that hearken to plants and sea life. Using oil and mixed media on canvas, Liba blends black and white portraits of female faces overlaid with hazy strokes of blue and purple, along with floral imagery and abstract patterns. The result is a dreamlike, almost collaged aesthetic that adds an air of mystery and depth to what could be fairly straightforward portrait pieces.
I especially appreciate the attention to detail in these works. The use of small white highlights and patterned areas creates a refreshing sense of variation in the images. Some of the textural elements -- that in Liba’s works form delicate fabrics -- remind me of ceramic pieces by Ikuko Iwamoto – the small, visually raised white dots reference biological forms.
