HELGA ZUMSTEIN

Helga Zumstein shows the vibrancy of still images through her colorful, realistic paintings. As early as her teenage years, Zumstein made it her mission to use art to express herself. Now, she focuses on attempting to “extract the special out of the ordinary, the precious out of the banal.” For Zumstein, inspiration often comes from a chance encounter, which she captures on her camera. Since her studies of Fine Arts in Berne, Switzerland, photography accompanied her painting. In fact, this Swiss artist considers her camera her permanent companion. Zumstein also cites her brother, who passed away fifteen years ago, as a source of inspiration to keep pursuing her art. 

 

Though her work is traditional and reminiscent of Norman Rockwell’s, Zumstein incorporates new devices and methods. She utilizes Photoshop and drawing tablets to experiment with her pictures. Zumstein believes that she is “somewhat between young and old, tradition and modernity.” She forges ahead in her exploration of realism, and enjoys that art is "an ongoing experience."