Exploring the power of pausing with Igor Moritz

Looking at his work it hones in on the varying degrees of silence and being with oneself. His pieces convey what it means to sit in your own silence – even if it comes with a degree of fear or uncertainty. He used colour, morphs space, and distorts the human figures that we see presented.

A self-taught artist, Igor graduated from Bournemouth University's industrial design program in 2019. On Igor's work, Delphian Gallery said: "Whilst his oil on canvas works are more theatrical, the works on paper are more spontaneous, voyeuristic, and subtle. The introspective beauty present in these everyday scenes is one of calm quietude, as even when amongst others each subject in these works looks lost to themselves they remain present in their environment."

The subjects in Igor's work are often his closest and dearest friends – which casts an even more intimate light on the pieces. His work brings to mind the likes of Egon Schiele and Henri Matisse. His pieces speak volumes about being by yourself and creating a space of intimacy with oneself. In the last year, isolation became a marker that bound us all together as a society – in Igor's work, isolation feels familiar to the viewer. However, his work conveys that pausing shouldn't be feared; in fact, vibrancy and happiness can be found in that very act. The colours the swirl around on the page confirm those thoughts exactly.

The intimacy with which he depicts these subjects is not afraid of distortion to create (or capture) emotion. Igor captures the rawness of the interaction first, often not compromising this vision even if this renders the subject distorted and unrecognisable to all but Igor himself. His diaristic method of working presents the viewer with a snapshot into the artist's life, giving us a deeper understanding of the work and its inspirations and the artist.

These paintings will brighten up any space, even if the subject matter at hand is intended to do the exact opposite. The subjects tend to be sat in isolation and always looking away. We don't know what they're thinking, and this is a part of the attraction. Each oil painting exudes ambiguity and curiosity.

His use of coloured pencil gives each piece playful energy – at once bold and unexpected. His work has been exhibited in Paris, Montreal, London, Miami, and Seattle. This artist shows no signs of letting up – so we can expect to see a lot more from Igor in future.