Ari Roven
Contemporary
Fine Art

Get in Touch


Artist Statement
My name is Ari Roven
My work explores the delicate balance between stability and chaos, reflecting the human experience of navigating life's unpredictable currents. The recurring motif of the square or rectangle acts as a symbol of steadiness, a constant path within the swirling energies that surround it. These forms, with their deliberate turns and structured presence, represent the need for control and predictability in a world that often feels overwhelmingly chaotic. This resonates deeply with my own experience, particularly as a mother, where the responsibility of nurturing and guiding another life requires unwavering focus amidst the daily storms. The rectangle becomes a visual representation of that mental fortitude, a space of intentionality carved out of the surrounding flux.
My process is deeply intertwined with the materiality of paint. I work primarily with acrylics, incorporating a retarder to manipulate the drying time. This allows for the creation of layered surfaces and the dynamic drips that trace the paint's journey. The background layers are not merely support structures; they play an integral role, complementing and enhancing the foreground, allowing it to emerge as the focal point. Working on a large scale is essential to my exploration of color relationships. I introduce water as a further element of chance, allowing it to interact with the acrylics, creating translucent washes and exploring the textural possibilities within the creases and ridges formed by the faster-drying paint.
Each canvas begins with an emotional impulse, a feeling that guides the entire creative process. My approach is organic and intuitive. From the initial selection of colors to the final brushstroke or knife swipe, every mark is intentional, a testament to the bravery it takes to translate inner emotions into physical form. Layers accumulate, building depth and complexity, until the painting reaches a point of emotional release. Stepping away from the finished piece, I often feel a sense of catharsis, as if the emotions have been externalized onto the canvas. This emotional resonance signals the completion of the work.
My canvases evoke a range of feelings, from the tranquility of hope and serenity to the raw intensity of anger and power. Moving from smaller works on paper to the expansive scale of large canvases has allowed me to fully express these profound emotions, giving them the space they need to breathe and resonate with the viewer. Through my art, I aim to create a visual dialogue that explores the universal search for stability, the power of emotional release, and the beauty that emerges from the interplay of intention and chance.
