Tanja Möderscheim - current work

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Tanja Möderscheim (born The Netherlands, 1975) paints still life, landscape and the figure in oil.

Staying true to her Dutch roots and in admiration of the 17th-century Dutch still life Masters Claesz. and Coorte, she paints her still lifes using the Netherlandish technique and style. Painting in glazes built on a grisaille and using classical lighting, the paintings have a glowing quality. The objects are rendered in detail. As the main aim, the still lifes convey a sense of calm through the use of ample space, harmony, and simple, strong colour schemes. The objects, at life size or greater, are elevated to eye level to suggest that they are worth noticing. The paintings therefore bring out the beauty of everyday things and the viewers are invited to escape their busy modern lives for a moment.

Like the still lifes, her landscapes convey a sense of space. Also built on a grisaille layer and subsequent glazes, these glowing paintings often feature masses of clouds, reminiscent of the landscapes of the Van Ruysdaels. Subject matter is taken from sketches made while travelling, other paintings are developed during plein-air sessions.

The figurative work expresses the gracefulness of the female body. The paintings focus on anatomy as well as the aesthetic quality of the model's gesture. These paintings are developed from work produced at local life drawing sessions where the models hold five to ten-minute poses.

In New Zealand, where Tanja completed her doctorate in neuroscience, her paintings were well received and she exhibited in several galleries and at shows. She now lives in London.