HISTORY

Irma Regardt was accepted at the Royal Netherlands Academy for the Arts at the age of 16 for her outstanding talent. Unable to follow through because of financial hardship, she worked as an illustrator and photo-lab assistant whilst studying with renowned Dutch master painters. Later she obtained a master degree in Photography and image retouch at the Dutch School for Professional Photography.
For more than a decade, Irma successfully co-managed her own photo studio as well as photo lab and framing gallery, before concentrating on painting.
After moving to Australia, she connected with the vast, stunning landscape and unique wildlife from up close during extensive travels – producing a series of large landscape and 'bird-scape' paintings.

Largely self-taught – or taught by inspiration, as she likes to refer to it herself, Irma now works from her 100-acre rainforest property studio, overlooking the beautiful Tweed Valley, in northern NSW Australia.


INSPIRATION

Three most striking aspects in Irma's paintings are: light, movement, and emotion. The themes and images of her paintings usually operate on several levels; the obvious one, visible to the casual viewer‚ and the hidden one, symbolism touching on ecological, spiritual, metaphysical themes.
Balancing allegories and natural elements are her language.

Irma: "I remember quite vividly how, as a young girl, I sat for long stretches of time in those enormous halls at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, mesmerized by the golden glow in especially Rembrandt's paintings. I guess that's where my facination with 'light' started. I know I have been influenced by that Dutch light‚ now coupled to the fantastically clear Australian light that brings out colour so vividly – and which I'm able to see so much of, looking out over the ranges from my studio.
During my journeys around Australia, I was inspired and influenced by both the natural and cultural heritage of this ancient yet 'young' continent.
Over the years, light has been taking on a deeper allegorical meaning in my work. My painting-journeys have expanded into a quest of self-discovery and of life in all its facets."

"An overarching theme or inspiration in my work has been 'interaction'; the connection that exists between the environment and its inhabitants, and the inter-dependency between all..."


EXHIBITIONS

Information about current and upcomming exhibitions can be found on the Home page. For information about availability of paintings shown on this website, you can contact the artist personally by email. Commissions are also welcomed.