Temptation

Framed size: 630 x 630 mm

Born in Singapore, and resident in Australia, Regina Noakes is an international artist. Well traveled, Regina has studied and taught art and music in Singapore, Italy, the U.S. and Australia. She has had several solo exhibitions in New York and Australia, and has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Chicago, New York, London, Australia and Europe, including the 2001 Florence Biennale.

Her work is represented in numerous private, corporate and public collections around the world, including the Ministry of Water Resources, Sultanate of Oman; Fulham Palace, London; The Singapore Economic Board, Singapore; the Australian Electoral Commission, Australia; and Toyota Australia.

Regina's paintings have been reproduced on cover pages of several publications including Western Review Arts Magazine, New York Expo 2000, and Moondance Magazine (UK).

Viewing life as an aesthetic experience Regina translates memories and observations onto her canvasses. There are stories behind most of these paintings, and drama in the universals of companionship, love, age, and acquiescence. There are references to Mughal art in the use of flat surfaces, strong colors, and cloisonné, as well as iconic resemblances to Italian Romanesque painting, with a frequent focus on women.

"My work has overtones of naive painting, but I've been very strongly influenced by my background, interests, and education. There are references to early Italian Renaissance painting (things I saw in Capri, Naples, and later in visits to Florence.) I enjoy the iconic quality to work from that period, also the frequent focus on women.

"There are several painters who have influenced me: Murillo (the subject matter resonates , Ken Kiff (British, for his narrative quality), and Charles Blackman (Australian figurative painter.) Still, when all's said and done, my style is very personal. I paint instinctively, and my work draws on personal experience and observation, or at least memories, sometimes treasured up since childhood."