ABOUT CLAUDIA RUBINSTEIN
German-Canadian artist Claudia Rubinstein moved to Australia in 1986. She lives and works in Melbourne, where she resides with her husband and their two sons.
Claudia’s fascination with the arts began with the Grimm’s fairytales she read as a child, stories filled with romance and magic. Illustrations by Gustave Dore’s wondrous – and sometimes terrifying – etchings were the first of many fantastical influences in Claudia’s career
Later, travel played a part in Claudia’s artistic development. The beauty she encountered in early wanderings across Asia, Europe and north America informed her aesthetic and added new riches to the depths of her imagination. Now the colours and textures of the places she visits seep into her art, layering real and romanticised histories over her fairytale beginnings.
Claudia began her art practice in paint, and to this day oils on canvas are a staple of her practice. In recent years she has expanded her repertoire to include other aspects of the decorative arts, and now in addition to her paintings Claudia’s oeuvre includes an extensive exploration of jewellery-making.
Informed by her imagination and an avid appreciation of colours for its own sake, Claudia’s beaded and jeweled pieces push the boundaries of conventional jewellery-making. Her work spans the tricky divide between the conservative and the fantastical. In the sanctuary of her studio, Claudia produces demure strings of pearl and crystal along side works which are more wearable art than conventional jewellery. This joyful element of experimentation sets her pieces apart from the crowd; they are fresh, unusual, and each one is unique.
In both painting and jewellery-making, Claudia collects her inspirations and materials with tenderness and care, combining them with a rare eye for colour and an appreciation of the limitless possibilities of a good imagination.
Her work has been recognized by a diverse range of institutions including Federation Square's, BMW edge gallery and Port Melbourne Art Gallery. Her pieces have also appeared in various private exhibitions, and are included in numerous private collections.