Irina Forrester (b. 1969, Russia) attended art school from the ages of 11 to 18. She later moved to London, UK, where she lived until relocating to Singapore in 2017. After taking a long hiatus for family reasons, Irina returned to painting five years ago and now paints daily. She participated in several exhibitions last year and has four confirmed shows in the next six months, making for a busy year ahead.
As an oil painter, I draw my inspiration from everyday life and nature itself. Living in Singapore, I spend a lot of time outdoor searching for quiet corners of the otherwise bustling city. More often than not, I end up at the Botanic Gardens where I find tranquility and peace which I then try to reflect in my work through shapes and colours. I can spend hours working on a plein air piece completely lost in thoughts and beauty of the surroundings, despite the relentless heat and humidity of the place.