The Human Experience

Collector's Focus: Figurative Art

Introduction by Chelsea Koressel

Most artists that dedicate their careers to painting figurative subjects are not just captivated by the human figure alone. More often, it’s about the deeper connotations, as is the case for artist Anna Rose Bain, who is fascinated by the “quiet language of carriage and expression, and the way a person’s inner life can be conveyed through their physical presence.”

Figurative artists often place their subjects in surroundings that speak to broader topics, themes or stories—extracting as much meaning and understanding as they can from the greater human experience.

Anna Rose Blain, River Spirit, oil on linen, 36 x 50 in.

“After moving to Colorado in 2015, the landscape became an active part of [my] exploration,” Bain continues. “I wanted my figures to feel integrated with nature, not simply placed within it, but belonging to it. Because I paint outdoors as often as possible, these figures in the landscape often feel like indirect self-portraits—a reflection of my own joy in the open air and my desire for connection and groundedness.”

Bain’s painting River Spirit was modeled by a dear friend during a time of vulnerability and transformation, and the artist sought to convey that sense of openness and renewal. “In this piece, the figure and the river are intertwined, suggesting that we are shaped by the places that hold us,” she says. “And, like the dappled light moving across the figure, there is clarity and resilience in our ever-changing circumstances.”

Depictions of the nude figure in particular can also lead to conversations surrounding body image—how we see ourselves in context to others. Artist Zienna Brunsted Stewart shares that when she and her mother were living in an ashram, she felt there was a backward sensibility about the body and its beauty. “There was so much emphasis on transcending the physical and honoring the things that are natural about your body, but there were also things that were shameful, like a woman’s period, which was considered dirty,” she says. “I just didn’t agree with that and felt that our bodies should be embraced.”

Top: Zienna Brunsted Stewart, Eclipsed, oil on cradled panel, 20 x 20 in.; Gallery MAR Carmel, Cadence of C, oil on canvas, 55 x 72½ in., by Michael Azgour. Bottom: RJD Gallery, Rainfall, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in., by Andrea Kowch; Gallery MAR Carmel, Eugeniusz, oil on canvas, 55 x 47 in., by Michael Azgour.

Brunsted Stewart is known for her intimate nude depictions and has been praised for painting different kinds of women. In pieces like Eclipsed, we see two females of different races during the last moments of a sunset. “I like to paint all different kinds of people,” Stewart says. “The human body is meant to be celebrated.”

Whatever the reason an artist chooses to focus on the human figure, our world is graced with an array of spectacular figurative examples that continue to teach, enlighten or simply provide a bit of joy and beauty.

Continue reading through this section dedicated to figurative art to hear more insights from artists working in the genre and the galleries that represent them.

The figurative artists at RJD Gallery draw deeply from the inner landscapes of human experience, creating narratives that feel both intimate and universal. In Andrea Kowch’s work, the figure becomes a vessel for emotional atmosphere—her women exist at the threshold between the real and the surreal, where weather, nature and domestic interiors mirror the complexities of the inner self. Andrei Zadorine brings a poetic stillness to his figurative scenes, often capturing children who appear wise beyond their years. His subjects hold symbolic objects with a quiet dignity, inviting us to revisit the fragility and wonder of childhood. In the whimsical world of Juan Béjar, innocence and elegance meet. His figures possess a gentle theatricality—small in scale yet rich in personality and tenderness.

“Across each of these artists, the figure is not merely depicted; it is revealed,” says Richard Demato, gallery owner. “Their works remind us that the human presence in art has the power to anchor a story, stir empathy and speak to something in us that is timeless.”

Top: RJD Gallery, El Invitado, oil on wood panel, 18 x 15 in., by Juan Béjar.; Gallery MAR Carmel, Photographic Memory: Rachel, diptych, oil on canvas, 43½ x 59 in., by Michael Azgour. Bottom: RJD Gallery, Eifka’s World, oil on canvas, 9½ x 117⁄8 in., by Andrei Zadorine; Altamira Fine Art, Lasso Lass, oil on canvas, 40 x 30 in., by Dennis Ziemienski; Gallery 35, The End of the Day, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in., by John Cutruzzola.

Demato continues, “When you collect figurative art, you are choosing a companion for your life. These works become part of your home’s emotional landscape—like someone you live with, converse with and grow alongside. Choose a piece whose presence you’ll welcome not just on your wall, but in your daily life.”

Michael Azgour, represented by Gallery MAR Carmel, is a mid-career San Francisco Bay Area artist whose work generally focuses on the individual and often places them in an urban/social setting or an outdoor landscape. “Azgour’s paintings are as much about his process and intentions as the final painting on the canvas,” says gallery owner Thomas Cushman. “He very much wants the viewer to become an active participant in creating the meaning of the artwork and even enlists the viewer to finish the painting in their own mind’s eye.”

Azgour’s recent figurative paintings are inspired by the impact of imagery on contemporary culture, referencing moments of transition, the inevitability of change and the uncertainty of memory. “I am interested in developing a visual language that speaks to our current experience of exposure to and integration of new technology, the persistence of traditional values despite changing global trends, and the subjective perception of reality,” the artist says. “Together, with a strong influence of art history and contemporary themes, my work is informed by a deep-rooted interest in social and perceptual psychology, a reverence for color theory and my personal experiences.”

Top: Gallery 35, Rachel and Nature, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 in., by John Cutruzzola; Altamira Fine Art, Red Shoes, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in., by Dennis Ziemienski. Bottom: Altamira Fine Art, Tequila Sunrise, oil on canvas, 24 x 20 in., by Dennis Ziemienski; Fay Wood, Three Ring Pandemic Circus - Can We Work Together?, mixed media, 19 x 14 x 14 in. ; Sergey Piskunov, White Mask 8, oil on canvas, 63 x 47 in.

Presented by Altamira Fine Art is Dennis Ziemienski, who brings a cinematic pulse to the figure—his characters feel both timeless and vividly alive. “Rooted in the Golden Age of Illustration, his paintings celebrate the elegance of everyday gestures,” says gallery director Kimberly Duncan. “Whether it’s a subtle glance or the tilt of a hat, Ziemienski distills Americana through color, light and poise. His figures are archetypes of Western vitality, imbued with nostalgia yet rendered through a distinctly modern lens. There’s a sense of story in every stance, a quiet confidence that turns his subjects into icons. Ziemienski reminds us that figurative art, at its best, doesn’t just depict; it reveals character, emotion and era all at once.”

Artist John Cutruzzola, who founded Gallery 35, presents figurative oil and watercolor paintings, as well as sculptural pieces. His newest wood sculpture, The Good Builder, is a figure of integrity, strength and honor. The Builder acts as the bridge towards our future, cultivating a rich foundation for the benefit of his predecessors,” says Cutruzzola. “He is the ideal we strive towards and the quarter in which we find relief. The Builderpledges himself to the success of his mission, though he requires both labor and integrity to see it through: the first we see represented in the shovel to his right, and the second, through the upturned thumb as well as the papers held firm in his arm.”

Gallery 35, The Good Builder, wood, 27 x 53 in., by John Cutruzzola.

With this piece, Cutruzzola hopes to contribute to a space that honors the hard workers and passionate dreamers of our world, commemorating each individual who strives toward a future we can be proud of.

Artist Fay Wood quotes Virginia Woolf, “Arrange whatever pieces come your way.” Wood has embraced this philosophy to create her inventive and imaginative found object art. She features a new series of mixed media, three-dimensional pieces of circus performers—made during the pandemic—in pieces like Three Ring Pandemic Circus - Can We Work Together?, Three Ring Pandemic Circus - Trapped Dancer and Three-Ring Pandemic Circus - Living with These Changes.

Wood encourages collectors to view her website and to visit her studio in Greensboro, North Carolina, to see her inspiring drawings, oil paintings on canvas, reverse oil on glass, collage and sculpture. Her work can also be found at Red Dot Miami, booth 110, during Miami Art Week,from December 3 to 7.

Top: Fay Wood Three Ring Pandemic Circus - Trapped Dancer, mixed media, 18 x 12 x 11 in.; Jessica Wicken, Shades of Joy, oil on linen, 14 x 24 in.; Sergey Piskunov, Golden Mask XI, oil on canvas, 67 x 51 in. Bottom: Richard Abraham, Private Eye, (Inspired by Out of the Past - RKO 1947), oil on canvas, 36 x 36 in.; Fay Wood, Three-Ring Pandemic Circus - Living with These Changes, mixed media, 18½ x 9½ x 15½ in.; Robin Williamson, Before the Slumber, oil, 18 x 14 in.

Jessica Wicken paints landscapes, cityscapes and still lifes, but people, alone or in any scene, have always been her favorite subject matter. “In North Carolina, I especially enjoy people at the beach when they are dropping all their cares as they enjoy the environment,” she says. “Whether in oil or watercolor, I strive to capture their unique beauty and mood of the moment. In any genre, one will find my love of color quite evident. Figurative work reminds me that we are all spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Find Wicken’s work on her website, her studio at Artworks in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Evergreen Home Furnishings in Evergreen, Colorado.

Growing up in Michigan, painter Richard Abraham was captivated by the local library’s art and film sections. Massive tomes filled with moody, mysterious stills of classic actors like James Cagney and Greta Garbo left a deep impression—even in an era when watching those vintage movies felt impossible. While Abraham built a 25-year career as a landscape painter, his fascination with Old Hollywood endured. Then, when Covid hit the stage, his passions converged. “I just wanted to paint 1930s-era Bette Davis—it was an escape,” he recalls.

In depicting the desperate protagonists of film noir, he found they conveyed an emotional anxiety that unexpectedly reflected our own time; it was more than just nostalgia.

Richard Abraham, Holly Martins, (Inspired by The Third Man - Rialto Pictures 1949), oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in. ; Robin Williamson, The Inheritance, oil, 24 x 18 in.

Abraham meticulously curates his references, grabbing stills from the films. “It’s all about value and form,” he says. “Robert Mitchum’s trench coat becomes a landscape of folds with shadows and reflected light.” For Abraham, following his interests is the key: “You just go with it; enthusiasm is enough. You follow what gets you to the easel.”

Sergey Piskunov’s figurative paintings explore the intersection of hyperrealism and quiet emotional resonance. His works often portray serene, introspective female figures rendered with astonishing technical precision, yet always with a sense of stillness and symbolic weight. Each piece is the result of up to 700 hours of layered oil work, with Piskunov carefully building the surface to reflect not just physical detail, but presence—the feeling that the subject exists in her own moment, beyond the canvas. Inspired by classical portraiture and contemporary aesthetics, he often weaves in organic textures like dried flowers or cracked surfaces to emphasize the contrast between idealized beauty and natural impermanence. For Piskunov, figurative art is not about copying reality but creating a suspended emotional state and scene the viewer can enter and interpret through their own lens. His goal is for the figure to feel alive yet untouchable, intimate yet distant—timeless.

When collecting for the genre, he says, “Don’t just look for skill, look for presence. A strong figurative work should feel like it’s watching you back. Choose pieces that evoke a feeling you can’t quite name. That’s usually the one that stays with you the longest.”

Robin Williamson’s inspiration for figurative painting comes from a deep admiration for the beauty, strength and expressive power of the human form. “I am endlessly fascinated by how the body can communicate emotion, story and spirit without the need for words,” she says. “Each gesture, pose and subtle shift of light across the figure reveals something unique about the person before me, something both intimate and universal.”

Sergey Piskunov, White Mask XI, oil on canvas, 63 x 47 in.

Williamson’s piece The Inheritance, speaks to the quiet dignity and strength that come from knowing one’s identity and heritage. “In this work, I sought to capture not only the likeness of my subject, but the deeper sense of legacy carried within him—those unseen qualities of faith, character and beauty that transcend time.” In Before the Slumber, the artist captures a moment in the classical ballet The Sleeping Beauty, on the fateful night of Princess Aurora’s 16th birthday. The soft light and delicate textures of her costume echo the dreamlike quality of the story itself, while her inward gaze suggests a world of emotion beneath the surface.