Bep Toscani

Bep Toscani, a self-taught artist, began creating “Multi-layers” in 1978—a technique she developed herself, in which treated transparent layers of plastic are layered on top of one another. Since the 1980s, she has also been creating paintings, objects, collages, and prints. Toscani’s work is dynamic and makes use primarily of primary colors. Through her work, she seeks to express feelings of conflict, both internal and in human relationships. She draws you, as it were, into her artworks to confront you with emotions as every person experiences them for themselves. A work of art by Toscani cannot be fully grasped at first glance; you have to take your time with it. Bep Toscani employs a variety of techniques to bring her world of ideas to life. In her work, particularly her paintings, Toscani seeks to break free from her emotional intensity. Through exuberant brushstrokes and vivid colors on large sheets of paper, she transforms her feelings into color and form. The colors are brilliant and intense, tempered by shades of gray and black. “Without the shades of black, the work is still beautiful,” Toscani explains, “but the blacks also make the colors more radiant. That characterizes our existence as well.”`Toscani’s work can be seen as a reflective diary of her life. In her work, she cannot detach herself from her own experiences with the people around her. `When I paint, I usually don’t know where I’m starting from. Something emerges. In the end, it always turns out to be about people—oppressed, authoritarian, or happy people; on their own and in relation to one another.` Toscani’s work is not likely to escape the viewer’s eye. The artist invites every viewer to look closely and experience it in their own way.