My Affordable Art: Tingting Yang

I recently bought a few pieces from Affordable Art Fair Shanghai 2023 – among them, a small oil painting that is very special to me. It’s called ‘Angels with Strawberries and Grapes’ by Adria Sartore. 

Adria was born in Genoa and Italy’s traditional cultural heritage, fairy tales and classical art are all nutrients in her genes. In 2004, her work was selected for the BP Portrait Award and she was invited to exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Adria is especially fond of presenting the emotions in her life and memory in palm-sized scale. By using the medium of traditional oil painting on wood, the artist constructs a series of new “mythical” scenes. She makes good use of characters and symbols, and uses a third-person perspective to change the relationship between people and objects in the original work. There’s a sense of humour in her works and she plays with contradictory emotions – beauty and grotesque, praise and disgust, to create tension.

I like the subject matter – a cute bunch of boys and girls like angels playing in a garden. Adria’s great technique and the tiny size of the painting creates an intimacy between the viewer (myself) and the work. 

I don’t usually collect classical figurative paintings. Instead, I like abstract and surrealism which gives me a lot of room for imagination. However, this work from Adria reminds me of what draws me to various museums around the world. It also reminds me of my childhood growing up with my sister and cousins. I put it in my bedroom so it’s the first thing I see when I wake up every morning.

You should always buy something that really connects and moves you. It might be to remember a special moment or person. To expand your collection, you may want to look at other artists in the same generation that complement the styles you already like.   

Affordable Art Fairs showcase contemporary art from local, domestic and international markets to suit a variety of budgets. Our fair team carefully select trustworthy and enthusiastic galleries that are committed to their signed artists and their collectors.