Pace
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas
40 x 120 cm
Painting is an act of exploration, not repetition.
Coby Hurtak works in distinct visual cycles. Each series establishes a specific impression and explores it until the subject is exhausted. Once the conversation with the canvas is finished, a new cycle begins.
CYCLE XII: Architectures of Hope (Acrylic and Oil on Canvas)
"With this new series, Architectures of hope, I wanted to share a deliberate message of hope in response to the uncertainties of our time. I believe that our differences do not have to divide us; rather, they can be the very foundation we build upon. We often assume that tradition and modernity must inherently clash, but I see them in a constant, enriching dialogue. By bringing together the quiet endurance of the past and the vibrant, spontaneous energy of the present, my goal is to show that contrasting voices can unite to create a beautiful and resilient harmony. "
- Coby
"This painting represents a postmodern visual synthesis between tradition and contemporaneity through a mixed technique of paints that generates a vibrant chromatic effect, where the intense blues of the water interact with the warm tones of the historic buildings in the background. The urban composition combines historic architecture with submerged modern sculptural elements and mural street art, creating a surreal landscape that reflects the cultural stratification of the contemporary city. The style falls within the realm of modern urban illustration with pop influences, where the fluidity of watercolor meets the graphics of street art in a visual narrative that poetically explores the theme of coexistence between historical memory and urban creativity of our times."
- ACCADEMIA ITALIA IN ARTE NEL MONDO
SELECTION FROM PREVIOUS CYCLES
SELECTED EXHIBTIONS
Bienalle delle Arti Visive, Lecce (ITA), 2025
Salon des Peintres Contemporains, St Tropez (FR), 2025
Singer Museum, Laren (NL), 1988
AWARDS
Divin Artista, Lecce (ITA), 2025
Ulisse, Lecce (ITA), 2025
Excellence scholarship from the Beaux-Arts Minerva, Groningen (NL), 1990
AFFILIATIONS
Member of the Taylor Foundation, Paris
Member of the Peintres de St Tropez
Member of the Societa' promotrice delle belle arti Torino
"I do not believe in a static style. For me, painting is a method of investigation."
- Coby
Coby Hurtak was born in 1963 in the province of Friesland, in the Netherlands, as the daughter of an architect and a mother passionate about textiles and drawing. She quickly became interested in the world of Art. Her curiosity drove her to travel the world to capture the uniqueness of each place.
In 1988, she graduated cum laude at the Academy of Fine Arts, Minerva, in Groningen, the Netherlands. Three years later she became a full professor in fine arts at the same academy.
In her works she depicts the world through her vision where memories and feeling mingle. The observer is carried away in his contemplation through the different layers overlapping and interacting, in her works. The play of colours and lights in her works provokes experiences in the spectator’s mind while the attentive eye explores each layer and detail to capture all the work’s secrets.
"I do not believe in a static style. For me, painting is a method of investigation. I work in distinct visual cycles, immersing myself completely in a specific subject, medium, or color palette until I have exhausted its possibilities.
Sometimes this investigation leads me to the rigid geometry of an Italian arcade; other times, it demands the fluid, organic chaos of a bird in flight or the layered history of a Parisian street wall. Whether I am using heavy body acrylics to build architectural texture or lithography to explore repetition, the goal remains the same: to deconstruct what I see and rebuild it as a memory.
My work is a dialogue between the permanence of the places I visit and the fleeting nature of the moment I capture."
- Coby
The Selected Works
Journey through current and archived series. A curated look into the artist's ongoing exploration of form, light, and architecture.
Behind the Canvas
Discover the alchemy of the workspace. Step inside to explore the techniques, the heavy iron press, and the physical craft behind the art.