Irish Reflections

About Irish Reflections

The weathered face of an old Irish man is captured in stunning detail in this poignant outdoor portrait by Ciba Karisik. Known for his superb realism, the Canadian artist has rendered this oil painting in rich earthy colours. Karisik’s work appears to be highly textured. This is one of several pieces Karisik painted for a dear friend who wanted to remember the Ireland she knew as a little girl.

The man in the portrait is wearing a brown, wool cap, vest and a taupe shirt. The white of his grizzled beard and his blue eyes stand out behind round, metal glasses, slightly askew. The bucolic countryside in the background features a stone wall and green fields set against a pale blue cloud-filled sky. The viewer is immediately engaged as the man appears to be looking directly at you.

“The sitter is nobody in particular but could have been just about anybody in that moment in time back in the Irish countryside. The portrait is my own reflection of living vicariously through history via my own paintings, which tell a narrative of someone else's life.” Ciba Karisik

Ciba Karisik completed a bachelor’s degree in 1985 and a master’s in painting at the Sarajevo Academy of Fine Art. In 1992, Karisik immigrated to Canada where he continued his career. Since then, he has produced a significant body of work and exhibited regularly in solo and group exhibitions. His paintings are held in international corporate and private collections including those of Brian Mulroney, Alex Trebek, Martin Short, Martha Stewart and U2’s Bono.