Emilia Williams was born in Bucharest in 1975. After finishing high school in 1994 she entered the Faculty of Law at The Ecological University of Bucharest. In 1999 she finished her studies and started practicing professionally in the law cabinets of the city.
Always interested in arts, classical music and the opera, Emilia soon became disillusioned with the hectic legal lifestyle, and so when she was offered a chance for a studio career working as a sculptor for Artistic Mano D’oro, she jumped at the chance.
Artistic Mano D’Oro was an inspiration to Emilia in many ways; an environment filled with imagery, friends and laughter; creating unbelievable sets for the movie and advertising industries; she soon had a desire to explore with a unique style – inspired by Bogdan Olariu.
Emilia has developed an individualist approach to her use of acrylic as a medium; not revealing much of her technique suffice for what can be visualised in her finished paintings.
When Emi went to South Africa, her breath was taken away by the big sky of the country; the rugged landscapes of the African bush; and the lush variety of colour and sound. This forms the essence of her work today.
Although she keeps a home in the artistic and tranquil village of Darling on the West Coast of South Africa, Emilia is currently living in the kingdom of Bahrain in the Middle East. Her studio is at her home in the small village of Janusan, where she raises her son with much love and care when not at the easel.
“The soul of the earth – what lies beneath"
“Art is made to disturb. There is only one valuable thing in art: the thing you cannot explain.” - George Braque
To try and capture the soul, or essence and energy of the landscape, is a challenge. Painting what you see and feel at the same time is a tremendous balancing act.
I am fascinated by the southern African landscape and strive to paint it in a uniquely individual way, different to other artists and other media. I can create images that have the essence of fantasy and truth that reality does not permit some imaginations to perceive. There is underlying warmth and mystery in the landscapes of southern Africa.
If we don’t do more to conserve the African wildlife heritage it will disappear; beyond our furthest imaginations or any memory of its immense contrasts and diversity. More of the continent needs to be protected and it needs to be done now before it's too late.
Emi Williams
