Looking Up Painting

I was born in London into an Anglo-French family and had a bilingual education. From an early age I drew and painted. I remember being fascinated by pictures in a Greek mythology book and painting the heroes. Of the old masters, I loved Botticelli particularly, and still do, and my mother would take me to the National Gallery to see some of his work. *** As well as art, I was drawn to science and technology and achieved degrees in IT, Physics and Maths. While studying these subjects, I continued with art taking part and helping to run the university art club. My career prior to becoming a practising artist was in IT, which took me as an expatriate to Brazil, Canada and Africa, where I lived for a number of years, absorbing and enjoying their very different cultures, which have helped to inform my own art. Brazil and Africa, hot, vibrant and full of colour, contrast strikingly with Canada, cold and white, at least in winter. I have travelled to many parts of the world, most recently to India, all of which have inspired me. *** Oil paint is my medium of choice. Its sheer lusciousness and ooziness is irresistible. Its versatility is astonishing - intense or subdued colour, thin or thick texture, wet paint into wet or dry paint and more. *** I love painting portraits, still lifes and interiors. I do landscapes too. There is a magical moment, if lucky, while painting a portrait when the jumble of coloured shapes suddenly transforms into the sitter. I find painting flowers in vases very rewarding. I like the contrasts of organic and geometric forms, of softness and hardness, and of translucency and transparency or opaqueness. Painting interiors is like painting a portrait of the owner, but through his or her surroundings. *** PRESS AND CRITIQUE - 'Lang’s strength is his ability to immortalise the expression of the subjects, transmitting their emotions; joy, fear, anguish and love. On analysis of Lang’s work, we are able to understand his talent in conveying passions and feelings that are able to touch and stimulate our subconscious mind.' Christopher Rosewood, European Confederation of Art Critics *** - 'Lang's use of colour and chiaroscuro, in an impressionistic discipline, is highly skilled and wholly exquisite.' Art World Talk *** - 'Lang adds to the refined reality and post-impressionist technique, something more personal and the result is arresting and truly emotional.' Art Press 24