Carolina Alotus
1970
(Cyprus)
Sweden
Carolina Alotus (b. 1970, Malmö, Sweden) is a Swedish contemporary abstract painter currently based in Cyprus, where she has lived since 1990. Known for her active and energetic compositions, her works are luminous, fantastical arenas where beauty and harmony negotiate fiercely with chaos. Her paintings spark visual tension through unexpected relationships between colors, forms, and textures, and through the feverish juxtaposition of seemingly disparate mediums and techniques.
Education
Self-taught, she initially worked as a figurative painter specialized in lush, dreamlike, large-scale reproductions of flowers before embracing abstraction.
Inspiration
Alotus work shows clear influences from both Abstract Expressionism and Color Field painting, particularly in her emphasis on spontaneous, gestural mark-making and her sophisticated use of color relationships. The dynamic compositions and energetic brushwork in her paintings echo the freedom and emotional intensity of the Abstract Expressionist movement, while her attention to color harmonies and spatial relationships suggests an affinity with Color Field painters. From her earlier work as a figurative painter specialized in floral subjects, she has retained a sense of organic movement and natural forms, though now thoroughly transformed into pure abstraction.
"I find that the creative force inside me flows freely when I shut off the mind chatter and paint with my heart," she says.
This comment aligns her practice with the automatic painting techniques championed by the Surrealists, though her results are distinctly contemporary and personal.
Artist Statement
"As an abstract artist, my work is a continuous exploration of emotion, movement,
and the intangible forces that shape human experience. Created through a deeply
intuitive process, my paintings emerge organically, guided by instinct rather than
predetermined outcomes. I embrace spontaneity, allowing color, texture, and form
to interact freely, resulting in compositions that feel both raw and deliberate. My art
is not merely a visual expression but an invitation—an open-ended dialogue where
each viewer finds their own meaning and emotional resonance."
Technique
Her distinctive approach to abstraction involves bold, gestural brushwork and a sophisticated use of color. Her work demonstrates both controlled and spontaneous elements, with layers of paint creating depth and movement. She employs various techniques including thick impasto passages contrasted with more fluid, transparent areas, creating dynamic compositions that balance structure with spontaneity.
Exhibitions
Alotus has exhibited throughout Europe and the United States since establishing her practice. Her work has been featured in galleries and institutions in Los Angeles, Sweden, London, Miami, and Switzerland.
Representation
Alotus works have been displayed by IdeelArt since 2022.
