Rita Aad blasts her studio music and tells Tracy Lynn Chemaly how her paintings explode into textured layers of colour.

Tell me about your stick-like figures.
I used to be influenced by Modigliani, the Italian figurative artist, but I can’t draw like him, so I’ve developed my own figures. It’s natural for me to draw like a child. Before, people didn’t understand what I was doing because it wasn’t a classic portrait, but now they say they get happy vibrations from my paintings.

How do your paintings develop?
I sometimes paint seven layers over each other, and don’t stop until I can step back, look at it, and know it’s ready to sign. Some canvases stay in my studio and are forever changing. I use knives, the back of the brush and the tube of paint to form my circles and make the oil paint stand out.

Do you always use bright colours?
Definitely. I’m not into faded colours. I like colours that open your eyes. Red and green are my favourites. Even when I have my nails done, I ask for the brightest red!

You keep touching your paintings…
And I don’t mind other people touching them either! They say a baby should be touched 100 times a day to grow confident and feel warmth. I want people to feel good like I do when they touch my paintings. Why just stare at them? My paintings are not about lust – I want it to be a love thing and people should feel that connection.

Where can we touch your work next?
At Les Jardins du Mzaar in Faraya from August 11th to 16th.

Call 03 245543 for more information.