IRIS Fluidism
Carmen Rieger ( IRIS ) was born in Romania and has been living in Austria for many years. A graduate of the Faculty of Industrial Design she has worked for many years as a furniture designer. Since 2018 she has experienced a whole new style inspired by the organic forms that fluids create in their movement. She called this new style "IRIS-Fluidism".
For IRIS, her style is a tribute to the most fascinating, important and complex fluid on Earth, without which life cannot exist _ WATER. Water is witness to the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living things. For the artist, water is not only the flow of life, but also an expression of spirituality. It is a sacred gift of inestimable value that we must take care. For IRIS, water is an expression of love and interdependence of all life forms on the planet and in the Universe. Water unites all of creation into a whole of boundless beauty, diversity, and complexity. The water in our body reminds us of the beauty and the unique chance offered to be present in everyday life, to witness the magnificent spectacle of life.
Her artworks are composed of intricately organized, organic forms inspired by the movement of fluids. In the bodies of humans, plants and animals, water is found in a proportion of 70% or even higher. Thus, in the summer of 2018, IRIS had the idea of drawing only the liquid part of the bodies without completely destroying their original shape and character. In a person's portrait, for example, their character and inner life can be recognized. An elephant is transformed into a new elephant through a complex ensemble of colors and organic shapes without losing the idea of an elephant. A bird remains a bird without losing the idea of flight.
From the beginning, the artist chose to use the 7 colors of the rainbow and the shades obtained by combining them in all her works of art. She wants to bring beauty, hope and love to life through her art.
Your artistic transition from industrial design to the creation of "IRIS-Fluidism" represents a profound shift not only in medium but in philosophy and thematic exploration. Can you elaborate on the pivotal moments or inspirations that compelled you to move away from the structured world of furniture design to the more ethereal and organic expressions found in IRIS-Fluidism?
My journey from industrial design to IRIS-Fluidism was less a sudden break and more an awakening — a calling that could no longer be ignored. IRIS-Fluidism emerged as a natural extension of my own transformation. Water and nature have accompanied me since childhood, and my daily practice of connecting with water has been a constant source of inspiration. In industrial design, I learned discipline, precision, and the harmony between function and form, but I always felt the need for freedom and organic expression. A defining moment came in 2018, when an experiment with water and flour generated an image that fascinated me and “awakened” my artistic energy. I made my first sketches inspired by this image. One of them I called "Girl in the Blue Dress", and shortly after that I created my first full drawing, which I named "Modern Woman".This experience ultimately led to the birth of the IRIS-Fluidism style. In this style, water and colors merge, transform, and flow freely, reflecting the interconnectedness of life and the continuous flow of existence. IRIS-Fluidism is not just an aesthetic, but a philosophy of life: an invitation to let art breathe, move, and live in harmony with the energy of nature. In leaving behind the rigid world of industrial design, I found a universe where art tells stories beyond words.
You describe your art as a tribute to water, emphasizing its role as the essence of life and a medium of interconnectedness. How do you approach the artistic challenge of visually representing such a dynamic and ubiquitous element, and what techniques have you developed to encapsulate its fluidity and spiritual significance in your work?
Water is both my muse and my language — the core of my IRIS-Fluidism style. It holds the memory of the earth, the rhythm of the tides, and the essence of all living things. Representing something so dynamic and omnipresent is not about imitation, but about embodying its spirit. In my process, I do not attempt to paint water as an object; instead, I engage with it as a living partner. The colors merge, drift apart, and transform — much like the shifting currents of the ocean — creating a visual flow that mirrors the continuous movement of life itself. Within IRIS-Fluidism, I have developed techniques that translate this vitality into form: using multiple bands of color to evoke depth, introducing controlled disruptions to generate organic movement, and incorporating neon hues that make the surface shimmer as if lit from within. For me, each work becomes a meditation on interconnectedness. Just as every drop of water belongs to a greater whole, every flowing line and blended hue in my paintings connects to a larger narrative — one of unity, transformation, and the eternal cycle of life.
The incorporation of the seven colors of the rainbow and their combinations is a consistent theme in your artwork. Can you discuss the symbolic importance of this choice and how it interacts with the themes of fluidity and life in your pieces? What is the process behind selecting the specific shades and their placements in your compositions?
The rainbow, with its seven colors, has always been more than a visual motif for me — it is a universal symbol of hope, harmony, and the bridge between the earthly and the divine. Each color carries its own vibration and emotional resonance, and when united, they create a symphony of unity. In my work, the rainbow is not merely a spectrum, but a metaphor for life’s diversity and flow. Just as water connects all living things, the rainbow’s colors connect the many layers of human emotion and experience. They embody transformation, much like sunlight refracted through a drop of rain — a reminder that beauty often arises from moments of transition. When selecting shades, I begin intuitively. I let the emotional atmosphere of the piece guide me, mixing pigments until they feel "alive" under my brush. In the end, each composition becomes a living entity — a confluence of colors, fluid organic forms, emotions, and light — with the rainbow serving as both a visual anchor and the spiritual signature of my work.
Given your unique style of portraying living beings by emphasizing their liquid components, how do you balance the abstract aspects of IRIS-Fluidism with the recognizable characteristics of the subjects you depict, such as a person's character or an animal's form?
In my style IRIS-Fluidism, my goal is not to replicate reality but to reveal the invisible — the energy, the liquid essence, and emotional presence that lie beneath physical form. When portraying a living being, whether human or animal, I focus on the flow of life within them: their movement and vibration of the liquid part of their bodies and the unique “current” of their spirit. Balancing abstraction with recognizability is a matter of distillation rather than depiction. I strip away unnecessary details and allow the fluid, organic shapes to suggest recognizable forms — a curve of color might evoke the tilt of a head, a swirl might capture the grace of a bird in flight. The subject becomes recognizable not through precise outlines, but through a complex of organic, fluid forms and the emotional truth it conveys. In the end, the balance is achieved when the viewer can “feel” the subject before they consciously identify it. It is this emotional recognition — deeper than the visual — that makes IRIS-Fluidism both abstract and deeply human.
Your work suggests a deep reverence for nature and spirituality. How do these elements influence your creative process? Are there specific rituals or mindsets you adopt while creating to stay connected to these themes?
Nature and spirituality are the roots of my creative process — inseparable and ever-present. I see nature not just as a source of inspiration, but as a mirror of our own existence: cyclical, fragile, and infinitely resilient. Water, light, colors, and organic patterns are my way of honoring the natural world while also reflecting the spiritual truth that everything is interconnected. Before I begin a piece, I create a quiet space, both physically and within myself. For many years, I have practised a ritual in which I say to the water daily, "Thank you," "I love you," and express my wishes. Through this ritual, I feel that I am activating my inner power and connecting to an energy that heals and purifies me.This is my ritual. I often start by meditating or simply observing water — watching how it moves, how light dances upon its surface. This act centers me and reminds me that my role is not to dominate the creative process, but to collaborate with it. My mindset is one of gratitude — for the water, for the light, for the colors, and for the chance to express something that feels greater than myself. In the end, each artwork is both a visual and spiritual offering: a moment of stillness captured within movement, a fragment of nature’s essence infused with my own.
Water, in your narrative, is not just a physical substance but a symbol of love and existential unity. In what ways do you believe your art impacts the viewers' understanding or appreciation of their own relationship with the natural world and with each other?
In my work, water is a universal language — a reminder that we are all part of the same current. It flows through our bodies, shapes our landscapes, and connects every living being on Earth. By portraying water as both a physical and spiritual element, I invite viewers to recognize themselves within its movement. I believe that art has the power to bypass rational thought and speak directly to the heart. When people encounter my paintings, I hope they feel not only the beauty of the fluid composition, but also its deeper message: that love, empathy, and unity are as essential to life as the water we drink. The fluid forms and interwoven colors mirror the way our lives are intertwined — sometimes merging in harmony, sometimes colliding, yet always part of a larger, shared flow. My intention is that viewers leave with a heightened awareness of their place in this delicate balance, and with a renewed sense of responsibility toward each other and the natural world. If even one person walks away feeling more connected, more compassionate, or more protective of our planet, then the art has fulfilled its purpose.
As someone who has lived in Austria for over two decades but hails from Romania, how have these distinct cultural experiences influenced your artistic vision and the development of Fluidism? Are there elements in your work that you would say are distinctly Romanian or uniquely influenced by Austrian artistic sensibilities?
My artistic vision is deeply shaped by the duality of my cultural journey — the soul of Romania and the refined structure of Austria. Growing up in Romania gave me a profound emotional connection to nature, folklore, and symbolism. There is a certain poetic intensity, a love for vibrant colors and metaphor, that comes from my Romanian roots and naturally flows into my work. It is this emotional richness that fuels the expressive, almost storytelling quality of my style IRIS-Fluidism. Austria, on the other hand, offered me a different kind of influence: a deep appreciation for precision, craftsmanship, and the timeless elegance of European art traditions. Living here for over two decades has refined my aesthetic sensitivity, teaching me how to balance passion with discipline, and spontaneity with harmony. In my paintings, the Romanian influence can be felt in the warmth and vitality of the palette — the bold interplay of colors, like the traditional woven patterns of my childhood. The Austrian influence appears in the compositional balance, the delicate layering, and the respect for technical mastery. Together, these cultural threads weave the essence of IRIS-Fluidism: a fusion of heartfelt spontaneity and thoughtful refinement, where East meets West in a harmonious, ever-flowing dialogue.
Your technique involves drawing the liquid parts of bodies without fully losing their original shape and character. This requires a delicate balance between abstraction and figuration. Could you describe the technical process and challenges involved in achieving this balance?
Achieving the balance between abstraction and figuration in IRIS-Fluidism is like walking a fine line between reality and dream. I want the viewer to recognize the subject, but also to feel that it is dissolving into something greater — as if its physical form is just one moment in an ongoing flow of energy. My creative process is a balance between control and spontaneity, between intention and freedom of expression. First, I analyze the dynamics of fluids in motion – whether it is a portrait, a landscape, or an animal. I always start a sketch with the subject I want to draw, and then I modify it several times until I reach a point where I feel I have said everything I wanted and I am satisfied with the final result. In the case of a portrait, for instance, each line must be placed very precisely. Any change, no matter how small, to the base lines may completely ruin the expression of the person in the portrait. All my artworks are complex and highly organized constructions made of fluid, organic forms. This stage of my creative process is, for me, both the most interesting and the most difficult. The next step is transferring the sketch (usually done in an A4 format) to a very large canvas. This step is crucial in its importance and extremely complicated. Any slight variation when scaling up the drawing can distort, change, and completely ruin a portrait. Every detail must be drawn with the utmost precision. The final step is applying the colours. I use acrylics, which I apply with a brush, in bands of varying widths, lengths, and shapes. Colour is the element that provides visual unity and harmony to my works. I use the seven colours of the rainbow and the shades obtained by combining them. The challenge lies in knowing when to stop. Too much control and the piece loses its fluid soul; too much freedom and the subject can disappear entirely. In the end, the subject’s identity is preserved not through rigid outlines, but through its energy, posture,fluid lines and color atmosphere. The process is a constant dialogue between me, the medium, and the moment — each piece is a negotiation between form and freedom.
Considering the current environmental crises impacting water globally, does your art engage with these issues directly or symbolically? How do you see your role as an artist in terms of activism or raising awareness about environmental issues?
Water is not only my medium and metaphor — it is also the lifeblood of our planet, and today it is under threat. While my art does not depict environmental crises in a literal way, it engages with them symbolically and emotionally. By portraying water as something precious, beautiful, and alive, I aim to remind viewers of its fragility and our shared responsibility to protect it. I believe that awareness often begins with emotional connection. Facts and statistics are vital, but they reach people differently than art does. Through IRIS-Fluidism, I seek to create a sense of reverence for water — to inspire love first, because we protect what we love. As an artist, my activism is rooted in beauty and empathy. I see my role as a bridge between the visible and the invisible: to show not only what is at risk, but also what can still be cherished and preserved. My hope is that viewers leave with a renewed sense of connection — to the natural world, to each other, and to the delicate balance that sustains life. If my work can awaken even a small shift in awareness or inspire a single action toward protecting our waters, then it has served both its artistic and its ethical purpose.
Looking towards the future, how do you envision the evolution of your artistic practice? Are there new themes or mediums you are interested in exploring, and how might they expand or deepen the central motifs of IRIS-Fluidism?
IRIS-Fluidism has always been about movement — not only within the artwork itself but also within my own evolution as an artist. Looking ahead, I envision expanding the concept into new dimensions, both thematically and materially, while keeping water, color, and interconnectedness at its heart. I am always in search of new ways to express the fluidity and dynamics of water. I explore interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly in the fields of physics and philosophy, to bring IRIS-Fluidism into an even more complex dimension. The future of my art will continue to be defined by exploration, innovation, and, above all, by the celebration of the natural beauty of fluidity. At its core, my future work will continue to celebrate the same truth that inspired IRIS-Fluidism from the beginning: life is movement, transformation, and connection. The mediums may expand, the forms may change, but the flow will always remain.