Dr. Michael Durst is an exciting  artist. As a psychologist, Dr. Durst's paintings create not only beauty for the beholder, but also a state of relaxation and healing. His work combines realism with impressionism, evoking an emotional link to the heart-thus the name: "Heartscapes."

 

Dr. Durst loves to paint citiscapes of Italy and Chicago, as well as the beauty of Cape Town- the Waterfront, Table Mountain, seascapes, spring flowers, the vineyards, and of course, the people of the Cape.  His portraits of Native people of Africa and Native Americans, have won countless awards and have been shown in many international exhibitions

 

He has also gained international recognition as one of the most renown Fractal Artists. He uses fractals, created from complex mathematical formulas, to explore the interplay of form, energy and light. Dr. Durst then combines texture, pattern and color to change and to reset the clockwork of our inner being to the most beneficial health inducing rhythm. \/\/hen reset and unburdened from anxiety and social pressure, one's being enters a calm field where new patterns of behavior can develop and take hold within. These quiet inner fields are those that induce healing and Dr. Dursts fractal images create the way of passage. These colorful and powerful abstract images have won top awards on Fine Art America and have been featured on many fractal and digital art web sites.

 

In 2025, Dr. Durst was awarded “Persona Art Honors” for the Top 50 Contemporary Artists in the World by the Curatorial Board of the Contemporary Art Station.  Earlier in the year, he was named "Artist of the Year 2025"  in Florence, Italy at the Pucci Palace. In July, five of his works were exhibited at the Santa Fe Arts Exhibition in Santa Fe, New Mexico.   

In 2024, he received the "Phoenix Award for Fine Art" in Venice, the "Botticelli Prize" in Florence and "Leonardo da Vinci Art Award"  in Milan.  The same year his art was featured at the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) in Barcelona, Spain. 

He has had a solo exhibition at the Italian International Art Museum in Turin, Italy, three solo exhibitions in Cape Town, one in the Netherlands and his work was exhibited at the twice in a New York Chelsea gallery. All of these shows have gained his work international recognition. Dr. Durst's paintings are in private collections and businesses in the U.K., France, Turkey, the Netherlands, Chile, Canada, the United States and  South Africa.

 

Tour this web site for works of art that speak to your heart.