MARIKO HIBBETT

Featured Artist

February 16 - March 19

My paintings reflect my experience of the natural world, abstracted to explore the interplay of color and light. They are less concerned with the subject, than the atmosphere that is created — the warm glow of a late afternoon in summer, the crisp air of a winter morning, the rhythm of water, wind and trees.

Alongside my work as an artist, I have also been a practicing architect for many years. During that time, I have spent hours looking at plans, and that perspective has crept into my art. Recent paintings have taken an aerial view of subjects that range from bodies of water, gardens or land forms. This perspective allows me to detach further from the subject, and see the patterns, colors and forms that emerge. Looking down, I go where those colors or patterns lead me, to follow the feeling or mood of the painting.
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Recently, I have been working on a series of paintings inspired by a trip to Bali, and the beautiful lotus ponds filled with golden fish, found in the temple gardens. The series began with studies of the fish, the way they move and change depending on the time of day. As the paintings developed, they quickly shifted into a fascination with the water, and its unique quality of reflecting back the world above, while providing a glimpse of what lies below. They challenge the viewer to let go of what is near and far, whether something is below or above, a reflection, or view into an underwater world.