Artist Statement
My art practice is inspired by the natural landscapes I have encountered in my land and sea explorations over many years. Observing natural patterns and formations from the Arctic Circle to the Great Barrier Reef has provided a palette and motivation to expand and abstract these vistas and expose the sources and natural processes that form them. As an oil and encaustic painter, I work with ground pigments made from botanicals and minerals, suspended in heated beeswax or cold wax, oil and damar resin. The process of creating these images with encaustic mediums emulates the physical planetary process of heat, cold, pressure and stratification. Posing questions about the past, present and future land and seascapes of our planet is central to my art practice.
Bio
As an artist trained in oil, ink, encaustic painting, and monotype printing, Wo works primarily on wood, washi paper, and stone. Her education includes a BA in Philosophy (summa cum laude) with honors from John Carroll University, painting classes at the Art Students League of NY and other University art programs as well as concentrated atelier study in Denmark, the USA & Japan. Her inspiration is drawn from sailing and land travel in natural environments throughout the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, Africa, NZ/Australia, South America and the USA. Wo's work is in the permanent collections of: the New York Hall of Science Museum, the Hosby Konsthall Print Museum (Sweden), and the Museum of Encaustic Art (Santa Fe, NM) and numerous private collections. Wo is a third generation female painter living in Northern California.
Selected Recent Exhibitions (2018-2021)
2021
Feb SF Women Artists Curated Annual Show SFWA Salon, SF
March Auction for IRIS House, Curated by Jeffrey Peter - Benefit, NYC (virtual)
April SCAPES - City, Sea & Land*, Juror, Randall Sexton, SFWA Gallery, SF, CA
*Juror's Choice Award
June Drinking in Reykjavik, 2 person show, Atlantic Gallery, NYC
July Connections III, Curated invitational Exhibition, Atlantic Gallery, NYC
Sep. Clio Art Show, Curated by Alessandro Berni Gallery, NY, NY
Oct. SF Art & Design Show, Curated by Alessandro Berni Gallery SF, CA
Dec. Contemporary Art Pavilion , Art Basel Miami, Juried in by AB Gallery
2020
Jan Visions 2020, Curated Member's Group Show, Atlantic Gallery, NY
April Future Perfect, Member's Show, Atlantic Gallery, NY virtual
July ACLU AndrogyNYC, curated Group Show/Auction, NY, NY virtual
Aug. Retrospective, Solo Show, NH (curated by V. Shelton)
Fall. New Work, Curated Group Show, Lane House Arts Center, Hampton, NH
Dec David Allison & Friends, Curated show, Atlantic Gallery, NY
Dec+ Quarantined II, Juried Show (James Little), ASL-NY Linea, (virtual)
2019
Jan. International Print Show Juried Show, Husby Konstall, Sweden
June Encaustic Entanglements, Solo Show, Atlantic Gallery, NY
June Passages, Juried Show* , Annick Gromek, Juror. SAA Gallery, NH
*Awarded Best in Show
July Traces, Solo Show, SAA Gallery, NH
Dec Journey, 3 woman show, David Campbell Gallery, Concord, NH
Nov . Lands We Love, 3-woman invitational, Western Australia
Dec . Art Basel: Aqua Pavilion, Alessandro Berni Gallery (Sponsor), Miami, FL
Dec. Conversations in Color, 2-woman monotype show, Exeter, NH
2018
Feb Beginnings, Juried Group Show, Kat Payge Gallery, Denver, CO
July Global Warming, Juried Show, Museum of Encaustic Art, Santa Fe, NM
Aug. Small Treasures, Juried Show, Inverness Ctr for Arts, Nova Scotia, CN
Sept OCEAN Exhibition, ASI:Art & Scence, Juried Show, NY Hall of Science, NY,
Oct . Horizons, Solo Show, Art Up Front Street Gallery, NH
Nov. Hopeful Darkness, IEA Juried Show, Atlantic Gallery, NY
Affiliations
International Encaustic Association
www.international-encaustic-artists.org
National Association of Independent Artists.
San Francisco Women Artists.
Galleries
Alessandro Berni Gallery New York/Italy
www.alessandrobernigallery.com
Atlantic Gallery New York, NY
Lane House Art Center Hampton, NH
SFWA Gallery, San Francisco, CA