Marisabel Gonzalez—born in 1973 in Caracas, Venezuela, and currently working and residing in Sydney, Australia—is a contemporary artist examining visual narratives in abstract painting, focusing on the emotional aspect of human nature, the psychological effect of color and its possibilities as an effective tool for communication.
Marked by the use of bright colors, mark-making, gestural interventions, and the use of text, Gonzalez’s playful and bold abstract compositions are rooted in her background in medical imaging. Think of her mark-making, which is led by the echo patterns of an ultrasound monitor. A unique correlation between the process of painting and medical imaging can be found in the process of back-and-forth, question-and-answer. As a result, the Sydney-based artist lays down compositions consisting of various layers, capturing a wide range of motions and emotions. Her works feel light, presenting day-to-day narratives from a playful and abstract perspective, inviting the viewer to participate and converse.
Marisabel Gonzalez has had various solo exhibitions in Sydney (AU) accompanied by a solo presentation in Düsseldorf (DE). She has participated in institutional group exhibitions, encompassing the Manly Art Gallery and Museum in Sydney (AU), the Parliament House of NSW in Sydney (AU), ASD Den Haag (NL), and the Sydney Breast Cancer (AU). Gonzalez received various recognitions, including being selected as a finalist at the Paddington Art Prize in Sydney (AU), the Bluethumb Art Prize (AU), and a past residency at the Bushwick South Studio Residency Program in Sydney (AU). As a result, Marisabel Gonzalez is collected by national and international private collectors and public collections such as the Barclays Private Bank in Sydney (AU), the Stiftung Kleine Kunstdialog West/Ost in Düsseldorf (DE), and the AXICORP Corporate Collections in Singapore (SG) and London (UK).
Statement
All that I am comes through my art. My background in medicine, my career as an artist, my experiences of motherhood, and my life as an immigrant; all blend into my practice which predominantly revolves around painting. Working with an abstract composition, I explore the psychological effect of color and how this can be used as an effective tool for communication.
Within the bright and gestural artworks, I present day-to-day experiences from a playful perspective to invite the viewer into a compassionate conversation with themselves and with others. Inspiration is drawn from multiple sources: a situation, an emotion, a conversation, and a strong link to memories from home, family, friends, and tradition.
The initial concept, and the images derived from it, are given a specific color, and laid down on the canvas briskly and intuitively. As the paint is applied in subsequent layers, these initial images are twisted, transformed, and sometimes lost altogether. The creation of these multiple semi-transparent layers is aided by using various materials, such as acrylics, oils, crayons, spray paint, and charcoal.
I usually take notes of words, slang, and phrases both in English and Spanish. These are descriptive of a particular situation and sometimes can become the title of the final work. On occasions, these words may also acquire a written form in the canvas to help me emphasize the composition’s communication or to drive the viewer’s attention in a particular direction.
The completion of a painting involves a process of constant questioning and editing in which the back-and-forth interrogation and answer that takes place resembles what I used to do in my clinical practice.
Giving insight into the emotional aspect of human nature, the visual narrative of my paintings creates works that feel light, bright, and happy. They are my attempt to inspire conversations that bring joy and peace into our daily lives.
ABN 39 660 514 894