Painting / Mixed Media

Contact Information

e-mail:
www.michele@michelekishita.com
Please contact artist for purchases, commissions, etc.

Artist Statement

The transmutable quality of water seems endless. It is at once a vast frozen glacier and an invisible wall of humidity. In a matter of minutes, water’s beauty and serenity can become a frighteningly dark and tumultuous rage. It is a destroyer of life, yet without it life would cease to exist. For these reasons, it has been the subject or the stage on which the subject has been activated for artists and writers since time immemorial.

My paintings are inspired by Milton Avery’s serene landscapes and Katsushika Hokusai’s depictions of water. I build up layers of acrylic paint and collage and then work through them with a hand sander to create a weathered or aged look, after which I juxtapose or intermingle silver, gold, or copper leaf, reminiscent of Japanese screens and scroll paintings. In each painting I strive to capture the memory and spirit of the landscape.

Education

2010
The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
MFA, Painting

1997
The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
BFA, Fine Arts, Painting and Drawing with honors

1992
Hussian School of Art, Philadelphia, PA
AST, Graphic Design

Bibliography

2011
Studio Visit Magazine, Open Studio Press, Fall 2011

The 29th Annual Exhibition of the Emirates Fine Arts Society Exhibition Catalogue, United Arab Emirates, pages 202~205 & 218

Emarat Al Youm, United Arab Emirates, January 10, 2011

Selected Exhibitions

2011
Making Place, President’s Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

CFEVA POST Preview, Kimmel Center Summer Solstice, Philadelphia, PA
Juried Exhibition

The 29th Annual Exhibition of the Emirates Fine Arts Society: Still Melting, Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Engaged, Caplan Center, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2010
Wood Falls and The Wunderkammer : MFA Exhibition, Arronson Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

The Art of Healing, President’s Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

The One Fifty One 50 Show, The Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA

Future Excavations: Artists, Remnants, and Relics, Gallery 221, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

This is Complicated, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Artful Accessories, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA

OtherWise, B2, Philadelphia, PA

OtherWise, Caplan Center, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Art Unleashed, Hamilton Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

Work After Work, Solmssen Court, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2D or not 2D, President’s Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2009
Fine Art Garage Sale, Lena Street Studio, Philadelphia, PA

Works in Progress, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2008
Works in Progress, Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA

2007
Annual Regional Exhibition, Woodstock School of Art, Woodstock, NY
Juried Exhibition