Painting
& Fine Art

Mining personal history. Exploring dreams.

My work explores my family history and identity, reflecting the complexities of health concerns and chronic illness. My paintings, collages, and mixed-media drawings weave elements of abstraction and surrealism to delve into themes of personal loss and the power of memory.

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Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture

My current work involves acrylic painting on canvas, where I incorporate collage, pen and ink, and various mixed media elements into my compositions. I also create mixed-media drawings. My exploration focuses on the intersection of memory, bodily illness, my identity, and family relationships, expressed through surreal personal symbols and iconography. In my earlier sculptural works, I utilized installation techniques, found objects, and soft sculpture.

Poisoning the Well: Portraits with Dangerous Flora

This initial spark for the series was Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” The character Dr. Rappaccini raises his daughter, Beatrice, in a garden of poisonous plants for a scientific experiment, which makes her immune to their toxins but highly toxic to others. She later falls in love with Giovanni, who ultimately becomes “poisonous” by association and blames her for his “curse.” To save herself, she drinks an antidote given to her by her lover but tragically dies in the process.

I am fascinated by the strange contradictions of the natural world, which can be both beautiful and deadly. Some of the same poisonous plants used today to develop medications and antidotes for diseases are highly toxic in their natural form, much like Beatrice, who is both immune and poisonous. The ocean can be stunning yet dangerous, and there are beneficial bacteria in our bodies alongside others that can be harmful. A luscious peach is delicious, but the pit inside contains a substance that can produce cyanide when digested by enzymes in the gut. We are fragile and strong, passive and powerful, alluring and complex, and we all face an increasingly challenging world.

Cell Series

The cell series investigates cells and the nature of disease. I see parallels in the relentless multiplication of viruses and rabbits and the deceptive beauty of a seemingly healthy fruit that harbors decay within. The work examines the space between beauty and imperfection, health and malady. A lush peach symbolizes the body’s fragility, with a poisonous pit hidden at its core. Within this interplay lies the dance between life and death.

I have been fascinated lately with 'Japanese Kintsugi' as a source of inspiration in my work. The art of mending broken objects with gold, traditionally used in pottery, is a metaphor for resilience and healing. I am bringing this concept to the canvas, incorporating artificial golden cracks that resemble scars on the skin's surface. In this act of restoration, I find the power of acceptance.

Far away and yet so close

I began to incorporate collage into my work, in early 2016, drawn to the interplay of imagery and materials. I began to layer different images with paint, intentionally allowing some elements to remain hidden or only subtly visible beneath the surface. This layering technique became a crucial aspect of my work, as it opened up new avenues for narrative within the painting.

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Mariamne Shin

Painting
& Fine Art

Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture

Mariamne Shin

Mariamne Shin

Painting & Fine Art

Paintings, Drawings, and Sculpture

Mariamne Shin

Painting
& Fine Art