Born and raised in Hong Kong, Maria Lobo’s art training took her to Italy, Spain and the USA.  Studying at the University of Santa Clara and the San Francisco Art Institute, she gained degrees in Fine Art and Painting in 1985.  Maria returned to Hong Kong in 1994, having been part of the Hunters Point Artists’ Community.  She has exhibited in the USA, as well as locally.  Since her return, her work has been exhibited at Gallery 7, the Fringe Club, Galerie Martini, Chouinard Gallery, as well as at Plum Blossoms Gallery in Hong Kong and New York.  In 2000, 38 of Maria’s works were exhibited at her own Open Studio event.  Her work was recently part of the Hong Kong Arts Centre’s 25^th Anniversary Show.  She has recently designed two large-scale art works in glass for the Hong Kong MTRC, which will be installed in the Tseung Kwan O Station in Spring 2003. 

The work is “East Meets West” in both imagery and technique.  Maria looks inwardly at her own heritage for inspiration.  Her work reflects her own multi-cultural background and history, as well as the East/West environment in which she lives.

 NOTES ON TECHNIQUE  

With the exception of commissioned works, I rarely create definite compositions, nor do I produce multiple tests prior to executing a painting.  I have found that the painting holds little interest to me if visual challenges have already been solved before the artwork has begun.  In fact, I usually work on unstretched canvas, on the floor, in order to give myself more freedom of expression and freedom from the idea that the final piece may be used decoratively on the wall of someone’s living space.  The paintings are part of my self -expression and personal explorations with paint.  The fact that they work decoratively is a positive by-product of the creative process.  Each piece is started with a visual concept in mind, but the concept often evolves, develops and emerges as it is being produced. 

I work predominantly with acrylic on canvas.  The Layers of Life series is mixed media work, which includes the use of pumice and paper collage. Colors are earthy, quiet and introspective. The use of gold and silver, metallic paint is inspired by the beauty of Chinese prayer papers that are burned for ancestor worship. 

I often use parts of the Chinese Almanac for collage work.  The Almanac is past and future.  It is timeless.  It was published originally in 2200BC and has been published annually for over 1200 years.  The Cantonese call it “Tong Sing” or “Know Everything” book.  It is a book of wisdom.  It covers areas of philosophy; morality; astrology; folklore; medicine; food; fortune telling (e.g. face reading / physiognomy). 

The silhouetted ancestral images float in time and space.  The symmetry and repetition of forms is an attempt to put some order to the chaos of abstraction, and disorder of life in general.