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BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY: MARIA LOBO
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 San Francisco, Hunters Point Artists’ Community. She has exhibited in the
USA, as well as in Hong Kong. Her work was recently part of the Hong Kong Arts
Centre’s 25th Anniversary Show. She has recently completed a
monumental commissioned work for the Hong Kong MTR (subway). Maria relocated to
Vancouver, Canada.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
The work is “East Meets West” in both imagery and
techniques. It is a reflection of my own background and heritage, as well as
the East/West environment in which I live. I have looked inwardly at my own
history and background for inspiration.
The transparency and layers of paint, some
metallic, relate to the layers of life, current and historical. The viewer can
see traces of what came before in the painting process and the passage of time.
Transparency reveals what went before and its affects on what is visible now,
both on the painting surface and in our own personal histories. Floral and leaf
imagery also refer to family and ancestry, as in the family tree. Each leaf is
an individual with its own character. My use of metallic paints is inspired by
the beauty of Chinese prayer papers, which are burned for ancestor worship.
I work predominantly with acrylic on canvas. Most
of my current work is mixed media, which includes the use of paper collage, and
texts from the Chinese Almanac. The Almanac is past and future. It is
timeless. It was published originally in 2200BC and has been published annually
for over 1200 years.
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 own 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.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2002
An Evening
with Maria Lobo, Chouinard Gallery, Hong Kong.
2002
HK/NY, Plum
Blossoms Gallery, New York.
2001
Layers Of
Life, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong.
2000
Maria Lobo
Open Studio 2000, Artist’s Studio, Hong Kong.
1996
Fringe
Festival, The Fringe Club, Hong Kong.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2004
Through the Kaleidoscope, Plum Blossoms Gallery Hong Kong.
2003
Hong Kong Cyberport Summer Show, Hong Kong.
2003 Watchdog
Annual Fund, The Aberdeen Marina Club, Hong Kong.
2003
Traditions: the Blessing and the Curse, Invitational, Womanmade Gallery,
Chicago.
2003 6th
International Show, Womanmade Gallery, Chicago.
2001
Small Works Great Thought, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Hong Kong.
2003 In
Celebration Of Art—Hong Kong Arts Centre 25th Anniversary Exhibition,
Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong.
2001
Watchdog Annual Fund, Invitational Show, Hong Kong.
2001
Import/Export, Womanmade Gallery, Chicago.
2000
Galerie Martini, Salon D’hiver 3, Hong Kong.
1996 Esprit
Shirt Art, Seoul, Korea.
1996 Esprit
Shirt Art, Times Square, Hong Kong.
1995 December
Show, Gallery 7, Hong Kong.
1995 Friends
Of The Art Museum, The Chinese University Of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
1993 San
Francisco Open Studios, Hunters Point Studios, San Francisco.
1992 Group
Exhibition, San Francisco Open Studios, Hunters Point Studios, San Francisco.
EDUCATION
1993–94 Graduate Studies In Advanced Painting,
San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, Ca.
1993–94 San Francisco City College
Artists’ Critique Seminars,
Fort Mason, San Francisco, Ca.
1987–89 Independent Study, Barcelona,
Spain.
1985 Bachelor
Of Arts Degree, Fine Art/Painting (Honors),
University Of
Santa Clara, Santa Clara, California.
1983–4 Art History And Painting, Loyola University Of Chicago,
Rome Center, Rome, Italy.
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
Layers of
Tradition, 7 ft x 40 ft mural. Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway (MTR)
Corporation, Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong.
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