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Artist Statement

I have found painting to be a meditative experience, something that was reinforced in my early life by a visit to what Uighurs call the ‘House of a Thousand Buddhas’ in the Taklamakan Desert’s Tarim Basin. This Uighur cave art was a mixture of mythological or primitive images and a place that brought a feeling of peace, or perhaps a Zen-like state. These aspects of my painting reflect something deep inside me — my own spiritual connection with, and influence by, different civilizations, west to east. It is important for me to express what I’m familiar with in everyday life. In China, it was the vast population, and I was able to reflect on how humans and society interact. In the US, the great expanses helped me develop even deeper thoughts on space and life and I see these not as abstract, but as tied to a visual experience. I’ve used simple human figures to try to have a dialogue with people and to reflect on ourselves, the environment, immigration, political refugees, and population in a way that is both simple and complex. I also try to make it look more optimistic, visually, and to direct attention to a more peaceful, quiet life that people have lost.

www.mikraypida.com