Melissa Mahoney

Vortices draw all that surround them into their powerful currents. Melissa Mahoney is interested in these masses of energy and how they can contain and then transfer their energy. Each of her pieces is intended to convey a sense of motion and an energy that captures, and then transcends, the particular subject matter.

Translating these energies in raw form, Mahoney feeds the canvas with paint, dyes, metal leaf, enamel and modeling paste, utilizing color with shades of dark and light. In turn, the completed work expresses this dynamic force, inviting the viewer to receive the energy if they choose to.

Her artwork is also influenced by the symbol called Ensō, the Japanese word meaning “circle”. It symbolizes absolute enlightenment, strength, the universe and the void. As an “expression of the moment,” it is often considered a form of minimalist expressionist art. While traditionally painted on silk or rice paper in one movement, Melissa paints on raw linen, canvas and wood panels using multiple brush strokes.