Miriam Tribe
“My work provides questions of identity - I want to explore why people are the way they are, and capture in a moment that deep context. I animate the self alone yet never truly alone; entanglement of mind and body is everywhere between us.”
We’re All Watching
20” x 16"
acrylic on paper, framed
SOLD
About the artist
Every work I create begins with a line. Weighted and intuitive—like the downbeat of a rhythm—either on its own like a one-handed melody, or as a foundation for layers of shapes and color. I reach for charcoals or oil pastels, always seeking a soft texture with weight and suspension. I reduce. I omit. I suggest, the viewer surmises. When I discover an interesting face I will often retrace my path again and again until my grip loosens and my lines become fluid and graceful like choreography. If I’m painting then I use deep, earthy shades of acrylics or oils and often layers of both. There’s a certain amount of neatness in my work, but also a deliberate disregard for perfection.
My work is figurative and expressionistic. I draw people with an inclination towards the subtleties of expression. If line is choreography, then paint is costume—graphic, rich and patterned. Not unlike ritual or war paint, it defines the primal inner state, the true intention. For male portraiture I often expose emotional vulnerability, for female portraiture I tend to protect it. I use patterns to carry symbolic heft, and gesture to convey mood and trajectory.
My work provokes questions of identity—I want to explore why people are the way they are, and capture in a moment that deep context. I animate the self alone yet never truly alone; entanglement of mind and body is everywhere between us. I am a woman who has had to rebuild and reinvent, and my work reflects the idea of choice—about the roles and identities we choose and those that are thrust upon us. I grapple with inheritance and believe in rebirth. Motherhood has taught me how inherent and honest both beauty and pain are to our human experience, and my aim as an artist is to hold space for both.
*Multiple Originals
A “multiple original” is a limited edition design that is made to order as an original drawing. Custom sizes are available - see pricing structure below.
12x9” $168
11x14” $200
12x16” $224
16x20” $288
20x24” $352
22x30” $416
