Within the luminous primary colors and stylised subjects of Marialuisa Sabato’s paintings lies a deceptive simplicity. We see flowers, fish, hillsides, but if we gaze for a moment longer we discover an otherworldly quality to the works. The skies are not real skies; the flowers are not real flowers. They are instead the manifestations of Sabato’s inner landscape and psyche, visibly expressed in paint so as to communicate with the viewer. Sabato uses a vibrant palette, often applying the paint straight from the tube, and laying it down with wide, textured brushstrokes. Her use of square-ended brushes on expansive fields of color creates a feathered effect, allowing the hues to blend directly on canvas where the edges merge. These effects add to the otherworldly quality of Sabato’s work—the tones glow as if lit from within by an incandescent haze. The integrity of the pure colors lends her paintings a chromatic strength that acts as the anchor of the works. Sabato creates for us a direct window into her soul, and it is clear that it is joyous within. On this, she herself says, “This joy is my way of fighting the ugliness of the society surrounding us.” In this way her works are both expressive and escapist, capturing a spirit that calls for times and values that have been lost. Sabato wishes for her paintings to engage directly with the viewer and transport them to a place beyond their problems, no matter how large or small. She credits her optimistic outlook and ability to communicate to the fact that she writes and illustrates children’s books. With filters to block the heart, the mind can follow suit.

Marialuisa Sabato currently lives and works in Bari, Italy. She is a painter and an author and illustrator of children’s books who has won awards and exhibits widely.

www.gigarte.com/marialuisasabato

www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Marialuisa_Sabato.aspx