Angela Beloian: Transcendence Series

“Growing up in Southern California, my grandmother’s flowers were always in bloom. My mother nurtured her houseplants, some of which were decades old; they held emotional ties to loved ones both living and gone. Caring for the plants in and around our home connected us to the past and present.
When my mother passed two years ago, I relied on my art practice to process the trauma. I found that making beautiful things was a kind of antidote to the bitterness of cancer. I began drawing and painting her houseplants that outlived her; through art I was searching for her and trying to visually depict the connection I still felt.
Recent paintings take inspiration from my own backyard. They are meditations on transcendence and reference the biodiversity of the garden as a window to the cosmos. The celestial backgrounds are a reminder of the "bigger picture" to which we all belong; everything is born of stardust.
This past summer’s raging fires resurface in my work as a vibrant burst of energy. Drawing repetitive lines becomes a mindfulness practice and suggests a radiance or internal glow.
We are connected to a universe much larger than our everyday experiences and through living we radiate potential energy. I am interested in celebrating that which makes us unique but more importantly connects us to one another.”