Collection: Pia Stern

I am a process painter.  Using oil paints and drawing materials in an intuitive manner, I rarely approach my work with a preconceived idea.  Like an archeologist, I approach the canvas as if on a "dig," adding and subtracting, and waiting for the meaning of the piece to reveal itself through the mark making process.

Many of my works, although primarily abstract, incorporate symbols, and imagery. My family background (my parents escaped Nazi Germany) has sensitized me not only to the beauty, but also to the pathos in life. Much of the work is existential in nature, appearing to deal with the tension between light and dark – both metaphorically and formally. Ultimately, I view my paintings as visual interpretations of psychological and philosophical dilemmas that confront me.