Spiritual and Cosmological Images by Emily K. Grieves.


An acrylic painting of a grassy skyline with symbolic markings in the skyAbierto (Open), acrylic on canvas

Our featured artist today is Emily K. Grieves! Emily received her BFA from the University of Montana, and now resides in Teotihuacan, Mexico. In her artistic practice, Emily creates murals, paintings, and drawings Influenced by spiritual and cosmological images.


A painting of a female saint in front of a roseOur Lady of the Sacred Rose, acrylic on canvas

In her recent works, Emily focuses on human figures, drawing from the idea of muses and mythology. Her paintings use earthy tones and often use flattened perspective, looking rather like images from ancient texts or pottery. There is definitely a narrative aspect to Emily’s artwork. Each object or figure in a painting seems to express a symbolic meaning, and whether that meaning is simple or complex and conceptual is up to the viewer to decide.

 

A screen capture of the front page of Emily K. Grieves' websiteThe front page of Emily's website

Emily’s painting series, Cuando Se Abre el Cielo, or When the Heavens Open, draws from imagery of traditional Mexican sculpture and drawing, particularly mythological figures. Each painting seems to be its own small moment of spiritual contemplation.

 

A detail of a mural featuring Mexican mythological figuresQuetzalcoatl, (detail of mural at Dreaming House), acrylic

Written by: Dallas Jeffs
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