Eastern aesthetic meets Western tradition in the unique paintings of Dutch-born artist Caroline Mars. Drawing on the five elements central to Asian philosophy - water, metal, earth, wood and fire - Mars’ canvases resonate with an uncanny organic quality. In fact, as the viewer contemplates Mars’ minimalist images they seem to transform from glistening water to mist, from abstract trees to smoke. Although her impressive canvases are in fact composed with acrylic paints, the minimalist palette, restricted to subtle and sophisticated grayscale tones, recalls both the Asian traditions of Chinese calligraphy and Japanese sumi-e ink painting. A master of negative space, Mars maximizes the Zen-like effect of the unadorned canvas, channeling its meditative power to produce works that are both stirringly beautiful and soothing in their simplicity.
Born and educated in Amsterdam, Caroline Mars lived and studied for a decade in Japan and Hong Kong. Today, the Holland-based artist incorporates her Asian studies of ikebana and Chinese painting into her innovative body of work.
