ARTIST STATEMENT
Women are facing more challenges than ever to be heard and respected. We are bombarded by all forms of media hoping to grab our attention – so overwhelming in quantity, that most of us shut out the details. But these tactics work. Hateful words, talking points, and brand names stick in our minds.
Work in this series uses text, color and imagery to consciously remind us about the wholeness and power of every individual. Intentional and symbolic, they inspire us to speak up, set boundaries and remember that we are OK exactly as we are. How we might move through our days if all of the messages around us were positive and empowering?
My artistic practice examines the borderline between physical reality and the inner world. Informed by the study of integration and alchemy, I explore how visual imagery can provide a sense of hope to the viewer. Unity and duality mirror the human struggle to find a place of balance and wholeness.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Virginia Shepley received her Master of Fine Art in Painting from John F. Kennedy University’s Arts and Consciousness Program in 2001. Inspired by eastern philosophies, she explores the boundary where the earthly meets the divine. Shepley’s work has been shown in solo and group shows in galleries in New York, California, Oregon and North Carolina. Her drawings and paintings are in private collections around the world. Shepley has attended residencies at ChaNorth, the Lucid Art Foundation, Atlin Art Center, and Art Farm. She lives and works on a farm in North Carolina.
© Virginia Shepley