My fascination with the dichotomy of the seen and unseen has been a conceptual cornerstone for most of my career as a figurative artist. I am moved to portray the human figure in two aspects: body and soul. The image of a young female figure reaches into a part of my experience that contains infinite ideas and images. It’s in the moment of hesitation when one moves into the interior space of thought that I find my inspiration. I’m constantly in a state of awareness about the world taking in the imagery, colors, and patterns that to my eye are compositions of settings and people. This keeps my perception enriched by each and every moment. I believe that every situation in life has potential as a great work of art.

My intention in painting is to exemplify the human condition through the lens of my art. I strive to paint not only the delicate features of the external person but to capture the tender unseen presence that transcends understanding in the depth of a soul. The mystery of existence is profound. My hope is that in these works depicting the complexity within thought and emotion, people might find inspiration to look at one another in new ways and grow in sincere appreciation for each other. 

 

“My dependence on the visual world began when I lost much of my hearing through spinal meningitis at 2 years of age. This loss was a blessing in disguise as I learned to depend on body language and reading lips to communicate. So, from my youngest days, I became sensitive to the people around me and the unspoken language revealed through compositions of the human body.”     
                                                                                             -Ali Cavanaugh