Artist Statement

I make paintings and art books that spark curiosity and connection with the barely explored places of our universe. I’m fascinated by mysteries in nature, science, and literature. I’m interested in exploring ideas equally through scientific research and the non-logic of imagination.

Mainly, I create paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor, or collage paper mixed with paint. I use brushes, improvised tools, and my bare hands to build up layers of information. When I’m painting, I build up multiple translucent layers into a cohesive image. That can mean using translucent paint or paper fragments to let parts of previous layers show through. As I work, I collect, transform, and piece together; often I also pace, perforate, and obscure, using magazine clippings, oil paints, foil, paper, and ink to assemble images.

Biography

Michelle Boerio is a visual artist and educator born in Columbus, Ohio in 1990. She loves to make art that combines multiple mediums to highlight the weird, wonderful parts of the natural world. Primarily, Michelle works in painting but also specializes in collage, printmaking, and bookmaking. She earned a BFA at the Ohio State University with a focus in Painting and Drawing and a MA in Museum Education at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Her art has been exhibited in Italy at the Academia Dei Fisiocritici in Siena, and in the United States including shows with Westmoreland National Exhibition, the Ohio Art League, and various art fairs. Michelle teaches classes and workshops through various central Ohio cultural organizations. she believes that anyone can benefit from the kinds of thinking and activity that go into making art. Currently she lives and works in Columbus, Ohio, where she divides her time between making art and teaching students of all ages.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the Greater Columbus Arts Council for their support through the Individual Artist Support Grant.