Michele Riche

Lives and works in Ridgefield, CT

Artist statement

I make representational oil paintings of familiar imagery to explore themes of identity and displacement. My pared back compositions and varied methods of paint application build an underlying psychological narrative. By focusing on individual subjects, along with cropping, gesture, and shadow, I leave parts of the painting unresolved, allowing solitude and quiet tension to emerge. I am drawn to oil paint for its flexibility and the richness of its color and texture. Building up the surface, often painting over previous work and sanding back sections, allows traces of earlier layers to remain visible. By revealing some parts of the painting and holding others back, I create a sense of curiosity through contrast. The paintings come from personal experience, using familiar objects as their starting point. By limiting forms and focusing on texture and shadow, I invite the viewer to linger with what is visible, layered, and partially hidden.

Artwork