Marleigh Culver is a designer by day and an artist by night. Like some kind of sneaky art superhero, she spends her days working in Need Supply’s design department, but when she gets back home to her lounge room studio she switches to her role as an emerging, exciting abstract artist. Based out of Richmond, Virginia, Marleigh has been a fan of art for as long as she can remember and despite her work being void of any recognisably literal forms, making it is a truly emotional experience for her.
Working across paint and digital forms, Marleigh paintbrush always manages to find meaning and emotion in the most incredible shades of colour. It’s an element she obsesses over, knowing how important it is to choose the right shades to express her feelings. She creates organic silhouettes and soft forms in subdued colour palettes, stacking them to create calming and somewhat romantic compositions. On switching between mediums, Marleigh says, “Making digital work is like ‘no that shape doesn’t fit there, that color needs more hits of yellow.’ Painting is freeing and a little more about feeling and seeing how the strokes go. I like being free.”
Hints of Ellsworth Kelly here, and whiffs of Henri Matisse there, give us an insight into her influences and inspirations. Like these greats, her work is exciting in its versatility. We could easily envision her work across almost any surface; from wallpapers to murals, homewares and textiles. And, to be honest, we’re pretty chuffed on the idea of these objects or surfaces possessing any of the shapes and lines that she imbues with such honest, touching emotion.
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