Allison Rietta
Allison Rietta, a Canadian artist based in Toronto, creates abstract watercolor paintings and collages that delve into the intricate interplay of opposing forces within her. Her work is a vibrant fusion of mystic geometry, symbols, and patterns, primarily rendered in watercolors and acrylics. Informed by her background in graphic design and her spiritual practice of sound and meditation, Rietta's art is a unique blend of visual and auditory sensations.
Drawing inspiration from the sacred sounds of singing bowls, Rietta's creations resonate with melodic vibrations, transcending the realm of visual art into the auditory experience. She perceives a direct correlation between the healing properties of sound and the rhythmic geometry she employs. By infusing simple shapes and forms with inner and outer spiritual dimensions, her work becomes a harmonious fusion of the tangible and the transcendent.
Born in 1969, Allison Rietta has a diverse background, having lived and worked in Germany, Italy, and the UK, in addition to her roots in Toronto, Canada. Her art has been showcased in both solo and group exhibitions across Toronto, New York, and London. Notably, her abstract watercolor paintings graced the pages of British Vogue's 'Vogue Gallery' print issues in March, April, and May of 2022.
Rietta's artistic journey has garnered recognition, as she was longlisted for the prestigious Jackson's Painting Prize UK and, more recently, shortlisted for the Visual Art Open 2023 UK and International Emerging Artist Award. Furthermore, her captivating artwork has found a special place in the exclusive collection of the Holbrook Hotel, which has acquired her pieces for their new 42-room boutique hotel in Roanoke, Virginia, USA.
In Rietta's art, the contrasting dualities she experiences within herself find expressive form. Her work navigates the tension between control and risk-taking, precision and imperfection, with striking visual contrast. One part of her creative process embraces looseness and free-flowing shapes and lines, while another is dedicated to the precision of geometric and formal elements. These divergent styles are not just aesthetic choices but integral to the deeper meaning of her work, embodying tightness and elasticity, tension and release.
Throughout her artistic process, Rietta engages in an ongoing dialogue between these opposites. The controlled energy of meticulously crafting circles and straight lines by hand on one surface unleashes into a fluidity of forms on another. The repetitive layering of watercolor necessitates time and patience, allowing new thoughts and creativity to emerge as she navigates between surfaces. This space of disruption becomes a fertile ground where imperfection coexists with her pursuit of geometric precision.
Meditation through yoga informs Rietta's artistic journey, and sound plays a pivotal role in her creative expression. She likens the moment of letting go in her art to the healing silence that follows the striking of a sound bowl. Her work reflects the liberating power of breaking away from self-imposed constraints. It is a continuous exploration of the intricate relationship between form, shape, line, and color, inspired by her intense curiosity and observation of patterns in nature. In the ebb and flow, light and dark, order and chaos of her surroundings, Rietta's art encapsulates the uncertainty inherent in navigating the opposing forces that surround us all.