Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica is pleased to feature works by the mixed-media artist Giliane Bader on the Art Wall during the months of March and April. Bader’s work is inspired by her deep connection to the natural world and by the meditation practices she has adopted over many years spent traveling the globe.
Born in the Sahara, I left my native country in Africa as a civil war emerged. After a year in France, I welcomed my family’s relocation to Tahiti. This was a time of healing and reconnection with nature. After traveling on my own to Africa, Turkey, Egypt, West French Indies, I settled in Watertown, Massachusetts, before my recent move to Playa Del Rey, California.
Growing-up, I developed a visceral bond to the lands surrounding me – crabbing in the Mediterranean, watching tropical fishes fluttering around corals in the Tahitian lagoon, swimming in the Congo River or exploring a copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Drawn to Eastern philosophies since my stay in Tahiti, I became a practitioner of various Chinese martial arts. I hope the fauna and flora, colors, patterns and light qualities I encountered flow throughout my work.
A mixed-media abstract artist, I am currently training with artists Nicholas Wilton, as a member of his Art2Life Academy, and Susan Melrath. My work, created with many layers of acrylic paint and occasional collage, comes from a place of joy. My sensitivity to nature along with meditation practices are my source of inspiration. I work with acrylic paints, graphite, collage, painted papers, on several paintings at a time . When in the studio, I am fully engaged in a process of exploration, with an increasing focus on color. Feeling alive and present is what art is all about for me.
Please join us at a reception for Giliane Bader to be held after our worship service on Sunday, March 2, 2025, in Forbes Hall. The reception is free and open to the public.
The exhibit is available to view on Sunday mornings after 11:30 am and by appointment until April 27, 2025. For all inquiries, please contact our Art Committee.
