abstract – Circle Foundation for the Arts

Noelle Correia aka Mikoazule was born in 1977 under a full moon in Scorpio in Fresno, California. After spending time tinkering around at her father's auto repair/welding shop as a child, Noelle began to create an imaginary world out of carpenters chalk drawings of discarded car parts. This world turned the industrial environment of downtown Fresno into a delusional paradise. Noelle left Fresno at eighteen but took her imaginary world with her and continues to process the nuance and grit of everyday cultural collision through fluvial imagery.

Her creative process begins with color. Noelle is inspired by how the color schemes pop in biodiversity, such as a poisonous dart frog's epidermal layers resting on a muted green leaf. The biodiverse thread within her creative practice is that of Botanical Surrealism. She begins her work by thinking about the relationship between emotions and color and allows color theory to drive the outcome. Symbols that represent the feminine mystique and practical magic are a reoccurring thematic backdrop. The process has become a life metaphor in which she works through obstacles, obtains epiphanies, and understands herself as a tiny part of a much larger whole.

She conveys the beauty and complexities of human nature using texture, pattern, and narrative elements throughout her work. Her work has been exhibited in California Galleries and collectives exhibitions, including Radius Gallery, The Art Cave, The Art League of Santa Cruz County, Pajaro Valley Arts Gallery, and Arte Americas. Noelle's work further explores the botanical world through watercolor painting, paper-cut collage practices, and encaustic medium. Through wax, water, and human narratives of all kinds, Noelle creates a vibrant play on color and form.

mySERENA

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mySERENA, Serena Ho May Yin, who is an exceptional artist and writer, lives in Hong Kong S.A.R. and is on her first international tour of exhibitions. She is known as a mutli-talented artist as she is well-learned in many knowledge subjects including music, sport, maths, and science; besides art and literature. She merges the essence of knowledge and experience into her work with a higher focus on humanity. Before her graduation from Stanford University, her art fashion shop (2009) opened in Hong Kong. She subsequently debuted her solo in Hong Kong City Hall (2018) and was said to be the youngest female painter to have done so. She has had a round tour of exhibitions since then in other cities around China, Asia, Europe and the U.S., while she also published three books on ‘Serenity’ with Moon Publishers (2019-2021).

mySERENA asks the question: "We are all here to experience human life, but how?"

Her critically acclaimed series ‘Life Element’ that features a mystical form of signature light halo – explores the ‘Qi’ that can connect people as well as everything else in this universe. Minimal yet otherworldly, an audience enjoying this series seems to enter the spiritual realm at close range. Each light halo yet has its own texture and colour as it was created with her original way of combining classical painting and metalsmithing methods. Then her installation-like painting, ‘Alchemy’ is just as ground-breaking. Her unique approach of using fire along with paint is different from what we would usually see in a piece of painting. It resembles the energy in nature that cannot fully be controlled by any human being is indeed thought-provoking.

Eric Wixon

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What themes does your work involve?

Inner conflict / inner peace seems to be the most commonly recurring theme in my work. Often, my paintings attempt to process the whirlwind of emotions associated with the human experience. I find intent, meaning, and relation are all coincidental with creation, regardless truly personal work speaks to the collective consciousness.

Describe your creative process.

The house I grew up in had a bathtub with formica paneling in front of it; I remember repeatedly forming various mental images from that paneling as early as age 4. To this day I can remember a cat, the number 5, and a pair of scissors, amongst other imagery, but mostly I saw faces. I consider this to be my first artistic experience, and my creative process is still quite similar. I begin making marks without a predetermined notion, then search within the marks, and generally end up with strange multi-face imagery. It is an intuitive journey that usually gets solved about 3/4 of the way through the process. The last 1/4 of the process is just carrying out the actions to physically complete the piece. I tend to work in small series to prevent boredom and encourage exploration.

What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?

I believe my work is somehow the result of everything I've experienced, and that it primarily functions as a tool towards self-awareness.

What is good art? What makes a piece of art great?

Good art reflects an acute connection to, and relation of, personal experiences. Great art resonates those personal relations and connections at a societal scale over a period of time.

What is the role of the artist today?

The artists of today should be widely varied, each with their own role. As a whole though, the artist of today will reflect this period of time and affect the fundamental sense of self in the process.