Artist Statement
Many of my paintings share a grid structure and semiotic language, forming a narrative where shapes act as distinct characters. Circles, central to my work, evoke concepts of wholeness, the symbolic voids within us, lifecycle, and femaleness. The re-articulation of these shapes emphasizes their existence, presence, and a yearning to be seen.
As an adoptee, my art mirrors my exploration of identity and the pursuit of belonging. In deciding what to reveal or conceal, I grapple with both fear and longing for authentic visibility. In this work, the interaction between exposed and obscured layers serves as a metaphor for emotional transparency, reflecting the interplay between vulnerability and resilience.
I create rules as a foundation for the structure. The work is layered, incised, inlaid, and scraped. Lines intersect the surface, creating a dichotomy of openness and impenetrability.
Biography
Deborah Peeples is an abstract artist who paints with encaustic and exhibits nationally. She holds a BFA from Washington University School of Fine Arts and also studied at the Lake Placid School of Art. She returned to a full-time art practice after raising her family and working for many years as a community, social, and political activist. Peeples has been an active member of The Crit Lab, Yellow Chair Salon, New England Wax, Pell Lucy, and is Board President of the Cambridge Art Association. She lives in Cambridge and works at Joy Street Studios in Somerville, MA.
CV
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