Marisa Gallardo
BIO
Marisa Gallardo came to painting later in life, guided by curiosity and an unexpected spark of inspiration. When she discovered that she could create by letting her imagination and intuition lead the way, she felt an immense sense of joy and freedom. That moment of connection between hand, color, and emotion changed her life completely —and she’s been painting ever since.
A self-taught artist, Marisa continues to expand her practice through workshops and mentorships with artists who inspire her exploration of abstract art and mixed media focusing at the moment on “Encaustics”. She delights in working with beeswax, raw pigments, and a blowtorch—“I love feeling like an alchemist,” she says.
Her paintings burst with color and life, reflecting her joyful engagement with the world around her, layered with history, mystery, and time.
Born in Santiago, Chile, and raised in Miami, Florida, Marisa now calls the mountains of Western North Carolina home. Surrounded by shifting light, changing seasons, and the quiet rhythm of nature, she finds endless inspiration in both the ocean and the mountains. Through her own distinct sense of color and movement, Marisa creates abstract compositions that serve as a bridge between her perception of beauty and the emotional world of the viewer—a dialogue between nature, spirit, and the soul.
STATEMENT
I've been working my entire life to this point where movement and fluidity have been the common thread. From the day that I decided to move out of the rigidity of the corporate world, which was never me, and go to massage school I became the happiest person alive. Soon after I began my journey into yoga, and felt that I had truly found myself. What I never thought I would be was an artist, but when I discovered that I could let myself free playing with colors and get lost in that world I could never let go.
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In the quest to finding my own artistic expression I have realized that from massage to yoga to painting, the thread of movement and fluidity has always been there and it's how my soul moves.
I am in wonder of everything and everything intrigues me. My work is a constant movement between the heat of the torch and all the possibilities that fall into my hands. I come to these explorations in the hope that the common thread can be perceived.