Zuriel Waters’ paintings exude an animated presence as if depicting strange figures or unknown creatures. Waters began enlarging the pieces with these most recent paintings and exploring horizontal compositions. This process transformed them and introduced a sense of place to the abstract forms. “I see them as clouds—gestalt landscapes contained within their own borders, demi-gods of the troposphere,” says Waters.
Waters forms the bouncy, bold abstractions out of sewn fabric and paint. The works are both geometric and fluid as each shape flows into the next, creating a lively rhythm within their rounded bodies. Waters utilizes homemade dyes to achieve intensely saturated colors. Though the colors are generally flat, the surfaces of the various fabric substrates offer a consistent texture that adds depth to the vibrant segments. Cheerful and buoyant, the paintings feel as if they are floating in space.
