STUDIO NOTES
Reflections on making art, exhibitions, and the ideas behind the work.
July 2026
Berkeley Art Center, July 2026. Photo by Qinaus
Hi,
Thank you for subscribing.
Whether we met during Silicon Valley Open Studios, at an exhibition, through friends, or somewhere along the way, I'm glad you're here.
Open Studios was a wonderful experience! Thank you to everyone who visited my studio. The conversations we had and the stories you shared made the weekend especially meaningful. And thank you to those who took one of my works home. It means a lot to know that my work will become part of someone else's daily life.
I plan to write once a month about new work, exhibitions, and the ideas I'm exploring.
On View
Since Open Studios, one painting has continued its journey. Attenuation is currently on view at Berkeley Art Center through August 15.
The idea for Attenuation came on December 18, 2025. I was driving home after a long day, stuck in traffic on the same familiar route. It was a week before Christmas. While everyone around me seemed caught up in the holiday rush, I felt emotionally worn out, a feeling many adults can probably relate to. The red brake lights from the cars ahead washed across my face, softening my features until they were almost a silhouette. I wanted to capture that feeling and that image, so I took a selfie. A few weeks later, it became this painting.
Attenuation, 2026. Oil on canvas, 18 × 24 in.
Looking
In June, we spent two weeks traveling through Italy and Switzerland.
One of the things that stayed with me from the trip was Anselm Kiefer’s exhibition in Milan. To my surprise, my teenage son was the one who suggested we go. I had seen Kiefer’s work before, but never so much of it in one place. The scale was overwhelming, in the best way. The exhibition was dedicated to forgotten women alchemists, which made me curious. I came home with more questions than answers, which is usually a good sign. :)
Anselm Kiefer, Le Alchimiste, Palazzo Reale, Milan
In Zürich, I finally saw Pipilotti Rist’s Pixel Forest at Kunsthaus Zürich in person. I had only seen it online before, but it stayed with me because it made such a strong impression. Seeing it in person brought me back to some of the ideas behind Symbiotic Drift, especially how bodies, technology, and environment keep shaping one another.
Pipilotti Rist, Pixel Forest, Kunsthaus Zürich
Back in the Studio
Now I’m back in the studio working on a new series about childhood and memory. I’ll share more about this direction, along with a few new works, in my next newsletter.
If you're in the Bay Area, I'll be at the Berkeley Art Center community potluck on July 11. Please come say hello if you're there.
Thank you for reading,
Anna
Anna