Sharon Bloomfield Hicks

Website:

sharonbloomfieldhicks.com

About:

Sharon Bloomfield Hicks is a Philadelphia based artist, aesthetically influenced by her Jamaican heritage. Her paintings and tapestries are distinguished by bold color combinations, large shapes and active figure-ground relationships. Synthesizing craft materials with painterly intentions she creates fresh, uplifting work which reflects the harmony and well-being she desires to see in the world.

Hicks holds a BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art and an MS in occupational therapy from Philadelphia University. Early in her career, she completed an apprenticeship at the Fabric Workshop and exhibited her work in solo shows at Third Street Gallery. She served as Personal Secretary to Violette de Mazia at the Barnes Foundation, completed in-depth studies of the Barnes collection and went on to become the first Education Coordinator at the Violette de Mazia Trust.

An interest in ways of seeing in art and life led Sharon to work as a vision therapist and then immersion in the healing arts. Drawing connections between the healing arts and art, she taught Meditate and Create classes at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and other venues. Later, during her career as an occupational therapist, she came to understand her art practice as a therapeutic activity. She has used a "life as art" philosophy while maintaining an overarching purpose of teaching people to see. Her current work links art with vision and health.

Artist Statement:

“Working at the intersection of art and healing, my process is guided by a passion for learning and a yearning for harmony. I combine vibrant colors and large interlocking shapes to create visual drama. Decorative to expressive, whimsical to powerful, the bold simplicity of my work may recall the Jamaican island vibe of my maternal homeland, while other times reflects an innate impulse to hone in on the essential. I approach art as an explorer venturing into the unknown with an open curiosity. The openness allows me to see something new. When a work is complete every color, line, shape and texture belong. There’s a new balance and harmony that’s refreshing and liberating. Art provides a means to expanding consciousness. The seeing and learning, the growth, the healing are what make art valuable.”