MARISSA VOYTENKO
encaustic painter
BIO
Marissa Voytenko was born and raised in a small agricultural community in Northern California. As a youth, she was selected for the rigorous art training program, California State Summer School for the Arts. Marissa furthered her studies in art at a small college in the hills of Montecito, California and then, Boston University, where she earned a Master of Fine Art in Studio Teaching. Soon after graduation, she was introduced to the medium of encaustic, and has been painting with this molten wax medium for over 15 years. Marissa is represented by a number of galleries throughout the United States and has also exhibited her work internationally. Recently, her artwork has been on the cover of the American Psychologist and Comment magazine. She has also been a featured artist in Christianity Today. Her work is in private collections throughout the United States as well as abroad. Marissa resides with her family in the Chicago area and has taught as an adjunct professor at Wheaton College.
Artist Statement
I am an abstract encaustic painter whose interest lies in making visible that which is invisible. Instead of creating work from physical observations of the natural world, I focus on the unseen landscapes of the psychological and spiritual. The intersection of life experiences and how these affect our mental outlook and shape our spiritual identity are intriguing to me. I draw inspiration from a variety of sources: from architecture and travels abroad to home-schooling my two children. If I am working with my daughter on her cursive writing, then those lines influence my own work. Or if my children are studying ancient architecture, then Roman arches find their way into my compositions. I use these life experiences to create symbolic imagery that communicate larger truths.
Grids and symbols are my language for communicating my thoughts and feelings and an instrument for ordering them. Within this structure I find my way around the surface of the painting, making creative decisions. Repetition of line as well as shape is a key aspect of my work. This too is another avenue for organizing the internal experience. In the application of the paint as well as in the imagery there is a recapitulation that offers space for contemplation. Inherently, the overall appearance is characterized by a steady beat of marks that through their arrangement seek to communicate abstract concepts that are not easily explained in words or narrative imagery.
The medium of encaustic found me almost 20 years ago and is my preferred medium of communication as it’s physicality and diaphanous qualities emulate my conceptual ideas. I enjoy how the wax affords me the ability to use precision while, at the same time, lends itself well to roughly textured surfaces that take on a wabi-sabi affect. It is the paradox of the broken up hard-edges where I find beauty, as well as in the physical act of digging and scraping the wax as it reflects the mining of my thoughts and soul and so exposes those things which were once hidden.
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
Select 1-3 Person Exhibits
2023 Voytenko, Ebe & Westlake, Shain Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2022 Rituals, Walford Galleries, Wheaton College, IL
2021 Rituals, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago
2020 Unto the Least of These, Judson University, Elgin, IL
2019 Tapestry, Addington Gallery, Chicago, IL
2018 Examen, Dordt College, Sioux City, IA
2018 Off the Grid, Addington Gallery, Chicago, IL
2017 Boats & Bridges, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL
2016 Timescapes, Delta College, University Center, MI
2015 Quiet Spaces, Acton Institute, Grand Rapids, MI
Curator: Joel Zwart
2015 Between Order and Chaos, Dow Museum of Science &
Art, MI Curator: Bruce Winslow
2015 Forest Hills Fine Art Center, Forest Hills, MI
2015 Structure, Leep Gallery at the Postma Center, MI
Curator: Sharon Rodgers
2012 Already, Not Yet, Primus Gallery, L’viv, Ukraine
2011 Flight, Primus Gallery, L’viv, Ukraine
Select Group Exhibits
2023 Art of Water, James May Gallery, Milwaukee WI
2023 Fresh, Anne Irwin Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2022 Conceal/ Reveal, LaFontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, MI
2022 Midwestern Biennial, Rockford Art Museum, IL
2022 Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Grand Rapids, MI
2022 Encaustic Show, Shain Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2021 Retrospective, Forest Hills Fine Art Center, Grand Rapids
2021 Abstract Invitational, Shain Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2020 5x5, Westmont-Ridley Tree Museum, Santa Barbara, CA
2019 North X Northwest, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT
2019 It's All Abstract, Art Access Gallery, Columbus, OH
2019. Open Ended, LaFontsee Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI
2019. Shape Shifters, Anne Irwin Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2019. Pattern Play, Anne Irwin Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2018. Slightly Obsessive, LaFontsee Galleries, Douglas, MI
2018 Collective, La Fontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, MI
2018 Women In Art, Anne Irwin Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2017 Emerging Artists, Anne Irwin Fine Art, Atlanta, GA
2017 Geometric Complexions, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL
(Curator: Sergio Gomez)
2017 Beneath the Surface, The Art Center, Highland Park, IL
(Curator: Caren Helene Rudman)
2017 12th Annual Encaustic Invitational, Conrad Wilde Gallery
Tuscon AZ
2017 Perception & Intention, La Fontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids
2017 Toast, LaFontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, MI
2017 Everyone In the Pool, La Fontsee Galleries, Douglas, MI
2017 Freshly Considered, LaFontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, MI
2016 Reinventing Ourselves, ZhouB Art Center, Chicago, IL
(Juror/ Curator: Sergio Gomez)
2016 All In The Pool, LaFontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, MI
2016 Boundaries, Borders and Thresholds, Kreft Gallery
Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI (Juror: Sarah Kohn)
2016 Collective Alchemy, LaFontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, MI
2016 ArtPrize, Richard App Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI
(Curator: Richard App)
2015 Live Coverage, Urban Institute of Contemporary Art
Grand Rapids, MI
2015 The PINK, Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art
Midland, MI
2015 Toast, LaFontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, MI
2015 Body & Soul, Kreft Gallery, Concordia University
Ann Arbor, MI (Juror: Joe Levickas)
2015 Lookie Here, LaFontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, MI
2014 Reflexion, Calvin (106) Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI
(Juror: Joel Zwart)
2014 53rd Annual Greater Michigan Exhibit, Dow Museum of
Science & Art, Midland, MI (Juror: Larry Cressman)
2014 5 x 5 Exhibit, Ridley-Tree Museum of Art
Santa Barbara, CA
2013 Summer Exhibit, White Stone Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2013 Cairn University, Langhorne Manor, PA
2013 ArtPrize, Saint Cecilia Music Center, Grand Rapids, MI
Gallery Representation
Anne Irwin Gallery, Atlanta, GA
LaFontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, MI
Shain Gallery, Charlotte, NC
Live Demonstrations
2019 Encaustic painting demo., LaFontsee Galleries
2018 Encaustic painting demo., Dordt University, Iowa
2017 Encaustic painting demonstration, LaFontsee Galleries
Grand Rapids
2016 Encaustic painting demonstration, LaFontsee Galleries
Douglas, MI
2015 Live Coverage, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts
Grand Rapids, MI
Film
2017 "More Art Upstairs" (film documentary
about ARTPRIZE), http://moreartupstairs.com
Collections
2017 Kent County Country Club, Grand Rapids, MI
2016 The Right Place, Grand Rapids, MI
2015 Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
2016 Steelcase Inc. (Grand Rapids, MI)
* Commission Platinum Partners
2014 Freeze Sulkov CPAs and Associates, Dallas, TX
2009 Northland Hospitality Gallery, Longwood, FL
2009 Priority Inc., Orlando, FL
2008 Marriott International Model Room, St. Pete, FL
2008 International Plaza Hotel, Orlando, FL
2008 Lake Shore Ranch, Florida
2008 Renaissance Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
2007 Onion Creek Clubhouse, Texas
2007 Emerald Beach, Florida
2007 800 Madison Clubhouse, New Jersey
2007 Northland, A Church Distributed, Longwood, FL
2005 Christ the King Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, MA
2002 Woodland Bible Church, Woodland, CA
2001 Ocean Hills Community Covenant Church, Santa Barbara, CA
Grants/ Awards/ Fellowships
2015 Artist In Residence, Forest Hills Fine Art Center
Grand Rapids MI
2014 Alden B. Dow Solo Exhibition Award, Midland, MI
2007 Grant, Northland Foundation for Arts and Education
2004 Fellowship, Boston University School of Visual Art
Art Education
2003 Constantin Alajalov Scholarship, Boston University
2000 Agnes Carlander Scholarship Award, Westmont College
1994 California Arts Scholar, CSSSA
Bibliography
2022 American Psychologist (Cover Art) May/ June 2022
2021 IMAGE Journal
2018 Comment Magazine, (Cover Art) Sept 2018
2018 Christianity Today, July/ August 2018
2017 American Psychologist, (Cover art) April 2017, vol. 72 no. 3
2011 A-Z Art Magazine, Featured Artist, a-zart.com.ua , June -
Nov. 2011 v. 3
2009 Summit Magazine, Featured Artist
summitconnect.org/magazines
2008 Your Business and Your Life, Bill McCallister
Bascom Hill Pub. Group
2005 Chelsea Youth & Family Resource Guide, Cover Illustration
July 2005
Education
2005 Master of Fine Arts, Boston University, Boston, MA
2000 Bachelor of Art, Art Westmont College, Santa Barbara
CA
1999 Gordon College in Italy Program, Orvieto, Italy
1994 California Summer School of the Arts, California State
University, Fresno CA