Shiri Phillips

Statement from artist Shiri Phillips

Color is Life.

Impasto painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Inspired by the vibrant surroundings she found growing up on the Mediterranean and the Southern Californian Coast, Phillips is driven by the philosophy of “color is life.” Her works have been influenced by impressionism and the geometric nature of graphic design.

“My art is paired with intent, delivering pieces that hope to give the viewer the comfort of structure, along with the emotional release of abstraction. By overlaying the various mediums in an abstracted or impressionistic way, I hope to create a unique and vivid experience for the viewer.”

Born in Los Angeles, Phillips relocated to Israel at an early age and returned to the United States to finally settle in Omaha, Nebraska. Both personally and as an artist, she is bound to her Israeli and American dual citizenship and uses this as a part of her expression of identity.

For this project Phillips’ chose to create work that reflected the stories these survivors and the lives they lived. As color can be representative of our emotions, the boldness of color tells a story of life. These stories vary from one another, but they all have one thing in common: they survived. They lived to tell their story. These works are Phillips’ direct response the notion that memories act as a veil. There is haziness yet certainty to each memory humans hold. Layers of memories and stories are within the human experience, we must peel back those layers and uncover the truth.

Phillips’ relatives were also murdered in the Holocaust. She was raised with the understanding that “we must continue to share these stories and pay tribute to those we lost.” “My great grandparents lost their loved ones, and it is my job as their kin to remember.”

You can find more of Phillips' work on her site, Shiri Phillips Designs.