Artio Magazine Issue 11 by artiogallery

ARTIO

ORARTIO MAGAZINE

Director/Curator in Chief

Bisa Bennett

An accomplished and experienced artist herself, Bisa Bennett understands the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for artists to exhibit their work. As a curator and multimedia designer, she is also well-versed in creating engaging opportunities for viewers to experience art.

“At our gallery, our vision is to serve as a dynamic and inclusive platform that fosters connections between artists and art enthusiasts, nurturing a vibrant and diverse artistic community,” she explains.

Cover Photo Artist: Brittany DeMeo

Instagram: artio.art.gallery

Email: exhibit@artiogallery.com

BRITTANY DEMEO

“I’ve always been a dreamer, and my art is where those dreams begin to take shape. I channel my pain and personal history into something alchemised, letting every emotion - from soaring joy to the darkest lows - find its place on the canvas Through my work I hope to transport others and show that any dream, no matter how impossible it feels, can be shaped into your reality.”

- Brittany DeMeo

Brittany DeMeo, working under the pseudonym Spiritual Bitch, makes dynamic paintings that are instantly recognisable for their idiosyncratic visual language and layered imagery. Characterised by an instinctive and intuitive approach, DeMeo’s work contains within it a sense of fluidity and unmistakable energy. Patterns, symbols and forms are combined and juxtaposed, suggesting unexpected and enigmatic narratives. Referencing neoexpressionism and pop art, DeMeo’s practice is defined by vibrant colour, gestural mark-making, subjective experience, and deep emotion.

Fairy Portal

BRITTANY DEMEO

For example, E-Tea came to DeMeo in a dream and encapsulates the artist’s signature use of glitter and her technique of pouring and throwing paint directly onto the canvas. Dreamscapes like Matrix, Fairy Portal and Portal Hopping are otherworldly and surrealist, suggesting transformation and transfiguration. The artist playfully incorporates recognisable motifs in her paintings, such as dollar bills, cartoon characters and musicians, creating her own pop iconography of contemporary culture.

Portal Hopping

DeMeo’s practice is experimental and explorative, reflecting her own life as a contemporary artist. Infused with motion and energy, each piece channels the artist’s experience and emotion, resulting in vivid, dynamic and singular paintings. There is something unexpected and uniquely contemporary about DeMeo’s work.

The artist explains, “As a nomadic artist, I am born from motion and change. My work reflects resilience and adaptability, transforming experiences into visual stories of spirit and strength. Rooted in spirituality and guided by transformation, I create as an act of liberation. I am Spiritual Bitch Art - raw, fearless, and evolving with every step of the journey.”

FA’ATASIGA MATA’U

I paint intuitively, letting the colours guide me. Every piece begins with a story and ends with a piece of home.

- Fa’atasiga

The Samoan word Fa’atasiga translates to ‘a gathering’ or ‘an event that brings people together.’ Capturing the spirit of her name, Fa’atasiga’s art celebrates togetherness and connection. Her deeply evocative paintings offer the viewer an opportunity to experience the rich culture, colour, beauty and spirit of the Pacific. Growing up in Samoa and spending much of her life in Hawai’i, painting is a way for the artist to capture memory and honour heritage. Her artistic practice centres on personal recollection and a profound sense of place Each piece begins with a memory, a moment, or a feeling She explains, “I’m inspired by real memories - walking past ginger flowers, picking hibiscus, or watching warm sunsets fall behind palms in Hawai‘i.”

Fa’atasiga’s paintings are infused with a sense of joy, warmth, and natural rhythm. From portraits to tropical blooms, each piece is imbued with vibrant brushstrokes and luscious, vivid colour. Her signature incorporation of a dark background lends each painting a sense of internal radiance, with ginger flowers, hibiscus and anthuriums appearing luminous, radiating light and colour. Fa’atasiga paints the beauty of nature in a way that transcends realism, capturing deep emotion – such as the joy felt when faced with a beautiful sunset or a blooming flower

TEUILA (Red Ginger Flower)

F ’A A T A S I G A

COLORS OF ANTHURIUM

Colour plays an essential role in the artist’s work. She explains, “Colour is the heartbeat of my art. It carries emotion, culture, and the soul of the Pacific. I choose colours based on what I grew up seeing - the deep reds of the teuila (red ginger flower), the bright yellows and pinks of hibiscus, and the endless greens of island landscapes...They allow my work to speak before anyone ever reads the title.”

Fa’atasiga uses colour to tell stories about her culture and homeland, painting vibrant, verdant landscapes and island warmth. At the same time, in her hands, colour becomes a universal language, communicating a sense of joy and celebration.

There is a generosity that defines Fa’atasiga’s practice. The healing that she has found in creativity, she shares with others. The artist explains, “Ultimately, I hope my art allows people to feel connected - to beauty, to culture, and to a place that feels like home, even from far away.”

Carlos Abraham is a Lebanese Mexican artist with a background in architecture and photography. His work explores the beauty, balance, and refinement of the human form, often captured in classical poses and framed within architectural settings. In his most recent body of work, the male form is positioned within an almost theatrical context, figures are captured in front of heavy red drapes, accompanied by various symbolic objects. Within these tableaux, the human form is imbued with a sculptural quality.

Cubo II_telon

Works such as Cubo Telon and Banco Telon capture beautifully lit subjects in classical poses. The subtle depiction of light and shadow enhances the representation of the anatomy of his subjects, recalling the naturalism of a Renaissance painting. Abraham has exhibited widely throughout Mexico and Buenos Aires. His work is held in the permanent collection of the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico.

CARLOS ABRAHAM

Cubo telon

MIAMI ART WEEK 2025: A CITY IN FULL CULTURAL FLUX

Miami Art Week continues to evolve into one of the most compelling art gatherings in North America not only a marketplace, but a temporary network of ideas, aesthetics, and international dialogue. The city becomes an extended exhibition, from museum programs and private collections to satellite fairs that shape the week’s real texture.

Among them, Red Dot Miami stands out for its clarity of focus and its commitment to strong contemporary work. Situated in Wynwood, the fair offers a balance that many collectors seek: ambitious art, a curatorial vision that favors material experimentation, and an atmosphere that encourages genuine conversation rather than speed viewing. Red Dot’s strength lies in its ability to introduce audiences to mid-career and emerging artists while maintaining a sense of accessibility. It is a fair for discovery, and the audiences treat it that way.

Miami Art Week has always been a convergence of creative ambition and cultural exchange. Red Dot reinforces the idea that the week is not just about spectacle it is a working, thinking, and collecting environment where art and dialogue move together.

RED DOT MIAMI FEATURED

ARTIST

FRANSIE MALHERBE FRANDSEN

Fransie Malherbe Frandsen is a South Africanborn fine artist, writer, and illustrator now based in Switzerland. With a background in graphic design and art psychotherapy, her work reflects a deep interest in the emotional undercurrents of human experience. Drawing inspiration from multiple cultures and her therapeutic practice, she creates mixed-media paintings that challenge perceptions and open conversations around themes often overlooked. Her work has been exhibited internationally and has received notable recognition, including the Award of Excellence at the Women in Art Biennale in London and the front cover feature of The World Art Guide 2025.

Flying not Falling

Her piece Shhh… No One Cares explores how childhood memories shape our inner world Through playful yet unsettling imagery feet suspended mid-motion, bursts of color, and drifting candy wrappers the work reflects on freedom, vulnerability, and the quiet restrictions that follow us into adulthood Despite its collage-like appearance, the painting is entirely created through acrylic and mixed media, capturing a moment where innocence meets introspection

CARMEN ESPEJO LOPEZ

Carmen Espejo López is a Granada-born painter currently based in Toledo. A selftaught artist and hairdresser by profession, she has forged her own path in the arts through dedication, sensitivity, and a deep passion for painting. Her work reflects an emotional search for beauty, using color, texture, and atmosphere to explore personal expression. The balance between her daily craft and her artistic practice has shaped a unique creative universe that invites viewers into quiet spaces of reflection.

Her piece Desde el mar 1 blends the movement of the sea with the stillness of open fields Soft blues and earthy tones merge like waves meeting meadows, creating a moment of harmony between motion and calm. The work evokes a landscape suspended between water and land, offering a serene visual journey through nature’s shifting moods.

PAOLA MONTEMAYOR

Paola Montemayor is an abstract artist whose work explores color, form, and material as tools for emotional expression. Guided by intuition, she creates soft atmospheres built through layers of transparency, fluid gestures, and organic shapes. Her practice invites quiet contemplation, offering the viewer a sensory space where feeling takes precedence over language For Montemayor, painting is both a physical and spiritual process an act of listening to what cannot be spoken.

Her piece Agate Mist reflects this approach with clarity and calm Inspired by the layered complexity of natural minerals and the subtle movement of air, the work unfolds in cool blue tones that shift gently across the canvas The delicate transitions and translucent veils of color evoke both the solidity of earth and the fleeting nature of mist. Agate Mist invites the viewer into a meditative encounter, where the boundaries between the tangible and the ephemeral softly dissolve.

Pink Sapphire

Alix Born is a visual artist whose work begins in photography but expands far beyond its traditional boundaries. Guided by silence, intuition, and close observation, she creates images that explore the space between what is seen and what is sensed. Her compositions reveal delicate forms and symbolic gestures, inviting viewers into a calm, reflective state

ALIX BORN

Virtuous Relationship

In this piece, subtle shapes appear to float within a circular field, suggesting movement, transformation, and a soft conversation between the visible and the invisible. Born approaches each image as a threshold where reality gently opens into imagination. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Miami, London, Paris, Venice, Stockholm, Munich, and Monaco

DANIEL J. MAIER

Dr. Daniel Josef Maier is a self-taught artist whose creative path began outside the art world Trained first in medicine, he discovered his true vocation in a moment of personal searching, when painting offered clarity that theory could not. His background in medical and psychological studies continues to shape his artistic language, giving his work emotional depth and a sharp understanding of human experience. For over five years, he has dedicated himself fully to art, developing an international presence with exhibitions in New York, Munich, and cities across Europe and the United States.

His piece Right or Wrong I’m In is a bold statement of conviction. The figure’s pink lenses cut through doubt, rejecting the illusion of perfect choices or perfect timing. Surrounding splashes of vivid, urgent color reflect the chaos, risk, and energy of real life. The work reminds us that growth comes from stepping forward not from waiting for certainty. Guided by discipline and inner conviction, Maier creates art that invites viewers to think deeper, feel more honestly, and embrace the power of decisive action.

Right or Wrong, I'm in.

GIOVANAH FARACO

Giovanah Faraco is a Brazilian visual artist currently based in Portugal. Her artistic journey has taken her through Brazil, Australia, Italy, and now Portugal, shaping a multicultural perspective that informs her practice Working primarily with acrylic paint, she also explores sculpture and ceramics, embracing a multidisciplinary approach centered on the female figure Vibrant colors, organic shapes, and touches of gold, symbols of strength and transformation, define her visual language. Her work reflects themes of identity, heritage, and emotional resilience, leading to exhibitions across the United States, Spain, France, and beyond.

Her piece Emi captures a moment of serene introspection. The woman’s closed eyes and calm expression are set against a striking contrast of deep blue and warm gold, suggesting a balance between strength and tranquility. Soft gradients and subtle textures highlight the beauty of inner peace—an essential theme in Faraco’s ongoing exploration of the feminine spirit and its quiet, enduring power.

HENDRIKKA WAAGE

Hendrikka Waage is an Icelandic contemporary artist whose work explores presence, perception, and the act of listening in a crowded world. Influenced by her life across Iceland, Japan, the United States, Russia, and the UK, she creates bold, expressive paintings marked by layered textures and recurring symbolic details. Working with acrylics, oils, and oil pastels, she focuses on the human figure as a way to reflect emotional strength and introspection She has exhibited her work across Europe and the United States and currently lives in London.

Her piece Calm reflects her interest in stillness and resilience. Warm browns and tranquil turquoise tones frame a composed figure, inviting viewers to consider what they choose to hear and what they let go. The work captures a quiet inner strength an image of calm maintained even when the world grows loud.

HENRIQUE DIOGO

Henrique Diogo, a self-taught contemporary artist from Poços de Caldas, Brazil, develops his work through experimental practice guided by mathematical, geometric, and philosophical principles His approach unites diverse branches of human knowledge from religion to logic to abstraction forming a visual synthesis of historical and theoretical thought Through precise structure and symbolic form, his paintings explore the relationship between pattern, meaning, and perception Despite his young age, his work has been exhibited in prominent European institutions such as the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) and the Diocesan Museum of Terni, earning international awards including the Gold Medal from the International Academy of Modern Art (AIAM) in Rome

His piece Diamond reflects this union of geometry and philosophy. Built from interlocking shapes and harmonic symmetry, the composition invites contemplation of order, balance, and the unseen structures that shape human understanding. With its meticulous design and conceptual depth, the work embodies Diogo’s mission to bridge different currents of thought through contemporary abstract art.

Diamond

KENNY R.K.

Kenny R.K. is a Japanese artist working primarily with pastel and, at times, oil on canvas. Raised in rural northern Japan, he discovered painting early, earning national recognition as a child. Though an illness steered him toward an academic and business career, his desire to create remained After decades devoted to professional work and equestrian competition, he returned to painting at age fifty, embracing it with renewed purpose. Influenced by the philosophy that culture enriches society, he seeks to express the emotions that have shaped his life pain, hope, loneliness, joy, and gratitude.

His piece Ambivalent Red reflects his sensitivity to human feeling Through glowing tones and shifting shadows, the work explores the beauty and complexity of the feminine presence strength and softness held together in quiet balance. The figure appears suspended between light and emotion, capturing admiration and introspection. With its intimate atmosphere, Ambivalent Red reveals Kenny’s dedication to portraying the inner landscapes of the heart.

Ambivalent Red

MYLENE COSTA

A Portal Between Silence and Revelation

Mylene Costa is a Brazilian sculptor based in Miami whose work transforms energy into form. Moving between abstraction and symbolic structure, she creates fluid shapes that explore time, silence, and the spiritual dimension of matter. Born in Cuiabá, she has developed an international career while living between Brazil and the United States, exhibiting her sculptures across Europe, Latin America, and Brazil.

Costa approaches sculpture as a space for contemplation, where intuition and reflection guide the emergence of each form Her piece A Portal Between Silence and Revelation embodies this vision through its polished blue contours, suggesting a threshold between the physical and the immaterial The work invites viewers to experience matter as vibration quiet, expansive, and alive.

NATALI DEUS UNIVERSE

Natali Deus is a multidisciplinary artist whose work blends painting, psychology, and energy practices. Educated in fine arts and clinical psychology in Ukraine, she draws from her background in cognitive and parapsychology, along with lifelong intuitive sensitivity to energy, auras, and biofields. As a Master of multiple ReiKi lineages, she integrates spiritual symbolism and healing intention into every piece, often using natural materials such as gold leaf, crystals, and semi-precious stones.

Her work Vishuddha: Ice and Flame, from the “Chakras – Ice and Flame” series, represents the throat chakra through a palette of celestial blues and detailed energetic forms Enhanced with lapis lazuli and rose quartz, the painting reflects themes of communication, truth, and the balance between inner voice and outer expression Exhibited in her solo show “Ice and Flame” in Odessa, the piece bridges ancient chakra systems with contemporary visionary art, inviting the viewer into a space of clarity, resonance, and spiritual connection.

Air Music - Chakra Vishudha

ANGELICA BRIONES

Angelica Briones is a mixed-media painter who works with oil, acrylic, watercolor, and modeling paste to create richly textured surfaces Her paintings often blend hints of the human body with abstract forms, using soft tones, layered textures, and subtle metallic touches Briones’ process is expressive and intuitive, allowing form and emotion to rise naturally through the material

The featured work reveals a figure emerging from a textured landscape, surrounded by organic marks that feel both delicate and strong Her art reflects a search for meaning within complexity capturing quiet moments where vulnerability, resilience, and beauty meet. Briones has exhibited her work in galleries, and her paintings are held in private collections.

L a D o n n a d i B a r c e l l o n a A N G E L I C A B R I O N E S

ARTSY.NET AND THE CHANGING ARCHITECTURE OF ART SALES

The center of the contemporary art market is no longer defined solely by the cities and fairs that claim global attention Increasingly, it also runs through the servers and search fields of platforms like Artsy net, which has become one of the most influential digital spaces for galleries, collectors, and art advisors worldwide

What once required travel, appointments, and months of waitlists now unfolds through a platform where research, inquiry, and acquisition happen in the same ecosystem This transformation is not theoretical it's measurable According to Artsy’s 2024 Market Recap, the average total sales per gallery on the platform rose 15% year-over-year, reaching their highest levels since 2021. Some galleries reported growth nearing 40%, illustrating how central the platform has become in sustaining commercial visibility beyond physical exhibitions.

Collector behavior is evolving in parallel. Artsy reported a 48% increase in use of its “Alerts” tool, a feature that notifies collectors when new works by artists they follow become available. This signals a change in how buying decisions are formed: interest is sparked by an image encountered online, deepened through saved works and editorial content, and often finalized after the collector revisits the piece with time and distance.

For galleries, Artsy is no longer just a sales mechanism but a durational extension of the art fair An artwork first seen during Miami Art Week may not sell on opening night, but reappears in a collector’s saved list weeks or months later Artsy’s partnerships with fairs alongside its search algorithms and internal outreach allow exhibition life cycles to stretch long after booths are dismantled.

And this is not happening in isolation. The digital sector of the art market continues to hold its own: major auction houses reported $392.7 million in online-only sales in 2024, according to the Artnet Intelligence Report (Spring 2025). While not exclusive to Artsy, these figures underscore a market in which collectors are increasingly comfortable transacting online, often sightunseen.

Yet the shift does not replace the physical encounter if anything, it reinforces it Digital browsing becomes the prelude, and sometimes the epilogue, to in-person experience The booth sparks the emotion; the platform completes the conversation Artsy has become part of the art world’s commercial and curatorial vocabulary, expanding the geography of where, how, and by whom art is acquired

In this evolving landscape, the art market is no longer just a sequence of fairs and openings. It is also a continuum of digital touchpoints, where the gallery visit lives on, reshaped by algorithms, alerts, and late-night browsing tabs. The future of collecting is hybrid part booth, part browser.

W I ASECOND WOMEN IN ART BIENNALE, LONDON: MANY VOICES, ONE FUTURE

The Women in Art Biennale II wrapped its second edition with something rare in large exhibitions focused on women: it avoided turning artists into a category and instead showed them as a powerful and diverse creative force. The Biennale brought together painters, textile artists, photographers, sculptors, and performance makers whose work touched on everything from bodily autonomy to ecology to family histories and myth.

It wasn’t about one single story of what it means to be a woman in art, but many. Some works were quiet and intimate; others confronted viewers head-on One of the most resonant aspects was how the Biennale encouraged dialogue between established and emerging artists Instead of presenting younger artists as “the future,” it treated them as part of a continuum learning from the women before them and shaping new paths for the ones coming next The response was enthusiastic and emotional. Viewers left discussing not just the art, but the visibility, support, and recognition that women in the field deserve not in a special edition or themed show, but everywhere.

Learn again, but this time, with love

MIIICKEY MADU

Miiickey Madu is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice blends abstract expressionism with contemporary visual language. His work explores human connection, identity, belonging, and the emotional rhythms of daily life, using bold colors and symbolic forms to spark reflection. Drawing from personal experience and cultural heritage, his narratives invite viewers to question, feel, and engage more deeply with the world around them. His work has been exhibited internationally in London, Los Angeles, Accra, Madrid, and Lagos, and is held in private collections.

His piece Ore Meji takes its name from Yoruba, meaning “Two Friends,” expressing unity, duality, and shared spirit. Meanwhile, I Must Walk My Own Path, Mother reflects a journey toward independence while honoring parental love and guidance Both works embody Miiickey’s guiding belief: “Embrace your madness. Live with it. Nurture and understand it like you would a child.”

Through striking shapes and emotional symbolism, he celebrates authenticity as a source of strength, growth, and inner truth

A f f e c t i o n M I I I C K

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