Artist Statement
My current work is rooted in mixed media painting, blending traditional Japanese pigments and materials with themes inspired by my time living in Kyoto. Incorporating the vertical kakejiku (hanging scroll) display format, these pieces borrow from centuries-old practices of impermanence and seasonal awareness, while also honoring the whimsy and imaginative curiosity that has always shaped my work.
This evolution began during two formative years in Japan with my young family, where daily life was a lesson in letting go—of expectations, of control, and of certainty. I encountered the Japanese proverb kawaii ko ni wa tabi wo saseyo (“let your dear child journey”), a phrase that has since become a touchstone in both my personal and creative life. It reminds me that growth often comes from release rather than protection, from the freedom to explore and stumble.
The shift to painting from collages reflects this philosophy. Working with oil and acrylic paints, as well as traditional Japanese materials such as handmade washi, powdered mineral pigments, and sumi ink, I build layered compositions that invite pause and attention. Each piece is a meditation on transience—of seasons, of childhood, of travel and transformation. The nod to a kakejiku form reinforces this impermanence: designed to be rotated or stored with the passing seasons, it resists permanence in favor of cycles.
These paintings are invitations to wander, to wonder, to journey inward. In a world that often rushes toward productivity, I hope to offer spaces where stillness and curiosity coexist, where we can remember what it means to be a child, setting out, again and again.
Marie Martelly is a painter and collage artist currently based in Las Vegas. Martelly's work has been exhibited in England, Canada, and Japan, as well as in shows in Colorado, Alabama, Nevada, South Carolina, and Texas. In 2024, Martelly collaborated with hand saw press Kyoto to publish an art book of 12 Risograph prints of her collages. In 2017 she was selected to create a permanent installation in appreciation of military veterans at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Martelly received a BA in Art History from McGill University in Montreal (2010), and an MA in Fine Arts from the Cambridge School of Art in England (2015).
On exhibit at Summerlin Library from September 18, 2025 through November 23, 2025
Gallery reception on Thursday, September 18, 2025 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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