A contemporary American artist always in search of a creative expression that has a message to convey, Gilda Oliver has made pop art-style animal portraits and monumental wall mosaics her distinctive trait: her works have become synonymous with a transformative art and cultural involvement where creativity is not an end in itself but is in search of a meaning linked to nature, to life, to a connection that lasts over time, with the continuous intention of evoking emotions and reflections.
Oliver’s work must therefore be read along two lines: on the one hand, it is the fruit of her personal artistic expression made of vibrant colors and full backgrounds, with the outlines of the images black and defined but still soft, without sharp edges. She often replaces vibrant colors with pastel ones, on canvases or ceramics, which contribute to a further lightness, an element that also emerges from her spontaneous way of working, free from patterns and superstructures. On the other hand, it carries with it the intention of leaving a cultural legacy with its own meaning: her large community installations of mosaics are often exhibited in institutions such as children’s museums, hospitals and public spaces, and result in a definition of art that undermines the traditional one.
– Gilda Oliver photo @ Navid Yavari –
These monumental pieces that have reached valuations of close to $1,000,000, are conceived first and foremost as lasting vehicles of social connection. This translates into an artistic production that is interesting both for investors and for all those who want to join these values: a lasting cultural capital that promotes the good of the community, reinforcing brand values centered on transformation, healing and the interconnection between humanity and nature, all principles that align with corporate social responsibility and sustainable luxury.
– Curator Xu Jin at the Linkong Museum of Contemporary Art –
2025 marks Gilda’s recognition also on the Chinese market: her works are exhibited at the LINKONG Museum of Contemporary Art in Beijing, in a group show curated by Xu Jin who has selected artists from all over the world. A prestigious event that puts Oliver’s work under the international spotlight, offering high-profile partnership opportunities for global brands looking for authentic connections with their audience, being able to align with an artistic vision that promises to involve the public in a narrative of creativity, innovation and social impact.
– Summer Buffalo –
– Stay Frog –
For those who view art as an enduring legacy, and not just a collectible, Gilda Oliver’s work offers a capitalization on cultural influence, inspiration that resonates beyond the canvas and therefore, for collectors, investments and brands seeking educational impact, translates into an alignment with a visionary force that fuses art and message. She told us more about her art and vision in an interview she gave us.
Gilda, animals currently play a leading role in your art. What makes them so interesting to you?
I love endangered animals and all animals very, very much. When I touch them, or look at these beautiful mysterious creatures I feel a positive energy. With their graceful silhouettes they seem like something very extra special created by nature. They were given to us humans to experience, and to protect and cherish, as if like a gift to us, from the outer galaxies of the universe. They help us and we help them also. Thus they seem to me to be almost like the important and missing puzzle pieces to a larger story. A story puzzle of a yet fully existing but unknown space and time, and that helps and pulls us in the right directions for our lives. In my paintings I’m trying to communicate this spinning energy around the mysterious animals. Things bumping and flying around them in their own mini galaxies, but they are still the innocence, and the beauty, and the calm at the center of it all.
Which painting techniques do you prefer and how important is the choice of color for you?
I worked on developing and improving at becoming a better sculpture artist for many years, and mostly focusing on making figurative oversized heads made out of ceramic clay – but I was also painting many museums sized portraits as well but then I really wanted to have some control over the backgrounds of my art works not just the central figures of humans or animals. So then I fully merged back on fully focusing on improving the paintings more towards what I was looking for to communicate to myself and my viewers. Even the ceramic sculpture heads I made had this strange mysterious connection to and outer space feeling around the heads. So on the painted canvases I’m developing more of the entire puzzle ambiance – while the animals are the important central piece.
– Winter Panda playing with frosted flowers –
However I also spent many years teaching and directing huge community mosaic murals with several hundred children and their own families assisting me. We achieved ceramic mosaic tiled murals as large as 9 by 25 feet, that were placed in various children’s museums and hospital lobbies permanently, that are now worth towards past the million figure in appraised and insurance value. I never sold any of them just donated them. But again I was trying to see the possibilities of what a large group of talented artists of all ages could create together. I allowed anyone to give me input on improving the design even, of the mosaics, as we went along. Covid-19 virus changed some things for me. I’ve had asthma since I’ve been a young child and even my grandfather had very bad asthma his entire life. So for a few years now I’ve been extra careful by keeping my distance anytime I step outdoors of my house, and even in my house with visitors, to help protect myself from catching the Covid or Flu virus, and I’ve limited for the time being, being around large crowds of volunteers. It was such an amazing experience working with huge crowds of artists on mosaics.
– Nonny –
– Astro Dog –
I’m very interested in the art works of other artists and how amazing and unique each artist is. I’ve taught and studied a lot about the ancient and modern art history of the entire world. Choosing the right colors is very important for me and I’m always using and choosing new ones. Every painting is very unique and different than the one before it. Painting is like a positive wonderful mysterious adventure for me, full of new things to discover, and each new paintings are like the next part of the story.
For you, the message you convey through your art is particularly important. What’s yours?
My message for myself, is about loving animals and continuing to being fascinated by them and grateful to them, and learning new things about them, from them. I think animals are very important, so much that they are worthy of being studied more, so we can all continue to learn more ways to communicate with them.
For further information, please refer to Gilda Oliver
To purchase Gilda Oliver art works, please contact Chrissy Moore at chrissy@chrissymoore.art
Cover photo: Spring Panda by Gilda Oliver, 7 feet high by 6 feet across, currently exhibiting at the Linkong Museum Of Contemporary Art, Bejeing, China
Article edited by Dafne Ambrosio
By mb@admin
