Artist statement
My paintings are expressions of my essence. I enjoy creating work that visually captivates the viewer on a physical and emotional level while quietly transporting them to a vibrant yet soothing world. I find inspiration in nature and in our relationship to nature. The fluidity of organic lines and curves, ever-changing light, air, and the energy that moves through all living things excites me, as does the fusion of what it is to be a spiritual being in a physical world.
I enjoy creating dynamic compositions that are ethereal, expressive, gestural and musical. My paintings are modern interpretations of nature's wonders blended with my intimate personal journey and embrace varying levels of abstraction, patterns and imagery. Each piece is an expression, an emotion, a dance or a melody conveyed in an entirely non-objective way while expressing rhythmic poetry without a described reality.
I paint in a variety of mediums ranging from classic oil paints to acrylics to collage. I love using a soft harmonious palette that conveys an inviting mood. My best work happens when I get out of the way and something more luminous and magical than me appears on the canvas.
For a little bit more of a taste of who I am, and of this girl’s life story, feel free to click on the blog tab at the top. This will continue to evolve as I add more tales from the France & Italy chapters, as well as the colors of life currently. Merci merci for staying connected.
Artist biography
I grew up in Mill Valley, California and studied in the East Bay and Paris before following a childhood dream to live in Europe. After realizing this dream, and over ten years in France & Italy, I have come full circle returning home to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Following in the footsteps of my grandfather, a noted Japanese Abstract Expressionist, I majored in Art History & French in college, moved to Paris twice and eventually found my way to painting. I have moved close to forty times with eight moves on an international level. A lifetime of uprooting and letting go of everything known ― friends, family, home, culture and all things familiar ― has had a profound effect on my life and my work.
When I am not in the studio, I teach French. To open another’s world to this beautiful language and culture inspires me immensely. And to take a student from learning to count from one to ten to conversing fluidly with passion is richly rewarding.
I am wildly inspired by Bonnard, Matisse, Diebenkorn and Morandi and I create out of my studio in the landmark ICB in Sausalito.
Recent Press
Mill Valley native Aia Bower has moved nearly 40 times in her life – including a 10-year stint in Italy and Paris. Upon her recent return to the 94941, the artist has a few defining, appropriate themes that are dominating her work these days: home, the nest and returning.
"The comfort in being back in my home town has fueled me to explore what home really means," Bower says. "My work has allowed me to re-frame what 'home' really means. A lifetime of being uprooted, even when voluntary, and letting go of security blankets — friends, family, home, one's culture and everything familiar — has had a profound effect on my work. The ephemeral and fragile nature of living things and the importance of finding grace in each day I'm given are part of the metaphorical engagements that weave through the work."
That work, under the title of "returning," exhibits at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (85 Throckmorton Ave.), throughout May, with a wine reception set for the Mill Valley Arts Commission’s First Tuesday Artwalk on May 2, 6-8pm. Mill Valley's monthly celebration of local art features a host of venues, including the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Seager Gray Gallery, the Mill Valley Public Library, Dolls and Dandy Nail Lounge, Terrestra, the Depot Bookstore & Café, City Hall, Famous4, the Mill Valley Community Center and the Throckmorton Theatre. (GO HERE for a full list of artists and venues).
Bower follows in the footsteps of her grandfather, a notable Japanese Abstract Expressionist. She garnered a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and French Language from Mills College in Oakland, and studied Art History and French Civilization in Paris at La Sorbonne Paris IV in Paris. She's currently doing fine arts post graduate work at College of Marin under esteemed artist Chester Arnold.
"My experiences and the beauty around me are my sources of inspiration," Bower says. "Glistening light, delicate colors and the feelings that those convey are characteristic themes in my work. I take immense pleasure in creating images that express how ephemeral life can be and lead the viewer to unexpected sensations."
The 411: Aia Bower showcases her 'returning' paintings at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (85 Throckmorton Ave.), throughout May, with a wine reception set for the Mill Valley Arts Commission’s First Tuesday Artwalk on May 2, 6-8pm.
Education
2014-2019 Post Graduate Coursework in Fine Arts at College of Marin plus new techniques courses with local Bay Area artists
1986-1989 Mills College, Oakland CA - B. A. in Art History and in French Language
1987-1988 La Sorbonne Paris IV, France- Art History and French Civilization
