Artist Biography:

Malkah Bat-Tzion is a self-taught artist based in Conway, South Carolina. Her canvases are a platform for spontaneous gesture, textural irregularity, and cryptic play as a result of her personal style of Abstract Expressionism and Symbolism. Malkah takes an Intuitive approach with her creative works applying a generous melange of pigments and manipulating them until she strikes gold. She often paints imagery layer upon layer, each one contributing a story, depth, ripple, and intentional energy to her work. Her paintings have a multi-faceted life of their own, although she's interwoven herself into each one. Her paintings also often portray an ethereal world that penetrates and peels away at the perplexities of spiritual evolution. "I desire to create dialogue that always points back to oneself for introspection. I want to give a glimpse to what lies beneath the surface of mundane thought; a spark of what exists inside the pursuit of mysteries." Malkah's prophetic gift is strategically released into her painting process. She has the keen ability of what she describes as "capturing energy" to produce a visual language that unveils spiritual truths specific to the subject in mind. 

Malkah was raised in Lake City, South Carolina. She received a B.A., in French from the University of South Carolina, a diploma in Intensive French Language from Paul Valery in Montpellier, France, and a B.S. in Nursing from Francis Marion University. In addition, she has received certifications and training in a variety of multi-disciplinary areas. Although Malkah began painting in 2005 she only did so for a short time. Yielding to external pressures, she distanced herself from the art form. After working in a wealth of diverse fields for several years, she eventually realized that her true metier is as an artist. In 2016 she began to reorganize her life to honor her heart's desire to paint. Malkah considers her artwork a celebration of life and healing for souls. 

Malkah is passionate about sharing her art worldwide and continues to explore new methods of artistic expression. Her work has been featured in regional exhibitions including a Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibition hosted by Cheraw Arts Commission, Cheraw, SC. Her art has also been featured in educational publications for a London based psychotherapy practice. Her painted originals hang in private collections nationally, while commissioned paintings reach as far as Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Artist Statement:

"I'm a self-taught artist who is invigorated by the abstract. I intuitively paint what my heart desires to express. My art is an invention of self. I find comfort from what has been spoken from within me, "All is perfect, there are no mistakes." So, with each brush stroke, finger touch, and lathering on of a symphony of colors, I express myself and I'm free.

 
The media that I use are oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas, acrylic on wood, pastel on canvas, and pastel on paper. Gestural character, texture, and ethereal images are common elements found in my paintings. 

Painting brings me joy and opportunity for authenticity. My spirit said to me,
"Look into your paintings and see yourself. You're in all of them." To gather some insight into who I am, one can examine closely my art. 

My inspiration comes from being intimate with myself, spiritual evolution themes, personal encounters with angelic beings, my intuition, and nature. While painting, I'm seemingly in a trance - caught up in listening, seeing, and feeling utterances, visions, and vibrations that encircle round about me, inside of me, and through me. I devote my efforts to passionately cultivating what yearns to be expressed. I don't approach creating a painting with a specific aesthetic intention; I submit myself to the unseen with wondrous expectation. The translation of this experience faithfully materializes. 

I intend for my artwork to remarkably enlighten and ignite the souls of those who experience it."

- Malkah Bat-Tzion