Mara Sfara

Since art’s beginnings, the perpetual question has been whether art should be representational or whether and how art should deviate from representation in order to express the individual story behind the work of art. For me, art is a story and the story is the art.

My landscapes and seascapes present an unfiltered vision. My perspective engages the viewer in an ethereal fantasy world, where colors and humor dominate the art. A quixotic style permeates the work to give character to beings, including my portraits of fish. The art raises the question: where would our experience take us if we are not restrained by our sensory filters?

In my work, I try to humanize the environment and its creatures, all existing in a dreamlike state. I have created a body of work that focuses on the interaction between humans and the natural earth and all its being. The goal is to present information to the viewer to allow the viewer to relate to the image in a personal way, to have a visual reaction leading to an emotional attachment.

By humanizing other forms of life, I hope to build a better relationship between man and the environment. I am especially interested in building man’s respect for all that live in our oceans, seas and riv...

University of Rochester
University of Pennsylvania
NYU
Columbia University