Portland, Oregon artist Lisa Onstad exhibits vibrant mixed-media paintings in A Luminous Gap, a solo exhibition celebrating moments of uncertainty that lead to endless possibilities. These elegantly composed abstract works, born of playful experimentation and grounded in landscape, offer an engaging interplay of painting, collage, and delicate line work. She works intuitively, responding to the current state of the image as she builds layer upon layer, seeking serendipitous connections to develop between shape, line, and color. Read more about the artist...

A Luminous Gap

Artist Statement

I was recently introduced to the Tibetan term Bardo, and while it most commonly refers to the afterlife, it can also describe moments when a gap appears – an interruption, a space of uncertainty, or a transition. This in-between place can feel unsettling, but it can also be a bridge to new beginnings. Last year I began experimenting with abstraction, and as I moved between states of confusion and clarity in my studio, I felt like I was in the Bardo. My new series of paintings, “A Luminous Gap,” illuminates the highs and lows of being in the unknown - a place of possibility, freedom and chaos.  

My work is based on a delicate balance of serendipity and intention. Although my paintings are most often grounded in landscape, I work intuitively, taking advantage of unexpected color combinations and chance meetings of gesture and form. Each new painting is a discovery - and a bridge to the next.

Right now, when it feels like the whole world is in the Bardo, I hope my work inspires viewers to meet these challenges with compassion, curiosity and a lightness of being.