Rose Umerlik

Remember, the world is beautiful

Artist Statement

To look at my artwork and see abstracted forms and a minimalist use of color, one might think this work is about gesture or the act of painting or impulse, but these layers and these lines and these forms are woven painstakingly from years of learning about my personal history, my humanness and the beauty of emotions.

As I paint, I engage in an extended series of decisions and revisions; tensions undulate on the painted surface, and the universal human forces of love, courage, play, insecurity or fear strengthen the forms struggling to find their place on the painted surface. Sometimes the forms hold each other, or gesture lovingly; sometimes their relationship is uncomfortable or uncertain; other times they strive for isolation. Each painting resolves as its own story or moment or feeling.

Through the act of creating and sharing my paintings, I am showing my deep respect for the beauty inherent in all of the emotions and the emotional struggles that are present in the collective human mind and heart. We are all complicated, thinking, feeling and profoundly connected in a beautiful way that can celebrate and heal our humanity. I hope this work resonates with you in whatever way is right for you.

“Remember, the world is beautiful

…and
I find that we are all here, holding each others’ hearts without even knowing it.

We are not alone.
Our humanity gives us each other.

Our playfulness, our love, our sadness, our fears, our confidences,
Our joy….
they are all enmeshed in this shared life.”

-Rose Umerlik 2025

Artist Process

Before I reach the moment where I approach a panel with oil paint or pencil, I’ve already spent weeks building the panels and layering them with multiple different grounds to create the toughest surface possible. The rigidity of the panels is necessary to hold up to the aggressive pencil drawings, and the repeated laying down and wiping away of paint that mark the beginning of each piece. By layering graphite lines and staining the surface with color, I work through numerous ideas before settling into a “story.” The faded drawings and pigments are the building blocks of each piece. The “story” that emerges in a painting will usually come from a distinct moment when I recognize a human experience in the way two forms are relating to each other, or the interaction of lines within a color field. That “moment of recognition” comes during each painting and it is my way of exploring what it is to be human, what it is to be a part of a culture, and what it is to love, fear or hope. I will flesh out these “moments” with thicker layers of paint. I use opacity to direct the viewer to what I find to be powerful and evocative. Opaque lines and forms intermingling with color stains and drawings are the key tools in my physical painting process, but I would have no need for them without my infinite fascination with humanity, relationships and emotion.

Artist Bio

Rose Umerlik received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing arts, with strong influences from Stephen Zaima who impressed upon her the importance of one’s ability to self-evaluate, and the “work method.” The backbone of her studio practice is based on a strong work ethic and dedication to being present and honest with her work.

Umerlik has had eighteen solo exhibitions in New England and has been included in numerous group exhibitions across the country and internationally. Her work has been reviewed in Art New England and Artscope. She has also published two books, Intimacy of Forms and Histories.

Among other awards, she has received a grant from the NH State Council on the Arts to participate in the Takt Kunstprojektraum Residency in Berlin, Germany, a fellowship to participate in the Sam and Adele Golden Foundation Residency and a Clowes Award to participate in a residency at the Vermont Studio Center. The VT Art Guide recognized Umerlik as an Artist to Watch in 2018. She has also been a finalist for the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s prestigious Piscataqua Region Artist Advancement Grant. Umerlik lives in Dover, NH, where she maintains a full-time studio practice. roseumerlik.com