A selection of recent paintings by artist Judy Riola. While Riola’s work has always “hovered on the edge of recognizability” with narrative elements visible only to the artist herself, Riola’s latest body of work is the result of her efforts to focus more intently on the stories she wants to tell and how specifically she wants to tell them:

“I’ve begun to feel an impulse toward story-telling, though ambiguity remains important to me. I want to suggest a story, but I also insist the viewer be invited to provide their own. Often my imagery conjures imaginary escape routes or solutions born of desperation. The cartoonish shapes and bright colors are a form of whistling in the dark, a way of warding off a deep pessimism about our earth’s fate.”

Check out more of Riola’s work below!