Solo exhibition through February 21

Located in the Exton Square Mall, in Exton Pennsylvania, the Exton studio is the only retail outlet run by an arts organization in the region.

How does one define oneself: child, wife, mother, provider? Such questions have informed the artistic career of Irma Shapiro, a painter and mother of five who took up painting in 1996 after a 20-year hiatus. A sudden death in the family had impelled her to stop painting, and her grief over the loss of another loved one – her husband – caused her to pick up the brush again. As she notes in her artist's statement, a promise was made – a promise to paint with heart and soul.

Since her return to painting, Irma has been the featured artist at numerous one-woman shows and has been featured in various publications including the September 2006 issue of Philadelphia Magazine. Her training includes coursework and studio classes at the Tyler School of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Samuel Fleisher Art Center, the Moore College of Art and the Main Line Art Center.

image: Colorburst by Irma Shapiro

While she identifies herself as a colorist, using tone, tint, vividness, richness (or lack of) to depict shape and form – sometimes exaggerating reality or embellishing the subject matter – she also considers herself a follower of the post-impressionistic tradition. Her work often pushes toward the boundaries of the imaginary. To that end, she is aware of the brilliance of color and how it informs or creates the shape and mood of a subject, an effect, she has come to believe, that is more interesting and genuine than a literal interpretation. Her preferred medium is acrylic on canvas, paper or board.