Willa Wasserman’s paintings unfold in a state of continuous emergence, weaving figuration with material experimentation to evoke dreamlike atmospheres. Her forms—at times loose, translucent, or barely manifest—are shaped by the subtle interplay of texture, light, and surface, placing transformation itself at the core of her visual language. She masterfully bridges histories of classical painting and material culture with contemporary expressions of queerness, working on substrates that range from linen to polished bronze and copper. Her method often harnesses chemical processes—linseed oils aging, silverpoints oxidizing, caustic reagents patinating metals—imbuing her works with a delicate, evolving radiance that mirrors their thematic depth. Wasserman’s compositions conjure tender, spectral silhouettes that articulate questions of intimacy, selfhood, and metamorphosis. Ethereal gestures and shimmering surfaces become metaphors for identity in flux—fleeting, transient, and perpetually in formation. Through this blend of techniques and sensibilities, her paintings become poetic sites of longing and transformation, inviting viewers to inhabit spaces where form dissolves into memory, and where being is always becoming. ...
