Micheline Robinson 

Micheline Robinson, a French-Canadian contemporary artist, employs meticulously handpainted layers of ink to conjure illusions of three-dimensionality on planar surfaces. Her translucent, large-scale abstractions, resonant with the materiality of glass or pounamu, engage with profound existential inquiries—interrogating consciousness in the digital epoch and the inherent solitude within hyper-connectivity. Her oeuvre navigates the liminal space between human experience and artificial intelligence, offering a nuanced meditation on contemporary ontology.

​

     "My practice explores the power of optical illusions to destabilize perception and provoke inquiry into the nature of reality. Through meticulously carved flat panels and layered, translucent inks, I create surfaces that oscillate between flatness and illusory depth, inviting viewers to question the boundaries of the visible. Each work is a visual paradox, designed to elicit a moment of disorientation—a pause where the mind grapples with what is seen versus what is known. I’m fascinated by how these deceptions challenge our assumptions, sparking curiosity about the interplay of material, light, and perception."

 

Rooted in a multidisciplinary practice encompassing painting, photography, and music composition, Robinson’s work is informed by her academic foundation in Fine Arts and Film Animation at Concordia University in Montreal and Ottawa University. Her life across Canada, New Zealand, and the UK imbues her compositions with a cross-cultural resonance, manifesting in a visual lexicon that is both universal and intimate. Her paintings, characterized by optical complexity and emotive depth, position her as a singular voice within the global contemporary art discourse.

 

Robinson’s work has been presented in exhibitions in Hong Kong, South Korea, North America, the UK, Europe, and Australia, with notable recognition as a finalist in the 2019 Waikato National Contemporary Arts Award. Her practice has been documented in RNZ’s Standing Room Only and New Zealand’s House and Gardens. Committed to fostering artistic communities, she established the Wirral Arts and Open Studio Tour in the UK and contributed to Mirca, an international arts organization focused on human rights, with exhibitions inaugurated by figures such as former European Court of Human Rights judge Giovanni Bonello. Held in private and public collections, Robinson’s work engages discerning collectors and institutions through its formal rigor and conceptual depth. Her active studio on the Kapiti Coast remains a vital space for exploration, open to curators and collectors seeking to engage with her thought-provoking abstractions that challenge the boundaries of contemporary visual practice.