MAR

Kim Rose
Aug 20
2 min read

MAR

30in Diameter x 1.5in | 76cm diameter × 3cm

23k gold, Ink, resin, mounted on wood

In Mar, Kim Rose captures a balance of sea lovingly embraced in sun. The work draws on the tension and harmony between two opposing elements, celebrating both their contrasts and their unity. Like the larger Mar y Sol series, it reflects on the beauty found in the cycles of life and death, a theme rooted in the artist’s personal journey.

Rose often returns to the influence of her mother, Marisol, whose name breaks down into mar (sea), y (and), and sol (sun). This poetic translation of “sea and sun” became both a guiding symbol and a source of inspiration. Her mother’s encouragement shaped her path as an artist, and her passing brought both pain and transformation, becoming the impetus for Rose’s creative practice. Mar continues this exploration, transforming memory into light, water, and radiance on canvas.

What distinguishes this work is the particular depth of its blue: ultramarine, one of the most storied pigments in art history. Derived from lapis lazuli mined only in Afghanistan, ultramarine was once more precious than gold. Artists of the Renaissance treasured it like a sacred material, so costly they often pleaded with patrons to fund it separately. Vermeer, enamored with its brilliance, used it lavishly in works such as Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Virgin in Prayer, even when he could scarcely afford bread.

Today blue is so ubiquitous that its rarity is easily forgotten. By invoking ultramarine in Mar, Rose honors its history as both prayer and sacrifice, a reminder of the devotion artists have carried through centuries. Set against gilded light, the painting becomes an offering—an interplay of sea and sun, memory and presence, sorrow and joy.