 The human handprint, from Paleolithic caves to modern art, is humanity's original "selfie" - a timeless mark of "I was here". Sadly, this piece, Cloud Hands, (mixed media on canvas, 24" x 18"), was lost to overpainting. Even artists overdo it sometimes.
 See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil is a Buddhist proverb referring to the Three Wise Monkeys, a pictorial maxim symbolizing a principle of living life of good conduct by avoiding evil thoughts, words and deeds. I became intrigued by this concept and asked myself how I would shape this concept into form. The 3 apertures are meant as self reflection points into what we see, what we hear and what we speak.
See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, mixed media on canvas, 24" x 18"  "This year’s Art Basel made it unmistakably clear: collectors are eager to discover the voices who are shaping the next chapter of contemporary art. There was a distinct energy surrounding mid-career and emerging artists, whose fresh perspectives and confident experimentation captured attention across the fair’s many halls.
Samantha da Silva, by contrast, leans into the raw, expressive potential of natural pigments, salt, and iron oxide. Her surfaces are richly weathered, evoking earth, time, and impermanence. Da Silva’s work is as much about process as product, a deeply personal exploration of place, identity, and material memory. These are artists on the rise—but already offering the kind of resonance that lasts." Art Basel 2025: What This Year's Global Trends Mean for Gallery Mar's Collectors Read the full article: https://www.gallerymar.com/2025/08/art-basel-2025-what-this-years-global-trends-mean-for-gallery-mar-collectors  Crossing the Wild Blue: a mixed-media triptych (48" x 108") commissioned to explore horizon, identity, and ascent. My heartfelt thanks to the University of Utah, Gallery MAR, and to everyone championing local artists.
A special thanks to Publik Coffee for the opportunity to photograph my work in their beautiful space. https://www.utah.edu/ https://www.gallerymar.com/artists/samantha-da-silva https://publikcoffee.com/  Visiting my work in public spaces always feels like reconnecting with old friends. Immense gratitude to collectors and venues supporting local art. Three commissions grace an award-winning Salt Lake City restaurant, including my contemporary piece, The Golden Calf.
https://www.urban-hill.com/ https://semplebrown.com/  Painting big, feeling grateful. Three commission paintings in progress for the new Helix Building - huge thanks to the University of Utah, Gallery MAR, and my cat Georgia O’Keeffe for the support.
https://www.utah.edu/ https://www.gallerymar.com/artists/samantha-da-silva  What a delight it was to be transported into an environment that allowed me to indulge my creative impulses in ways unusual to my day-to-day studio practice. As a participant in Fieldworks: Green River, I had the opportunity to spend meaningful time exploring the relationships between found and discarded objects. This approach enabled me create a body of work that embodies my personal ethos: discovering and crafting beauty from my surroundings, appreciating the wonder of ordinary materials, and gathering information from the environment to deepen my connection to place.
My heartfelt thanks to UMOCA, Art Bridges Foundation, The J. W. Powell River History Museum, Epicenter: Rural and Proud, and NASA for making this possible. https://utahmoca.org/ https://artbridgesfoundation.org/ https://johnwesleypowell.com/ https://ruralandproud.org/ https://www.nasa.gov/  I’m honored to have participated in Fieldworks: Green River, a five-day art camp in Green River, Utah, where artists explored connections with rural communities and created sculptural works from found objects and repurposed materials.
My heartfelt thanks to UMOCA, Art Bridges Foundation, The J. W. Powell River History Museum, Epicenter: Rural and Proud, and NASA for making this possible. I’m excited for the culminating show at UMOCA, where our work will join a broader conversation about materiality and place. https://utahmoca.org/ https://artbridgesfoundation.org/ https://johnwesleypowell.com/ https://ruralandproud.org/ https://www.nasa.gov/  I love gold - not only for its color but for its spiritual significance - the Gold Standard. In alchemy, gold is far more than a precious metal. It is a potent symbol of spiritual perfection, enlightenment, and the alchemist's ultimate goal of inner transformation. Its pursuit mirrors the soul's journey toward purity, wisdom, and divine union.
Shown: Courageous Heart, Everywhere I Step Is My Home, Four Corners, Golden Ascent, Heart Branding, Path to Light, and The Opening. |
