“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

― Rumi

In his Portals Series, Mareo embarks on a profound exploration of the natural world’s most elemental form—the wavy line. This recurring motif serves as a metaphor for the delicate balance between separation and connection, rupture and healing. Found in everything from the sinuous curves of rivers and mountains to the delicate cracks in stones and the fierce arcs of lightning, the wavy line weaves through Mareo’s work, capturing the dualities that define both the physical and spiritual worlds.

The crack, in Mareo’s view, is a profound concept with multiple interpretations. Cracks are thresholds—portals that invite us to peer into the void, to embrace the unknown, and, through that embrace, to evolve. These fissures are symbols of the wounds we all carry, both personally and collectively. Yet, Mareo suggests that within each wound lies the potential for transformation, healing, and enlightenment. By allowing light to fill these cracks, they become not scars but symbols of resilience and rebirth.

Mareo draws inspiration from a lineage of artists who have similarly explored themes of rupture, absence, and transformation. He acknowledges the influence of Lucio Fontana’s spatial concepts, particularly the idea of the “cut” as a gesture that opens up infinite possibilities. Anish Kapoor's use of voids and reflective surfaces, alongside Pierre Soulages’ exploration of light within blackness, also resonate deeply within Mareo’s practice.

At the heart of the Portals Series is a meditation on the relationship between humanity and nature. Mareo’s practice, rooted in landscape abstraction, transcends specific geographies and time periods. Instead, it ventures into the realm of the imaginary, where topography becomes a metaphor for the inner workings of the soul. His art is both a tribute to nature and a reflection on the human condition in the Anthropocene, where the boundaries between the natural world and human influence blur. In this context, the wavy line becomes a symbol of our interconnectedness with nature—a reminder that the fractures we see in the world around us are mirrored within ourselves, and vice versa.

This exhibition, Mareo’s first solo digital showcase, offers a journey into his universe where art and spirituality converge. The digital format allows viewers to witness the evolution of his work across different stages of exploration, presenting a comprehensive view of his creative process. As light and shadow dance along the concept of the crack, Mareo invites viewers to explore the spaces of vulnerability, embrace the shadows, and find the light within themselves.