Perspectives: Mia Kaplan

Sponsored by Tangipahoa Parish Tourism

That Mia Kaplan chooses to live Lacombe, Louisiana, on the fringes of Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, is no accident. The fifteen-thousand-acre tract of pine flatwoods, oak cheniers, and coastal marsh provides this acclaimed Louisiana artist with much of her creative, not to mention emotional, sustenance. “I grew up in Slidell, and after Katrina, amid all the destruction, I really started noticing the wildflowers and their resiliency,” she said. Kaplan began documenting her surroundings, making botanical illustrations of native plants, sculpture, and small- and large-scale paintings using a process that she describes as “foraging for images.” Armed with a sketchpad, she roams Big Branch Marsh, filtering the profusion of flora that she encounters through a process of abstraction to create two- and three-dimensional pieces that fairly vibrate with the energy of life. “I am drawn to floral forms and the relationships between them: trees and flowers, canopy and understory, and the way they interact with light,” she noted. She works with water media and folded paper to capture flowers’ delicacy and with sheet metal and welded steel to reflect their resiliency. Whatever the medium, Kaplan’s work reflects a lightness, an uplifting quality, that is driven by her extraordinary sensitivity to the colors, textures, and movements of Louisiana’s unspoiled places. “I’m fascinated by how important balance is to nature,” she observed. “I find moments of strength, fragility, regeneration. We need that reminder that, whatever the challenges, life goes on. That’s what my work is about.”  

In August, Mia Kaplan will join fellow Louisiana artists Demond Matsuo and Billy Solitario at Ann Connelly Fine Art for the 2018 Art of Food Dinner. Inspired by the artists’ work, Chef Michael Gulotta of MoPho and Maypop restaurants will create unique dishes, which will be served with wine pairings, hors d’oeuvres, and craft cocktails. Sunday, August 19 at 1670 Lobdell Ave, Baton Rouge. $150. Proceeds benefit the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Tickets are scarce! Cross your fingers and visit bontempstix.com.