Michael James Cisarik

Biography

Michael James Cisarik, born in 1993 in Houston, Texas, USA, is an emerging and self-taught abstract painter living and working in Houston, Texas, USA. Cisarik is best known for his large-scale abstract paintings focusing on color blocks, subdued or muted natural tones with energetic brushstrokes, and meticulously placed contrasting accents and gritty textures.

Early in his career and new to the industry, Cisarik taught himself how to paint during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Cisarik works a nine-to-five corporate job, he paints at night or on the weekends. In under two years, he has established recognition and high work demand. Cisarik originally began painting with acrylic paint as his medium but has since evolved his techniques, taking on the usage of plaster, adhesives, oils, pastels, and charcoal in his work — resulting in unique textures and powerful mark-making.

Influenced by Abstract Expressionism and artists like Cy Twombly, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cisarik tasks himself to create works that evoke from the viewer his emotions while initially creating the work. His pieces vary across natural color palettes yet usually hold a primary focal point like a color block or a significant singular, striking component. This is complemented with scattered, contrasting, rich accents or “scratches” that draw the viewer into the piece and provoke movement. He usually is inspired by a particular landscape or natural element and chooses a color palette to reflect such. 

Michael James Cisarik: “While I tell myself that I make each individual stroke intentional, planned, and unique, I don’t know how they’ll interact at the end – and in a way, I can’t ever seem to describe, I never know when I am done until it suddenly hits me. Pieces can take me weeks to finish at a time, depending on my vision, which usually morphs as more elements are added; however, when complete, the colors, textures, and brushstrokes produce a flurry of emotions that are different in every light. Happiness, sadness, peace, hope, longing, frustration…these emotions and feelings act as subconscious guides in my creative process and are embedded into the work once complete. Finishing a painting is truly unlike any accomplishment I’ve ever had. Through my experience with all of this, I realized that artists pour their feelings onto a canvas for someone else, may time someone they don’t know at all, to produce intimate emotions that they had inside themselves. It is the purest and rawest form of communication that exists. I can only hope that the people viewing my work connect and feel the same emotional connection I do because I have realized I do not want to produce art as much as I need to.” 

Career Facts

Cisarik has been featured and recognized by publications and institutions like Paper City, Saatchi Art, Voyage Magazine, and The University of Texas at Austin, most recently, exhibiting his work at the Saatchi Art Other Art Fair in Dallas, Texas in May 2022. While most of his works reside with private collectors in the U.S., he has also received invitations to exhibitions in Santa Fe, Miami, Paris, Milan, and Barcelona from various galleries and art firms. 

Discover more on the artist’s website or follow Michael James Cisarik on Instagram.

Artworks

Last Updated on May 3, 2023