Primarily interested in the human form, Marianne Kolb often creates portraits of solitary figures that are defined by a textural roughness and emotional vitality. As she states, “The human figure is the vehicle with which I can most positively relate. The more developed my curiosity becomes, the more acute, the more complicated, complex and suggestive the world around people becomes.” Forgoing more traditional methods of painting, she works with pigmented powders that she mixes directly on the canvas and applies with her fingers, knives, and house-paint brushes.

Kolb was born in Bern, a small farming town in Switzerland and moved to Berkeley in her mid-20’s where she connected to the East Bay arts community. Largely self-taught, she currently resides in Sacramento, CA.

Kolb’s work has been exhibited in numerous public and private collections, including the Boise Art Museum, the Richmond Art Center, and the Swiss General Consulate in San Francisco.