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"A solid glass sphere becomes our planet Earth, a floating ball, or an orange in an orange dye bath. A garden full of surprises, light and dark places, a metaphor? Daydreaming, walking through my mind. Underwater, everything sways, moves. Nature, growth, essential. More or less recognizable, abstract, open to multiple interpretations, without a preconceived, fully detailed plan. That is how I work."
Marion Röst
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In this recent series of paintings by Marion Röst, radiant colors immediately catch the eye, balanced by more muted tones. The visibly energetic movements of the paintbrush pay no heed to the boundaries of the canvas. The paint, applied both opaquely and transparently, creates a lively and varied image.
Earthrise
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Les Oranges
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Sometimes an idea or a starting point forms the baseline. In the case of Earthrise, Les Oranges, or Floating (Zweven), that starting point was a glass paperweight consisting of four solid glass spheres. While working on the paintings, the spheres partially vanished and took on a different meaning.
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Floating
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Nature's Awakening
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In Nature’s Awakening, we see nature waking anew each day, wherever in the world we may be. The color red represents strength for the artist. Sadly, nature in the broadest sense is swiftly disappearing worldwide due to human actions. But it is resilient and capable of recovering if we give it the chance.
Power of Growth (Groeikracht) likewise refers to nature asserting and manifesting itself, time and again. Nature is a recurring theme in the work of Marion Röst. |
Power of Growth
In Surprise Garden 2 and 3, you might imagine yourself in a garden—unpredictable and full of surprises, with light and dark areas, impossible to take in all at once. Much like life itself. The forms are organic but cannot be traced back to identifiable plants and flowers: more is suggested than literally depicted. Underwater (Onder water) is a mysterious underwater garden featuring imaginative colors and shapes.
Surprise Garden 2
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Surprise Garden 3
Under Water
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Heights, Depths
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In Heights, Depths (Hoogten, diepten), too, we encounter a layered representation of our existence, but in a more abstract way. |
Stormy Weather (Zwaar weer) and Air and Light (Lucht en licht) form a diptych. We increasingly find ourselves in rough weather, both literally and figuratively. It is becoming less and less possible to take our safety for granted, whether concerning the consequences of natural disasters or the violence caused by human action. But just as a stormy sky can clear up and sunlight can break through again, there’s always hope that circumstances may take a turn for the better. Without hope, everything is meaningless.
Stormy Weather
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Air and Light
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Our thoughts never stand still. Daydream 1, 2, and 3 depict those thoughts and images in our minds—not literally, but in a free, exploratory way. The artist describes this as "walking through my mind." As viewers, we are invited to "wander around" within the painting.
Daydream 1
Daydream 2
Daydream 3
Let the Sunshine In
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Finally, Let the Sunshine In is a loose, joyful composition in which sunlight takes center stage. |
Marion Röst lives and works in The Hague. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. She has always combined studio work with teaching art and design at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Following numerous solo and group exhibitions featuring her graphic art, she has focused on painting since 2012. You can view the development of her work, from her early pieces up to her recent exhibition in May 2026, on www.marionrost.nl.
