EXCERPT from VITAMIN P4: New Perspectives in Painting, text written by Amie Corry published by Phaidon Press, 2026

Elise Adibi’s paintings are typically structured around grids, with the language of abstraction often intertwined with interventions of organic matter. The resulting works are amorphous and unpredictable, layered with memory and process. • Socio-historical and material investigations are central to Adibi’s choices. Her research into the natural lineage of art materials, and the traditional intersection of art and medicine-for exam-ple, oil paint was originally a mix of pigment and plant oils, which were also used in remedies-contributes to her foregrounding of organic media. These include the grid-like weave of raw cotton canvas, rabbit-skin glue to size and prime surfaces, and mineral graphite for mark-making.

Continuing this embrace of the transformational potential of active elements in traditionally static forms, Adibi introduced plant oils to her paintings after moving from New York to Los Angeles in 2012. Inspired by the play of elements in the landscape, including the powerful floral smells that follow rain, she seeks to replicate holistic, bodily experiences in her displays. In the Respiration Paintings, oils are matched with pigment tone-for example, the subtle, shifting greens of Persian Apple Grid (2023) are accompanied by the aroma of bergamot and green mandarin. Beyond the aesthetic and olfactory impact of essential oils, Adibi observes the effect their inhalation has on her moods, thoughts, and memories. •

Amie Corry

Photo credit: Violet Hopkins 2023