Artist Sarah Ann Weber presents a captivating semi-autobiographical exhibition that weaves together the intimate moments of motherhood with lush botanical imagery. Her latest body of work, titled "I Know Her," currently on display at Anat Ebgi Gallery in Los Angeles through January 10, explores two pivotal life changes: becoming a mother and relocating from Los Angeles back to her hometown of Chicago after a decade on the West Coast.
Weber's striking watercolor and colored pencil compositions feature female figures, often nude, nestled within dense thickets of florals and vegetation. In works like "Out of the oak" (2025), measuring 24.75 x 32.75 inches and rendered in watercolor and colored pencil on paper, a woman attempts to find her footing while enmeshed in vines and leaves. These botanical elements often obscure the specifics of the protagonist's body and actions, creating an intimate yet mysterious atmosphere where viewers might glimpse her cradling a child or tending to domestic matters.
The exhibition's title "I Know Her" operates on multiple levels, referring simultaneously to the artist herself, her daughter, and the contrasting landscapes that have shaped her experience. Weber masterfully captures the dramatic differences between Los Angeles and Chicago through her artistic choices, reflecting on how geography influences both environment and personal growth. The works teem with botanical life, serving as metaphors for the constant state of change and renewal that characterizes both parenthood and relocation.
Weber's color palette strategically reflects the climatic contrasts between her former and current homes. Los Angeles, with its dry and warm climate persisting much of the year, is represented through bright, tropical palettes that evoke perpetual summer. In contrast, Chicago's four-season cycle, which can sometimes seem to change within a single week, appears through muted winter fields rendered in shades of gray and blue. This juxtaposition creates a visual dialogue about adaptation and the ways external environments mirror internal transformations.
The technical execution of Weber's work demonstrates her mastery of watercolor and colored pencil techniques. In pieces like "Wake up bright" (2025), a 36 x 48-inch work on watercolor and colored pencil on paper mounted to linen over panel, splotches of watercolor and vivid florals dissolve traditional boundaries. The medium's fluid nature perfectly complements the theme of transformation, allowing colors to bleed and merge in ways that echo the fluid boundaries between domestic life and natural growth.
Weber draws inspiration from classical artistic traditions, particularly window paintings and traditional mother-and-child portraits. However, she reimagines these conventional formats by nesting architectural structures and tender familial moments within predominantly botanical scenes. Works such as "My crocus in a hidden garden" (2025) and "Apple blossom" (2025), both measuring 24.75 x 32.75 inches, demonstrate how she integrates domestic intimacy with natural abundance.
The exhibition includes several large-scale pieces that showcase Weber's ambition and technical skill. "Night Blooming Jasmine" (2025) and "A tree you come home to" (2025) both measure 41 x 53 inches, while "Star up my sleeve" (2025) reaches an impressive 72 x 36 inches on paper mounted to linen over panel. These substantial works allow viewers to become immersed in Weber's botanical worlds, creating an almost environmental experience of her artistic vision.
Throughout the series, Weber explores themes of inevitability and acceptance. Her figures and architectural elements seem to acquiesce to their rapidly evolving environments, acknowledging change and renewal as fundamental aspects of both external landscapes and internal growth. This philosophical approach elevates the work beyond mere autobiography, creating universal resonances about adaptation, motherhood, and the relationship between humans and their environments.
The exhibition represents a significant moment in Weber's artistic development, marking her transition from West Coast to Midwest living while simultaneously documenting her journey into motherhood. By combining personal narrative with botanical metaphor, she creates works that speak to broader themes of growth, change, and the cyclical nature of life. Visitors to Anat Ebgi Gallery can experience this compelling body of work through January 10, with additional information about Weber's practice available on her website and Instagram.
