In Deep Pink, Jo Gamel presents a series of mixed-media oil still lifes that reimagine marine debris as sacred relics. Sourced during her surfing and snorkeling rituals, these objects—shells, coral, and tidal fragments—become stand-ins for the feminine body, myth, and collective unconscious memory.

Rooted in vanitas tradition of meticulous realism but rendered with a saturated, glowing palette, the works are informed by the myths of global sea goddesses, such as Aphrodite, Mami Wata, Tiamat, Ganga, Coventina, and Sedna. These contemplative works invite the viewer to reflect on the enduring symbolic tether between women and the ocean—its beauty and brutality, its nurturing depths and tempestuous force—tracing how this elemental bond has shaped human belief across time and culture.

The title Deep Pink refers to both the chromatic interiority of the feminine body and the powerful emotional depth of the female experience, evoking themes of sacred sensuality, rupture from the expected, and eternal transformation.

Gamel’s paintings evoke votive altars that exalt the unknowable depth of womanity, inviting viewers to pause and witness the complexity of birth, bloom, and decay. In Deep Pink, still life painting becomes an act of devotion—a meditation on the enduring and the elemental.