Rose Miller

Rose Miller is a social justice artist and art educator born and raised in Miami, Florida. She is influenced by her personal upbringing from a multicultural family (her mother an immigrant and father born American), and vastly diverse community. Miller’s work is contrived to elicit humanitarian connections complete with intimate interaction, sometimes requiring opening of or pulling out wearables that are housed within the artworks. She derives new perspectives from her various travel experiences, personal time spent living as an expatriate in the exquisite land of Denmark and her empathic curiosity in another’s story or perspective of culture. She has exhibited internationally in Greece, Denmark and the USA.

In her current work, Miller presents a string of pop culture symbols to engage and create new meaning within the contemporary context of her work. Portraying individuals and issues dear to her, Miller conveys cultural relativism from her personal viewpoint, all the while making it relatable with familiar representations and icons.

An added layer to Miller’s work is the combination of the tactile wooden jewelry and application of smooth gouache or acrylic paint. It is here where fine art merges with the realms of classical artisan craft. The hand painted miniatures are seamlessly apart of the artwork with the option to be pulled out and worn. These embedded but removable wearables that are present within the work then give leeway for dynamic interpretations and roles. While worn in public, the tiny painting becomes an interactive canvas, indulging in jostled social proximities, causing momentary connection between people and at times intriguing conversations which may or may not lead back to the bigger picture. The size of miniature details within a piece inversely reflects the magnitude of the topic painted, often requiring the extra effort of a magnified glass for viewing. The work highlights subjects that are often neglected or disenfranchised. Hence, the deeper essence of the artwork often calls the viewer for a close examination of not only the meaning but also one’s social inclinations.