In 2023, Gina-Marie focused on making the artworks she would exhibit at the XIV Florence Biennale, which took place from October 14 – 23 at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy. During this time, she made the conscious decision to work larger and create her artworks using more than just the original Chiyogami and Washi papers she’d preferred with the Chiyogami Portraits series. This was a new period of expansion for Gina-Marie, and one which is not yet completed.

Ever aware of the process and many layers that exist in each piece, she documented these works meticulously to share the process with her friends and followers on social media. She also made a print of a much-loved layer in Approach available as a way to raise funds for the Biennale and immortalize it.

The triptych, called Jupiter Overtakes Saturn, consists of three pieces: Approach, Conjunction, and Transcendence. It is a meditation on the cycles of life as well as Gina-Marie’s own 20-year cycle which began in 2003 and came to a close at the end of 2023. Approach focuses on feeling stifled or the need to hide parts of oneself away, fear, and confusion. Conjunction is a transitional, chaotic piece that illustrates moving away from fear and indecision to actively seeking and working toward change. Transcendence is the celebratory conclusion, where one achieves self-actualization and can express oneself completely and ecstatically.

Materials: wood panel, gesso, chiyogami paper, washi paper, acrylic paint, ink, gouache, modeling paste, gel medium, salt, inkjet prints.