Saturn Return

Emma Ortiz’s Glory Days series is an ode to introspection, process, and the slow unfolding of meaning through paint. Normally working at a faster pace, Ortiz approached this body of work with unusual stillness—allowing the paintings to emerge gradually through deep research and reflection. Inspired by the idea that canvases could be activated like dancers—through movement and bursts of color—she embraced a more meditative rhythm, letting each gesture carry the weight of thought, memory, and emotion.

The works draw from a diverse palette of influences: early 1900s folk art, the expressive fluidity of animated Japanese films, and the quiet realization that daily life itself is a form of practice. Ortiz treats time not as something to conquer, but as a medium—letting hours slip by in the studio, only to rediscover their imprint in the brushwork. Glory Days is a celebration of that circular journey: digging deep, stepping back, and arriving again through paint.