“The tangled richness of the landscape around me—and the abundance of resources it offers—has always been one of my greatest sources of inspiration, as well as the origin of the sustainable, eco-friendly materials I use.”

Michelle Gagliano’s paintings offer an evocative response to the landscape, capturing the ephemeral qualities of nature and the shifting expanses of sea, land, and sky. Her work is rooted in an alchemical process: she creates her own medium by grinding raw earth pigments, blending extracted nut oils, and infusing essential lavender-based solvents. This artisanal, sustainable approach reflects her deep connection to the environment.

Born in upstate New York, Gagliano often recalls the farm where she was raised—a place she credits for her enduring reverence for the natural world. That early exposure to the changing rhythms of landscape and light has remained central to her artistic vision. For the past decade, she has lived and worked in central Virginia, where the surrounding farmland and the cycle of the four seasons continue to nourish her creative experimentation.

Gagliano earned her BA in Painting with a minor in Art History from Plymouth State University. Nearly two decades later, she completed her MFA at American University in Washington, D.C. A recipient of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship—an honor she shares with artists such as Cy Twombly—Gagliano has held numerous solo exhibitions in the United States, including at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the William King Museum. Her work has also been shown internationally, with exhibitions at the Raphael House Museum in Urbino, Italy, and the American Embassy in Rome.