Mystery stirs within Stefania Grillo’s paint, erupting into figurative works that are powerfully expressive.  Women, in all their ambiguity, are the recurring subject matter of Grillo’s paintings.  They are a studied mix of juxtapositions—calm yet ardent, beautiful yet ashen, sensitive yet resilient—that comment on the complexities of womanhood. In these haunting portraits, the Italian-born artist takes great care to indicate the inner lives of women through the harmony of their bodies.  Though several of her paintings depict women in the nude, many of these women cover their heads with gigantic hats, as if to protect the fragility of their minds.  The open flowers and open blouses point toward the women’s sexuality and vulnerability. Stefania Grillo further represents the depth of feminine emotion through her layered colors.  Lights and darks fight to the surface of the paintings, illuminating the women yet casting murky shadows across vast portions of their faces.  Her palette of grey, black, forest green, ocean blue, and crimson sets the introspective tone of the paintings.