Isabelle is a contemporary artist whose work explores the intersection of ancient technique and lived landscape.
Working primarily in encaustic—a process using molten pigmented beeswax manipulated by blowtorch, she creates tactile, layered surfaces shaped by heat and immediacy.
Based in the Auvergne region of central France, her practice is informed by its distinctive volcanic terrain, deep valleys, caves, and river systems.
Her work is process-driven and arises from an ongoing engagement with the physical environment and its underlying geological forces.
Education
Originally from La Rochelle, France, Isabelle studied sculpture, drawing, and painting at l’École des Beaux-Arts in Poitiers, France before completing a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts in Ireland in 2006. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including France, Northern Ireland, the USA, Germany, and China.
With over two decades of teaching experience, Isabelle has led workshops and retreats across Ireland and internationally, including the International Encaustic Conference in Massachusetts, Mulranny Arts in Ireland, and kunstfreiraum in Switzerland. She is a core instructor with R&F Handmade Paints, contributes to the online program Painting with Fire, and serves on the board of the International Encaustic Artists (IEA).
Statement
As a contemporary artist, my chosen medium is encaustic, an ancient form that resonates with the depth of time. My artistic journey intertwines seamlessly with my daily sketching routine, where I delve into mark-making and gesture. Through this practice, I absorb the essence of my surroundings, weaving together the visual memory of place—its forms, colours, textures, and patterns.
The transmutation of these experiences finds expression in my paintings, not through overt consciousness but as a manifestation of the embodiment of my encounters in my hands and body. A profound fascination with geological processes, shaped by time and weather, drives my artistic exploration. I am drawn to the layers that build up over time, gradually revealed by the relentless forces of nature.
In my studio, I emulate these geological processes in my art-making. Each painting undergoes a series of stages, mirroring the natural forces that mould landscapes—construction, destruction, growth, and decay. Much like an archaeological process, my paintings evolve through the physicality of layering pigmented beeswax, scraping it back while cooled, scoring, and shaping. This intricate technique results in highly tactile surfaces that invite viewers to explore the nuanced history embedded within each work
Isabelle Gaborit
Press & Publications
Featured Articles
IEA/ International Encaustic Arts
Read article here
Publications
THE ART OF PLACE, THE PEOPLE AND LANDSCAPE OF COUNTY CLARE
Stories. Life stories. Stories of love and loss. Success and failure. Stories about people and place. Stories about the magical spark of creativity. Life stories that make us feel and that make us think. Stories that are stirring and inspirational.
With a particular emphasis on the role of landscape and environs, The Art of Place brings together 30 captivating personal stories by some of the most creative people in Ireland, who all live in or come from County Clare.
Featured contributors include writers and visual artists, musicians and composers, sculptors and crafts people, photographers and filmmakers. Their compelling and deeply personal stories will resonate not only with people from the West of Ireland, but with people worldwide who are enthralled by the creative process.
Beautifully designed and including 30 specially commissioned photographic interpretations by award-winning photographer John Kelly, The Art of Place is a work of art itself, and a magnificent testament to the artistic spirit for which Ireland is justifiably famous. Find here
Credits
All content and images ©Isabelle Gaborit except where otherwise stated.
This site was designed by Spacelab Ireland with the support of the Galway Local Enterprise Office
Gallery Representation
Exhibitions
selected solo exhibitions
2022
Wild Songs, Café Gallery, Gort, Co. Galway, Ireland
2021
Watery Depths, Seamus Ennis Arts Centre, Naul, Co. Dublin, Ireland
2018
Land, Sea and Sky, Birr Arts Centre, Co. Offaly
2017
Land, Sea and Sky, Solas Art Gallery, Co. Leitrim
Alchemy, Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, Co. Clare
Alchemy, Signal Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Watergarden Gallery, Kilkenny
2016
Seraphim and Naiads, Scariff Library, Co. Clare
2014
Forest of Symbols, Scariff Library, Co. Clare
New Works, Café Gallery, Gort, Co. Galway
2011
Collision (collaborative exhibition with poet Simon Large)
2010
New Works, Tipperary Excel Arts Centre, Tipperary, Co. Tipperary
2009
The Ivy House, Drumcondra, Dublin
Iontas Theatre, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan
2008
Somewhere in Between, Town Hall Theatre Gallery, Galway
Samhlaíocht Gallery, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Anima Locus, curated by Mary Butler, Kilkenny Arts Officer, Watergate Theatre Upstairs Gallery, Kilkenny
2003
Tangible Vision, Brennan’s Yard Hotel, Galway. Opened by James C. Harrold, City Arts Officer.
Selected exhibitions
2026
The Living Edge, AMZehnder Gallery, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, USA
2025
Connacht Call Out, Courthouse Arts Programme Juried Exhibition, Ireland
Resist, Create, Love, curated by Patricia Miranda, Castle Hill Center for the Arts, Truro, Massachusetts, USA
2024
Transatlantic Fusion 21, Schleusenhaus Gallery, Stade, Germany
Waxing Poetic, Canadian Encaustic Conference Group Exhibition, Canada
Changing the Narrative: A Special Exhibition of Encaustic and Cold Wax, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, California, USA
2023
Full Circle, UachtarArts Group Exhibition, Oughterard Courthouse, County Galway, Ireland
Terra Firma, Oughterard Courthouse Arts Programme Juried Exhibition, County Galway, Ireland
2022
The Diptych Project: Transatlantic Fusion 2021, International Encaustic Conference, Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA
Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Duo Exhibition with Janet Mercer, Connemara National Park, County Galway, Ireland
Traces, Duo Exhibition with Janet Mercer, Clifden Arts Festival, County Galway, Ireland
2021
Transatlantic Encaustic Project 2021, Collaborative Project with New England Wax (USA) and European Encaustic Artists
Metamorphosis, National Juried Exhibition, Tubac Center of the Arts, Arizona, USA
2019
Connected, Copper House Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
2017
Invited Artists Exhibition, Shorelines Arts Festival, Portumna, Ireland
2014
Enniskillen Visual Arts Open, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Shorelines, Portumna Arts Festival, County Galway, Ireland
2013
Selected works exhibited throughout the year by Yan Chao Collection Gallery, Beijing and other venues in China
2012
Irish Wave, Beijing and Shanghai, China
Clifden Arts Festival, Ireland
2011
Conflict, Iontas Arts Centre, Castleblayney, Ireland
25 Years of Artspace, Galway Arts Centre, Galway, Ireland
2010
The Empress Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Artspace Collective, Galerie du Faouëdic, Lorient, France
2009
Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland
Catalyst Arts, Belfast, Northern Ireland
The 2nd Annual 126 Members Show, 126 Artist-Run Gallery, Galway, Ireland
2008
Christmas Group Exhibition, The Source Arts Centre, Thurles, Ireland
Nature Nurture, Christmas Group Exhibition, Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, County Clare, Ireland
Enniskillen Visual Arts Open, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Is Mise Éire: Seeing Hibernia, curated by 411 Gallery, Gallery of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
Is Mise Éire: Seeing Hibernia, curated by 411 Gallery, Shanghai, China; opened by Dick Roche T.D., Minister for European Affairs
Duo Exhibition, The Mill Theatre Gallery, Dundrum, Dublin, Ireland