Step Into Bemused at Formato Fine Arts
There is something powerful about art that makes you stop, look again, and wonder what exactly you’re seeing—or feeling. Bemused embraces that experience.
Now on view and available to shop at Formato Fine Arts, Bemused features the work of Lily Formato, bringing together pieces that move through memory, identity, anxiety, humor, family, place, and the wonderfully strange moments of everyday life.
A Collection Rooted in Personal Experience
Throughout Bemused, Formato draws heavily from her own experiences and surroundings. Her Rose Period series takes a stream-of-consciousness approach to drawing and painting, moving from self-portraiture in Rose Period I to her relationship with her hometown of Wytheville in Rose Period II. Rose Period III turns toward more complicated themes surrounding family, addiction, and American religion.
Other works explore equally personal territory. Sacrifice considers the process of understanding death, while The Black Lodge confronts fear and loathing. Homesick for Another World centers on anxiety, and Night Painting captures the feeling of being alone in the fog.
Together, these works create a collection that feels deeply personal without asking the viewer to arrive at one particular interpretation.
Finding Meaning in the Unexpected
Not everything in Bemused is solemn.
Familiar and unexpected subjects appear throughout the collection, including Labubu figures, a Teletubby still life, trout, landscapes, and everyday objects. In New Friends, a Teletubby brought over by a friend becomes the subject of a still-life study. Labubu Still Life similarly turns a recognizable contemporary object into an exercise in looking closely at something real.
It is this movement between seriousness and playfulness that gives Bemused its character. The familiar can become strange, the humorous can become meaningful, and something deeply personal can invite an entirely different response from the viewer.
More Than Paintings
The collection also highlights Formato’s exploration of different materials and mediums. Alongside oil and ink paintings are works incorporating materials such as wool, chalk pastel, and gold lacquer. The inventory also extends into photography, ceramics, sculpture, and prints.
Rather than fitting neatly into one category, Bemused celebrates experimentation, curiosity, and the freedom to follow an idea wherever it leads.
Experience Bemused
Art doesn’t always have to provide an answer. Sometimes, the most interesting work leaves us with another question.
We invite you to experience Bemused at Formato Fine Arts, spend time with the pieces in person, and discover which works make you stop for a second look.
Can’t make it to the gallery? The Bemused collection is now available to explore and shop online at Formato Fine Arts.
