Imagine living in a country where kidnappings are rampant, where it not only is the business of organized crime to kidnap, but it also is the business of many corrupt police officers, and where only 1% of these kidnappings are solved. This country is Mexico.

Miriam Saba lived in Mexico City with her husband and four children as kidnapping escalated. To protect her family, they moved to New York City in 2001. There, she opened her art studio. Still, Mexico held itself in her heart and burst out in her work.

Her paintings can be viewed at the December St. Anthony Arts Council Exhibit website: stanthony.com/the-arts-council. Her work is also on exhibit at Rhinehouse Gallery on Madison and 72nd Street in New York City.

On recent visit with her mother in Mexico, they chatted in the kitchen, where a large wooden table lay at the center of the room. Suddenly inspired, Saba gathered up the different kinds of vegetables and fruits there, cut some open and unloaded them onto the table. Then, she painted the loud, purple eggplants, bright yellow lemons and deep red tomatoes. What resulted was “Cornucopia.”

Mexico uses bright colors for its houses, hats, baskets, ceramics, pinatas and paper cut-outs strung over the streets. The bright colors can be seen in Saba’s painting “Chilies.” Further, Saba explains, “many dishes in Mexico are made with chilies, so they represent Mexico.” The hot spiciness in chilies parallels the passion that Mexicans possess, she adds.

Two paintings in this exhibit convey a particularly intriguing message. In “Three Apples and a Knife,” for example, Saba paints three ripe apples. Yet, in front of them, as something to have to cross over before reaching the juicy apples, lies a shiny knife, an object that conveys possible violence and danger. In “Two Tomatoes” a tomato cut into two juicy pieces is accented by ominously threatening scissors dividing the viewer from them. Both paintings depict an object of possible harm that blocks the way to savor the good.

Miriam Saba has 15 grandchildren now. Her years in NYC have been happy. On most days she can be found in her studio on 57th,painting with her beloved country in mind. She can be reached at sabamiriam@yahoo.com.

During the pandemic, St. Anthony’s Arts Council has put its monthly exhibits online, giving us the opportunity to feature national and international artists along with local artists. In-person art exhibits will return soon.