Naisang creates figurative paintings that just show enough to make the viewer wonder and imagine what else is in the story. Steeped in color theory and potent symbolism, her current work reflects her layered interests that range from insect mythology to Jung’s concept of the shadow self to the notion of the Dark Feminine.

In her work, figurative elements are close-cropped, existing almost as if they are part of the landscape itself, which is pared down to simple repetitions of pattern and edited color. Sinewy curving forms connect and replicate– a subtle rhythm is implied. Phantom Limb features a nude female torso painted in a vivid rosy tone, edged with pale blue light, reclining in the grass, hands twining together over the solar plexus, hinting at the unknown thoughts of the subject. Luna moth, neon-green caterpillars crawl through the short grasses, inching onto the figure itself, perhaps signifying transformation or intuitive psychic perception. A shadow of a hand hovers directly over the figure, as if representing a memory of the touch of another. We don’t know what kind of touch, or what kind of memory, only that the phantom limb in question seems to be from the hand of another person, while the title suggests it could originate from the self. Although Naisang lives in Asheville, her current work has a connection with the desert: “My work exploded with color after living in the vibrant Sonoran landscape, and I think this was the beginning of when I really found my voice as an artist. Since then I’ve fully leaned into dreamlike landscapes and color choices. I just feel so much happier with my current body of work”, she explains. Precise and homogenous detail, asymmetry within symmetry, and other balancing factors of color and imagery across every inch of Naisang’s brightly lit paintings imbue her work with a sense of artificiality. Hyper-saturated gradients of color pulsate throughout in a heady stylization reminiscent of the candied glows of cartoon worlds, even when many of the scenes are night visions. Naisang’s gemlike, playful worlds speak with a vivid cadence while remaining steeped in mystery.