Alice Baber‭ (‬1928-1982, USA‭) was an abstract painter best known for her vibrant, colour-saturated works that explored light, form, and the inner experience. Born in Charleston, Illinois, Baber’s formative years were marked by health challenges, leading her to find solace and self-expression in art from an early age. Her studies in the United States at the University of Illinois and later at the New School for Social Research, combined with her move to Paris in 1958, exposed her to the art of European modernists, particularly the Abstract Expressionist movement. Baber’s style matured into a unique blend of lyrical abstraction, marked by soft-edged, overlapping shapes that convey a sense of movement and luminosity, inspired by natural light and colour.

In Paris, Baber immersed herself in the city’s avant-garde scene, and her work began to gain recognition within European and American circles. She exhibited alongside notable artists at Galerie Stadler, one of Paris’s key venues for contemporary art. During this time, Baber’s work continued to evolve as she engaged with artists experimenting with colour theory, particularly the role of colour as an expressive and autonomous element in abstract painting. Her paintings often incorporate biomorphic shapes in translucent layers, creating dynamic spatial interactions that invite viewers to experience the physicality and emotive power of colour.

Baber’s career spanned numerous solo and group exhibitions across Europe and the United States, and she became a key figure in the movement to gain visibility for women artists. Her work was included in “Women Choose Women” at the New York Cultural Center in 1973, a groundbreaking exhibition in the history of feminist art. Despite her untimely passing in 1982, her contributions to abstract painting remain influential, reflecting her commitment to exploring the expressive potential of colour and her belief in art’s capacity to connect deeply with viewers’ inner lives. Baber’s legacy endures through her richly layered compositions, which continue to inspire dialogue about colour, abstraction, and the experiences they evoke.

In 2024, Ronchini Gallery launched a new catalogue celebrating the work of Alice Baber. The publication includes an essay by curator Piero Tomassoni titled “Abstraction Lyrique: American Style. Alice Baber in 1960s Paris.” Tomassoni explores Baber’s transformative years in Paris, where she lived alongside her husband, artist Paul Jenkins, and immersed herself in the city’s vibrant cultural scene.