Ibiza has long been a source of inspiration for some of the greatest minds in music, art and literature. Renowned creatives such as the German writer Walter Benjamin, French philosopher Yves Michaud, avant-garde collective Grupo Ibiza 59, and even illustrious names like Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones, have all found their imagination sparked on the island’s shores – whether it was during a fleeting visit or a longer sojourn.
Joining the hallowed ranks of those who have alchemised the captivating magic of Ibiza in their inspired creations is Rita Sabo, a multi-disciplinary artist on a stellar trajectory to the top of the international art scene.
Born in the North Caucasus, Sabo was raised in Switzerland from the age of ten. Born into a family that valued arts and culture and encouraged her curiosity, an appreciation for both was instilled in her from an early age.
Rita remembers, “We would often attend vernissages, and music and culture were part of our everyday life. So my passion was encouraged from a young age.
” As she grew older, Rita continued to pursue her affinity for creative expression by attending art schools in Zürich and Basel, as well as studying at the renowned Central Saint Martins University of Art in London. Now based in Vienna, Austria, Sabo and her family spend their winters on Ibiza – with the occasional escape to Thailand.
Like the famous saying ‘wherever you go, there you are’ signifies, Rita carries her creative spark around the world with her – sometimes, quite literally, with her paints stowed away in her suitcase. However, as a deeply sensitive and intuitive soul, Sabo’s art is heavily inspired by her surroundings.
SACRED PLANET, 2023, hollow cast aluminium, double patinated bronze, wax-coated, diameter: 140cm, pedestal “Venezia” 55x55x70cm Exhibition at the Ludwig Museum Koblenz
“I think artists are like sponges and they soak up the energies around them,” she explains when we meet at the Sabo family’s White Island base. “I am super sensitive to the vibrations of a place. On Ibiza, it’s something very special. Every time I’m here I go into a really intensive phase with my art. New ideas, new techniques and influences are born. It’s incredible, it almost seems to happen by itself.”
Citing nature as one of her biggest mental stimuli, amidst the breathtaking backdrop of the Balearics inspiration can strike at any moment. Rita tells us, “In the last few years my love of nature has led me to discover the principles of ‘sacred geometry’, which inspires me a lot.
” For the uninitiated, sacred geometry is a spiritual worldview that recognises mathematical patterns and geometric shapes that are repeated in both flora and fauna – for example, the spiral of a snail’s shell or the intricate motifs of snowflakes. They are ascribed symbolic and sacred meanings, which, in turn, are considered as evidence of divine creation.
The concept has been attributed to philosophers and polymaths dating as far back as Plato, who has been cited to have said that “God geometrises continually.”
It is a term that you hear frequently amongst Ibiza’s spiritually-minded community, and it certainly seems serendipitous that Rita learned about sacred geometry for the first time on the island.
“I watched the documentary ‘Sacred Geometry and Me’ – and it completely blew my mind! That was the moment when I began to really immerse myself in the subject, but I think it had already been slumbering in my subconscious from a young age. As a child, I would often find myself doodling geometric shapes. I have always been fascinated by the metaphysical.”
The human mind and psyche are two further subjects that fascinate the multifaceted artist.
“I love extraordinary people, so whether it is an artist like Klimt or a psychoanalyst like Jung, I investigate the things that interest me,” Sabo explains. “I find a lot of inspiration in literature, music, and even in my dreams. I’m really very sensitive, and I pay attention to symbols and signs that come up from my subconscious when I sleep. Dreams are a big part of my work.”
17* SACRED PLANET, 2023, hollow cast aluminium, diameter: 34.5cm Exhibition #Art4GlobalGoals at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris
Adorned with bold colours, intricate patterns and symbols from ancient eras and civilisations that she brings out of the past and – transcending time and space – into the future, Rita’s paintings invite you into fantastical dreamscapes. They portray her inner reflections on complex matters such as the universal force of creation, the union of masculine and feminine energies, and the mystery of far flung galaxies.
It is in alignment with a certain modern “Zeitgeist”, a collective thirst for art that is more than just skin-deep, for creative expression that has soul and meaning rather than the hedonic ‘content treadmill’ social media is constantly exposing us to.
Some of the biggest highlights Sabo has celebrated in her thriving art career to date include an exhibition at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice, Italy, and a display of her SACRED PLANET series of sculptures at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. This year, she is already busy preparing for her next showcase at the MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century Art in Rome, Italy.
Does she have a vision for what she would like to achieve in the future? Once again, Sabo’s answer reveals that her art is much more than meets the eye.
“It’s very important to me that people take away something from my art, that it inspires a change of consciousness. For me, the most beautiful part of creating art is when I can serve a good cause through my work. That is my mission, and that is what creatively gives me wings.”
Rita Sabo
