The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour, Miami: “Aqueous” by Christopher Martin
Tucked along Miami’s most exclusive stretch of coastline, The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour, Miami presents “Aqueous,” a captivating exhibition by American artist Christopher Martin featuring his distinctive transparent acrylic paintings. This exhibit is owner-sponsored and led by Ronit Ben-Josef Neuman.
Martin’s innovative reverse layering process transforms non-porous acrylic sheets into stages where pigment and water choreograph ethereal compositions. Using quartz heating lamps to gently evaporate water, the artist allows pigments to emulsify and settle into glassy glazes, creating layered transparencies that capture the fluid dynamics of currents, eddies, and diffusion. Much like the ebb and flow of the nearby intracoastal waters, Martin’s process embodies a quiet dialogue with nature—reflecting the same sense of calm, rhythm, and connection to the coastal landscape that defines the resort’s serene atmosphere.
“The process allows for an organic painterly expression, where spontaneity and chance still guide deliberate composition,” explains Christopher Martin, whose work balances what he calls “Organic Expressionism.” “Viewed through the glass, the works present an optical inversion: the most recent transformations appear at the surface while deeper textures reveal themselves upon closer inspection.”
Guests can experience “Aqueous” before or after dining at the oceanfront Artisan Beach House restaurant, where a new menu of coastal-inspired cuisine complements the hotel’s artistic atmosphere.
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach is located at 1 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For reservations or more information, please call 800-241-3333 or visit ritzcarlton.com/miasb.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour, Miami is located at 10295 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour, FL 33154. For reservations or more information, please call 800-241-3333 or visit ritzcarlton.com/