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Even if Le Douanier Rousseau was one of her first sources of inspiration, she admits she has a penchant for the work of Marc Chagall, the dream-like quality of which appears to increasingly respond to the universe she has within. The finesse of her colours, which confers a certain patina to her works, has little by little gained in density and relief. As for her subjects, they translate the richness of her inner world and by the same token acquire a more allegorical, almost symbolic significance. Behind these real or imaginary characters, we can sense the impatience of someone striving for self-fulfillment. Her painting, which is more enigmatic, takes on a spiritual dimension, illustrating the complexity of human sentiments. "I wanted to break with the bucolic side of naïve art," she says, "because the concept has become a little narrow and reductive for me. Today I feel it has a sense of renewal, of rebirth, and this encourages me immensely in my daily work. It takes time to get to know oneself and shape one's personality. I now know that I want to paint large formats." Just as Martha was finishing her sentence, a strain of peaceful Tibetan music filled her studio, like a discrete guest ushering in inspiring.

André RUELLAN, critique d'art

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