A World Assembled: The Vision of Merrie Okie

At Artiste, every label begins with a feeling. With Merrie Okie, that feeling expands into an entire world.

We are proud to introduce Merrie Okie as our newest featured artist—and the first mixed media artist ever to appear on Artiste labels. Her work marks a meaningful evolution for us, pushing beyond traditional boundaries and into something more layered, expressive, and alive.

A graduate of the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Okie’s foundation spans painting, photography, and sculpture. That range shows up in her work immediately. Her pieces are richly textured, wildly colorful, and filled with unexpected details—like visual stories unfolding all at once. They live somewhere between fantasy and reality, where memory, imagination, and lived experience collide.

There’s a certain freedom in her work. It doesn’t ask for permission, and it doesn’t follow rules. That’s exactly why it resonates with how we approach winemaking.

Like our wines, Merrie’s art is about expression over expectation. It’s about trusting instinct, embracing complexity, and creating something that feels rather than something that fits into a category.

Her career has taken her across the world—from gallery exhibitions in Santa Monica, San Francisco, Aspen, Santa Fe, and Paris, to international shows in Sydney and Bali. Along the way, her work has found its way into both private and institutional collections, including USC’s Doheny Library. She has painted large-scale murals, worked in film as an art director, and brought her vision into gallery and retail spaces—always expanding what her art can be.

This May, her work comes to life on our newest wine collection: four reds, a rosé, and a white blend. Each label is more than an image—it’s an invitation. A moment to pause, to look closer, to find something new each time you return.

Because that’s the point.

Great wine evolves in the glass. Great art evolves in the eye.

And when the two meet, something deeper happens.

This is just the beginning of our collaboration with Merrie Okie. We invite you to experience her work the way it was meant to be experienced—slowly, openly, and with your own interpretation leading the way.

What’s your impression?