Perceptions: An All-Round Painting Gallery Exhibition
The Henry Lehmann Gallery, located in B-305, has been running for almost a decade. Throughout the years, there has been a wide array of different shows in mediums such as drawings, photography, sculpture, installation art or a mixture of all of these. The show currently on display is an all-round painting show.
This newest show set up by the gallery’s Curator Cristina Athina Mignacca and Assistant Director India-Lynn Upshaw-Ruffner titled Perceptions had its opening this month. Perceptions is a group show involving artists Jeffrey Asuming Tawiah, Wessel Brussen, Kiana Pangillinan and Marie Lauren Goyez Ramirez, and features two 18 X 24 inch self-portraits from each artist.
The curatorial statement for Perceptions is as follows: “Perception can be described as a means of regarding and interpreting something in order to create a mental impression of a given subject. In this particular case, the artists gazing at themselves to embody their physical appearance and then transform figurative representation into a reality that goes beyond visual sight. Each artist offers a binary vision of their appearance, providing to the onlooker an interpretative and speculative account of how the physical self can be depicted and perceived as either a tangible and recognizable image, or the fleeting moment of an emotional state.”
When the artists were painting their pieces, they were required to constantly look at themselves for reference. This process is quite introspective, forcing the artist to observe and scrutinize all of the details on their face, while the artwork gazes back at them. The experience as a whole can be cathartic for the artist. The viewing of the art adds another dimension to the context in which the paintings were created; the viewer of the pieces becomes a part of the exhibition by having the paintings gaze back at them.
The vernissage was held on October 17th, where the Curator gave a small speech, and light refreshments were served. The artists were also present if anyone wished to ask them questions about their works. With Perceptions being a painting exhibition, it will hopefully inspire more students to submit their works for gallery shows, especially in the medium of painting.
Perceptions will be on display until November 5th, so do not miss out on checking out the amazing student artworks before they come down!
Written by: India-Lynn Upshaw-Ruffner
