Sisters of the Moon - KMAC, Louisville

Curated by Joey Yates

On view October 15, 2016 - January 8, 2017 / Donor and Member Preview: Friday, October 14

Sisters of the Moon features artists who investigate ideas related to mysticism and mythology, illuminating the creative spaces where female identity, artistic practice and spirituality converge. Rooted in the ancient belief that women more fully embody the generative forces of nature, possessing a greater connectedness to the surrounding environment, this exhibition provides a unique setting for art exploring the poetics of nature and the feminine divine.

Working through diverse media including painting, drawing, collage, video, photography, ceramics and installation, the artists in Sisters of the Moon examine alternative spiritual perspectives that connect to nature and the cosmos, as well as the historical aspects of goddess spirituality, meditation, herbalism, fortune telling, and other associations with ancient wisdom and superstition. The exhibition confronts a wide range of approaches and issues involving these themes, representing both personal and communal beliefs.

Participating artists: Laura Donefer, Evie Falci, Lauren Fensterstock, Chitra Ganesh, Elizabeth Insogna, Klara Kristalova, Kathleen Lolley, Maidens of the Cosmic Body Running, Katarzyna Majak, Alyssa Pheobus Mumtaz, Connie Roberts, Kiki Smith, Renée Stout, Anasazi Thomas, Lina Iris Viktor, and Saya Woolfalk

Confluence/Influence: Mingei in Contemporary Abstraction - Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs, New York

Curated by Bridget Donlon

On view September 18 - December 11, 2016 / Opening reception: Sunday, September 18

For many artists, there has been a surge of interest in getting back to direct, unmediated experience and an affinity for objects that are individualized, handmade, and authentic. The practices of the artists in this exhibition --- Regina Bogat, Martha Clippinger, John Crawford, Kathy Erteman, Christopher French, Sheila Hicks, Richard Kalina, Ruth Laskey, Douglas Melini, Melissa Meyer, Alyssa Pheobus Mumtaz, Odili Donald Odita, Don Porcaro, and Altoon Sultan --- encompass painting, drawing, weaving, and sculpture including blacksmithing, marble carving, and ceramic pottery in the service of finding meaning through analog creation in a digital world. They focus on and derive pleasure from the craft of making work by hand.

Mingei, a Japanese folk craft movement founded by philosopher Sōetsu Yanagi, promoted a set of principles and approaches that the artists of the present exhibition explicitly or implicitly embody.  Among those are a deep and evident pleasure in a hands-on relationship to materials and craftsmanship, a reductive approach to formal composition, and a lack of irony. Mingei (and the artists of Confluence/Influence) espouse a return to the tangible in the face of a world that seems to exist ever more in the ethereal, cyber realm.

Curator’s Essay | Press Release

Stormy Days - Group exhibition, Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai

Featured Artists:

Hamra Abbas, Rana Begum, Simryn Gill, Ali Kazim, Nadia Khawaja, Michael Muller, Alyssa Pheobus Mumtaz, Yamini Nayar, Seher Shah, Lionel Wendt, Claudia Wieser

January 2016: LIAEP Grant, Research and Residency in Varanasi

What an extraordinary way to begin 2016! This month I was blessed to be able to fulfil one of my dreams as a traveler: to make a pilgrimage to the ancient, holy city of Varanasi in India. This trip was made possible through the generosity of the Lighton International Artist Exchange Program and the hospitality of Varanasi's Kriti Gallery, which hosts artists from all over the world. For three weeks, my research focused on devotional communities and the pluralistic nature of religious expression in this sacred center. I also had the great privilege of visiting a number of handloom weaving workshops that specialise in preserving the traditional Banarasi sari. Woven by Muslims of Central Asian lineage, the Banarasi brocade is truly the queen of saris and a textile rich in sacred symbolism, cultural significance and design ingenuity. One of the highlights of my visit was making contact with the workshops of master weavers who take tremendous pride in preserving and transmitting heritage design sensibility and handloom weaving practice. Some of their current sari designs can be traced back through at least 6 generations of family workshop activity; many others echo classic Banarasi sari types that one can see in the historical textile collection of Varanasi's Barat Khala Bhavan. Sadly, globalisation and machine weaving have rapidly endangered the livelihood of handloom weavers throughout India. The Banarasi weavers are a moving example of how hardworking artisans are finding ways to navigate these challenges through the intelligence and resilience of traditional practice. 

Artist residency at New City Arts, Charlottesville

This autumn and winter I have the privilege of being the inaugural artist-in-residence at the New City Arts Initiative's brand new studio space in downtown Charlottesville. The studio residency opened in connection with NCA's new permanent gallery space. The studio will be open during gallery hours and special events. If you're in the neighborhood, stop in and say hello!