NEW YORK, NY – Chelsea’s Agora Gallery will feature the original work of Josie Mengai in Persistence of Form. The exhibition opens April 25, 2017 and runs through May 16, 2017 with an opening reception on Thursday, April 27 from 6-8 pm.
The luminous watercolors of Josie Mengai combine brilliant pigment with a sharpness of line and level of detail not often seen in that medium. Inspired by nature and her travels, Mengai paints flora, fauna, animals, and beach scenes, focusing particularly on water reflections and expertly capturing the spirit of places she’s seen first-hand. One of those locations is the Amazon Rainforest, which is dear to Mengai’s heart, having lived there for a time. In addition to landscapes, some of Mengai's most striking pieces include images of tigers, which Mengai favors because she was born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Although nearly photorealistic in their representation, what really makes Mengai’s pieces stand out is the symphony of color and masterful understanding of light that give her paintings, even in reproduction, something close to the appearance of stained glass.
Mengai was born in Hong Kong, but grew up and currently lives in Brazil, where her work has won numerous awards, including the silver medal in the 2005 IX Fine Arts Exhibition in Serra Negra, São Paulo.
Exhibition Dates: April 25, 2017 – May 16, 2017
Reception: Thursday, April 27, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat 11:00am – 6:00pm
Gallery Location: 530 West 25th St, Chelsea, New York
Event URL: http://www.agora-gallery.com/artistpage/Josie_Mengai.aspx
Featured Artists:
Persistence of Form
Raul Mariaca Dalence | Marina Sutter | Sandra Nitchie | Josie Mengai | Christian Barbosa
About the Exhibition
Persistence of Form
Agora Gallery showcases new perspectives on realism this spring with Persistence of Form. A highly specialized group exhibition, Persistence of Form brings together representational artists working in oil, pastel, spray paint, watercolor, and acrylic. Though they vary widely in subject matter and approach, every participant is thoughtful and focused in rendering form, down to the small details. However, unlike many traditionally realistic works, these pieces are spirited, unexpected, and thoroughly modern. This exhibition highlights an area of the contemporary art scene that is often overlooked by both the public and many art institutions.
Only a handful of artists were chosen to participate in Persistence of Form. There is a landscape artist who conjures images of the environment that manage to be both incredibly accurate and utterly fantastic visions of paradise. There are two portraitists: one who depicts faces at close range with hyperrealism, and one who employs the full-length body as a vehicle for emotional expression. There is the artist who interrogates famous figures using their recognizable forms, and the artist who captures little moments of everyday life in saturated colors.
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