A Group Show Including the Art of Aaron Wilder, Curated by Ellen Sturm Niz
September 7-October 1, 2023
Amos Eno Gallery
56 Bogart Street
Brooklyn, NY 11206
Amos Eno Gallery, a non-profit artist collective in Bushwick, Brooklyn, is pleased to present Encounters, on view September 7 to October 1, 2023, in The Project Space at Amos Eno. An opening reception will be held on Friday, September 7, 2023, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 56 Bogart in conjunction with the opening of Elena Barenghi: The Golden Rule in the main gallery.
Encounters is a group exhibition of 11 Amos Eno Gallery member artists with work composed of a variety of materials, including watercolor, encaustic, acrylic, oils, wood, canvas, felt, paper, cement, and photography. Despite differences in form, style, and subject , these works are all examples of the artists’ exploration of the concept of "encounters" through their respective artistic practices.
From the delicate and ethereal watercolor landscapes to the bold and expressive encaustic abstracts, the artworks on display demonstrate the wide range of techniques and mediums employed by the artists. The interplay between the tactile nature of the materials and the conceptual depth of the artworks invites viewers to engage with the pieces on multiple levels.
The theme of "encounters" is interpreted in various ways throughout the exhibition. Some artists explore personal encounters, delving into introspective narratives and emotional landscapes. Others examine encounters with the natural world, capturing the essence of fleeting moments in nature or exploring the complex relationship between humans and the environment.
Social and cultural exchanges, engagement with technology, and encounters with history are also explored, shedding light on the intersection of individual experiences and broader societal contexts. Through their artistic expressions, the artists provoke contemplation and encourage viewers to reflect on their own encounters and connections, inviting them to engage in a dialogue with the artworks.
Tulu Bayar
Indecisive (2023), Color pencil on photograph, archival pigment print (edition 3 of 5), 8.5 x 10 inches.
“In my work, the physical characteristics of subjects are often masked or hidden, ornate with depicted patterns, resulting in an open-ended narrative. As an immigrant artist I use historical and contemporary imagery and stories culled from references that include manuscripts, magazines, artifacts, motifs and symbols found both in my native and adapted land.”
Damien Olsen Berdichevsky
108 Stitches of Reality (2022), Wood construction, cement, baseball, various paints, 19 x 8 x 4 inches.
“Like an object found in a dream, my piece, “108 Stitches of Reality,” uses a baseball to crown a ghostly looking architectural wall sculpture that hopefully will leave the onlookers scratching their heads.”
Aruni Dharmakirthi,
Sky Flower (2023), Acrylic paint, canvas, textile, poly-fil, 22 x 19 x 2 1/2 inches.
Sweet Demon (2023), Acrylic paint, textile, poly-fil, jump rings, ribbon, 22 x 16 x 2 inches.
Jewel Charms (2023), Felt, yarn, wooden dowel, 24 x 13 1/2 inches.
“These works explore meditative themes of Indo-Tibetan buddhist philosophy through seductively colorful fibers.”
Atoposes (2023), Encaustic and shoji paper on birch panels, quartet of 6 x 6 x inch panels.
Fetality (2023), Passing Through (2023), Encaustic and shoji paper on birch panels, 12 x 12 x 2 inches.
“My current work combines vitalism and surrealist automatism to reveal ways of being that lie at the periphery of awareness. Instead of focusing inward toward the subconscious, I orient my practice to a form of ontological speculation—a kind of wavering dream that captures the creative residue of my encounter with alterity. These actions are uncomfortable– they feel absurd and without purpose, and yet they are able to escape my distinctly human need for meaning, or value. Being, as vital energy acting through material, breaks down the boundaries of self-imposed perception, compelling me to feel through another from the inside out, opening my being to care, perhaps for the first time.”
Quilt Top Study: Autumnal Memories, Ink jet computer print, framed- 11 x 14 inches.
“My work shows the ongoing influence of family quiltmakers and stonemasons.”
I Can’t Stand It No More (2023), Acrylic on canvas, 9 x 12 inches.
“I am an art practitioner based in NYC, originally from China, specializing in drawing, printmaking, animation, and sculpting. My art revolves around the concept that one must not merely depict a cloud because it is visible, but rather experience and feel the essence of the cloud. Through my work, I strive to convey messages and provoke change, centering on the exploration of emotions, social justice, and reality. With imaginative, surrealistic, and dynamic themes, my pieces challenge viewers' emotional reactions. I take pleasure in sharing my visions through my art and eagerly anticipate the perspectives of viewers. I believe that artworks should exist autonomously, free from external pressures, and express their intentions. I encourage viewers to determine for themselves what they wish to perceive and the emotions they want to experience.”
Shadow (2023), Oil on Arches oil painting paper, 12 x 16 inches.
“This is one of a group of recent and ongoing works developed around the motif of a visual effects green screen. The green backgrounds of these improvisational paintings are a starting point for invented imagery, fantasy, and incidental abstraction.”
Grandma's Funeral Flowers (Focus Stack, 65 Images) (2017), Archival Inkjet Print, framed, 20 x 24 inches.
“This image is from the series Agglomeration, my graduate school thesis, in which I was interested in the degradation of human vision versus logarithmic computer vision. I utilized algorithms inherent to Photoshop to create agglomerated photographs that sought to understand the loss of data, whilst experiencing personal loss myself. When my grandmother passed, I wanted to utilize this new-found technique to create a memento of her.”
Hiroko Ohno
Moon (2022), Watercolor pencil, pigment on linen, 18 x 24 inches.
Saturn/Jupiter (2021), Watercolor pencil on Fabriano Murillo paper, 9 x 12 inches.
“My questions about the universe and the world drive me to create artwork. I am interested in time and gravity. I use pigments of minerals, seashells, corals, etc., and focus on celestial bodies. Recently, I am particularly interested in the Event Horizon Project, which is investigating black holes. I place importance on the physical and perceptual aspects of my work, such as researching at my desk and seeing and painting the stars with the naked eye in nature. The stars and celestial bodies I depict are based on my physical and mental experiences and memories from my travels around the world, including Namibia, Africa, the Sahara Desert, and Quebec, where I saw them on the spot.”
Hiding From the Dawn (2023), Watercolor and resin on wood, 8 x 10 inches.
“I think of my work as psychological realms that depict elements of reality. I am interested in the relationships between figures, and their surroundings. I consider myself a voyeur to these scenes; watching quietly from a distance. I also make paintings that depict disheveled domestic spaces. These works in particular engage themes of chaos, loss, and mental health. I am interested in the idea of cultural erasure, by way of war, socioeconomic changes, the outsourcing of jobs, and deindustrialization. I am interested in the idea of subtraction; the removal of material things from a place, or the removal of individuals from their dwellings. Elements of our culture are reflected in what we leave behind. Using dilapidated interiors as a tableau, I seek to challenge the parameters of taste and engage with reality, including its abject elements.”
The Art World: The Broad 1 (2018), Inkjet Print of Digitally Edited 35mm Film, 10 x 15 inches.
“‘The Art World’ is a project documenting encounters between human beings and art on the elevated and exclusive walls of the white cube art world. The artwork in the background of my photo of people at The Broad Museum in Los Angeles is Glenn Ligon’s ‘Double America 2.’”
About Amos Eno Gallery: Amos Eno Gallery has been a fixture in the New York art scene since 1974 when it opened in Soho. It has moved with changing arts neighborhoods over the years to land at its current space at 56 Bogart St. in Brooklyn, across from the Morgan Ave. L train stop. The gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. and is run by a small community of professional artists, both from New York City and across the country, and a part-time director. For more information, please contact Gallery Director Ellen Sturm Niz at amosenogallery@gmail.com.
Ellen Sturm Niz is an artist and curator who joined Amos Eno Gallery as Director in January 2023. She previously curated the 2022 Summer Salon series at Atelier Canal in Gowanus, served as a 2021 Arts Commissioner for the Queens Council on the Arts' Artist Commissioning Program, and worked with artist Elizabeth Demaray to curate an online conceptual art show for the Art Students League of New York. Ellen's art has been shown at Susan Eley Fine Art in Manhattan; Local Project in Long Island City; and Emerge Gallery in Saugerties, NY. Ellen received a Bachelor's of Science from the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and created and curated content for magazines and websites for 20 years, before transitioning to a career in the arts. To better support artists and provide meaningful cultural experiences to communities, she studied at the Node Center for Curatorial Studies in Berlin.
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