The reception for the Window To My Soul Exhibition commenced on June 4th at the Athens Public Library, in beautiful Athens Ohio. The exhibition was a mixture of some of my most poignant earlier work that has resonated well with a wide audience, plus a few newer pieces that cohesively blend into my artistic vision and body of work.
The exhibit displayed 10 pieces, from limited edition prints to original paintings. It called for each visitor to have a sense of connectivity with fine art; connectivity that is increasingly lacking, as fine art is being vastly devalued because of what I believe is the de-sensitivity to it, partly as a result of the oversaturation of the market with bad or meaningless art. In my artist talk which is an important presentation at all my exhibitions, I challenged each individual to engage in provocative conversations surrounding each work as they engage with the symbology embedded in every piece.
Peilian Wu
I had the opportunity to share the space with another phenomenal artist, Peilian Wu. In her own words, Wu explains that her artwork is “influenced by formulas in traditional Chinese paintings which can be traced back to texture strokes in Ming landscape painting.” Her interpretation of the Ohio landscape in this style was a refreshing take on the natural beauty of the area, which I as a fellow international artist have come to love and represent in my own art. What I admired most about her work is her conveyance of cultural identity through her traditional style, which is seen as a direct extension of herself as a Chinese artist.
It was nice to see a few familiar faces who supported my previous shows in Athens, but even better to see some new faces who got introduced to brand ABFA that evening. My gratitude extends to each and every person who attended the exhibit and to those who helped to make it a complete success.
Myself and Curator Todd Bastin
With another exhibition under my belt in Athens, I set my sights on surrounding towns in Ohio, aiming to diversify their artistic landscape and open doors of opportunity for artists of color like myself who have found a home in hidden gems across the American landscape similar to Athens Ohio.
Adrian Blake Fine Art. 