Flowing Forms of Identity and Experience: The paintings of Lorena Fernandez

2009-05-02 23:38:12 - The Agora Gallery (530 West 25th Street, Chelsea, New York, NY, 10001) is proud to present Lorena Fernandez in Portals of Perception. Scheduled to run from May 7th through May 27th, the collection will feature a captivating selection of Lorena Fernandez's mixed media paintings.

The paintings of color therapist, Lorena Fernandez will be on view at Agora Gallery, from May 7 through May 27. (Opening Reception Thursday May 7, from 6 to 8pm.)

About the Artist:

Lorena Fernandez's mixed media paintings feature bold swaths of saturated colors and figures with sweeping lines. Dynamic shapes and swirling tones give an impression of cosmic momentum and ebullient energy. This eye-catching vivacity springs from Fernandez's wealth of personal experience. Born and raised in Venezuela, she has studied and worked in Texas, Singapore and Switzerland, as Industrial Engineer, Artist and as impassioned Facilitator of Expressive Arts therapy. Accordingly, there is a universal resonance to the silhouetted figures in her works, a sense that the moving body intimates lived experience.

If personal trajectory determines the form of Fernandez's work, then the play between the feminine and masculine aspects of her experience is the most frequently recurring thematic content. Female bodies often appear floating powerfully across the canvas “sometimes out from confining squares” or frozen in self-aware poses. Cut-out photographs often qualify these female figures, with images of skyscrapers and hands suggesting agents of masculine power and control. Fernandez manifests a feminine sense of flowing power and movement that evades the containment of masculine linearity.

About the Exhibition:

An impressive selection of talented artists has been brought together for Labyrinth of Abstraction, a showcase of contemporary abstract painting. This internationally diverse grouping uses painterly abstractions to conceptualize the ineffable, with exploding colors, lines, and shapes celebrating life’s nuances while enticing the eye. This bold language of art displays an individuality and breadth of style that speaks directly to our souls and refreshes our spirits. Out From Down Under & Beyond celebrates contemporary artists from Australia and New Zealand. Enriched with both Western and indigenous artistic traditions, some of the finest contemporary visual art, where the importance and sacredness of the land, the power of ancestral art as well as modern artistic joy and technique become a uniting theme. In this art exhibition of exception, not only art collectors but also art lovers of all sensitivities will discover a wealth of enigmatic forms and lush symbolism imbued with drama and originality. The wide variety of artistic invention which greets audiences attending Portals of Perception underscores the idea that as long as people dream and imagine, art will never cease to exist, inspire, and bring about contemplation in others. These talented artists bring their thoughts and feelings to reality in a stunning variety of styles and forms that will touch audiences long after viewing the painting. The artists of Manifestation of Milieu cull resonant imagery from their travels, dreams, and life experiences that speak to us on a personal level. Ranging from fanciful to contemplative, this exceptional body of work will have audiences reveling in the sweeping landscapes, stunning portraiture, and inventive characters. This talented grouping of contemporary painters bid us pause in our hectic modern world to explore with new eyes and fresh perspectives.

Featured Artists:
Out From Down Under & Beyond: Fine Art from Australia & New Zealand:
Maznah Ahmad, Kerry Cannon, Ji Chen, Wendy Cohen, Meredith Collins, Lisa Dalla Rosa, Ross FranzI, Jools, Leni Kae, Ruth le Cheminant, Rosalie Rigby, Sally Smith

The Manifestation of Milieu:
Patricia Brintle, Tazim Jaffer, Chandana Paravastu, Roxene Sloate

Labyrinth of Abstraction:
Cary Griffiths, Marvin Hines, Caroline Mars, Salvatore Panasci, Kristina Zallinger

Portals of Perception:
Suzanne C. Nagy, Sergio Cerchi, Lorena Fernandez, Antonio Sanfront

About Agora Gallery
Agora Gallery is a fine art gallery located in the heart of New York City’s Chelsea art district that was established in 1984 and is famous for showcasing a spectacular array of talented artists from around the world and around the corner, while providing quality and original art to collectors. The gallery also publishes ARTisSpectrum Magazine, a bi-annual magazine that is distributed to museums, galleries, cultural and art institutions and societies and art schools around the world. It provides artists, collectors, museums, galleries, art organizations and enthusiasts with access to the work of hundreds of internationally talented emerging and mid-level artists as well as feature articles, reviews and interviews and is the sponsor of Art-Mine.com, one of the most comprehensive resources available worldwide to view and purchase fine art from emerging, mid-level and well-established artists.

Gallery Hours: Tues – Sat, 11a.m. - 6 p.m.