Art Lives Here is pleased to present a solo exhibition of paintings by Preeti Varma alongside an exhibition of sculptures by Karin Bandelin, Andree Brown, and Laurence Elle Groux.
For the first time all the wall space at Living with Art is dedicated to one artist. Varma’s paintings echo the artists observations of mundane things that we all see daily and often don’t notice. Fire Hydrants and sewer covers are objects that the artist describes as physically present but visually absent. These forms inform her abstract paintings and mixed media works on paper.
Preeti Varma (b. 1970, New Delhi, India) living and working in New York City.
Preeti Varma: On the Walls includes works from ongoing and overlapping series within Varma’s catalogue. “Nefelibata,” (loosely translated from Portuguese as “Cloud Walker”), Varma began this body of work in 2015 as she moved from India to Singapore, and then to New York City.
She started working on the “Innsaei,” series in 2017, which focuses on the patterns found in the city. These paintings take on the topography, the layers, and textures of the urban landscape.
Varma’s mixed media works abandon the bright color palette of her paintings to illustrate that which is elusive. “Aesthetics of the Quotidian,” “Unity in Diversity,” and “Memory” collectively are layers of thoughts created with digital images that the artist captures in abundance, and wax on rice paper, created between 2015 and 2019.
Karin Bandelin, Andree Brown, Laurence Elle Groux: Sculptures on Surfaces
The sculptures are cohabitating with Varma’s paintings as if they know each other well, but the conversation takes place between the three sculptors as independent objects that ask the viewer to acknowledge their own preferences in form, either abstract, representational, or figurative. The hand of the artist is visible in each of their sculptures, allowing us to recognize their aesthetic choices beyond materials and finish.
Karin Bandelin (b. 1953, Hamburg, Germany) based in Berlin
Bandelin’s sculptures have a story that women can relate to or tell their own version of. In conversations with the curator the artist often referred to them as the girls. The girls are figurative torsos that speak to the social constrictions that historically and continually undermine women in the U.S and abroad.
Andree Brown(b. 1955, NYC) based in New York, NY
Brown’s leaf series is representational. Stylistically modern, the forms are simple and minimal interpretations of shapes found in nature. For the artist, a lifelong New Yorker, they serve as a substitute for the outdoors when it isn’t readily available. She creates them with dyed wax or porcelain. The wax sculptures are matte with a visually soft hand that is in direct contradiction to the gloss finish of the porcelain. Both mediums are mysteriously firm but require the artist to treat them with care and for the viewer to inevitably make a comparison.
Laurence Elle Groux (b. 1972, Lausanne, Switzerland) based in New York, NY
Groux’s ceramic work is abstract, if you look closely, you might see a bird or other form embedded within the complex structure. Her sculptures are cut and layered piece by piece and they are filled with emotional and personal content. Elle as everyone calls her is introspective which is inherent in her work.
The Summer Salon, 2023 will be on view from June 27 to September 9, 2023 at Art Lives Here located in the Mount Morris Historic District in Harlem. Request & reserve date/time with Connie Lee.
Above, on the mantle, top shelf, artist Karin Bandelin; below shelf, Andree Brown; artwork on wall, Preeti Varma; Sculpture in corner, Andree Brown.
Living With Art is an exhibition space in a Harlem brownstone curated by Connie Lee, founder of Art Lives Here. Lee, shows the work of over 70 collaborating artist members of the organization in the space where she also lives and work. The space serves as an incubator for the artists, collectors and arts professionals who visit. Private viewing hours can be scheduled 7 days a week.
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