Sharp Hands Gallery Spring 2022

CURATORS’ NOTES

Welcome to Spring 2022 at Sharp Hands, where six artists make six pieces of work specifically for this online exhibition. This season, we’ve got varying degrees of figuration with a heavy slant to abstraction. Each artist’s collection is cohesive, whether it’s organic or angular, has a limited or muted palette or a vibration of color, and you can really immerse yourself in the details. Go ahead - open an image in a new tab with a right click and zoom in.

Indonesian artist Irene Febry sculpts igneous, fossil-like forms that juxtapose the primal elements with modern day climate change. Brooklyn-based Andrea Burgay transfigures forgotten fiction into ripples of ethereal chaos while Portland-based Laura Weiler suspends fractured fragments within portraits and landscapes. Filipino/Canadian artist Melanie Garcia creates a push and pull of depth and intangibility with negative space active with marks and brushwork. Doug Schulte (Arlington, Virginia) creates abstract portraits of domesticity that feel like silent, nostalgic dreams. UK-based collagist Shaun Keenan’s creations are reminiscent of Robert Motherwell’s art, and his heightened intuition in the wee hours of the night reminds me of a John Stezaker quote: “In the early hours, through tiredness, the unconscious takes over and that is when the real creativity happens.”

Support a living artist — send us a note if you’re interested in owning any of these amazing pieces (or any collages from previous shows). 100% of any artwork purchased goes directly to the artist at Sharp Hands Gallery. We’re proud of all the work presented by these six magnificent human beings.

Thank you and enjoy,

Cheryl Chudyk & Kevin Sampsell, curators