From its affair with modernists such as Mondrian and Rothko, to pop icons like Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol, the city of New York’s fascination with strong tones have played a pivotal role in its growth. Continuing this tradition, Saphira & Ventura Gallery, supported by the New York International Contemporary Art Society, honors the works which experiment with this element in its newest exhibition, In Vivid Colors, curated by Alcinda Saphira.

The showing focuses on the gallery’s contemporary artists, their impactful colors, and how they work with their subjects whether abstract or figurative.  The exhibition can also be viewed online on the gallery’s Artsy page.

The Gallery has dedicated its attention to technique, color, iconography, and a variety of factors that play a role in how art is created and appreciated. The newest exhibition, In Vivid Colors, presents an artist guest of honor, Philippe de Kraan, whose recent inauguration of the De Kraan Art Museum has made its important mark on the New York cultural scene. De Kraan’s cornucopia of gentle colors in a pointillist approach captures scenes of surrealism, inviting a dream-like story to the viewer. 

Playing with geometry and its sharp tones, both in line and color, is Chicago-based artist, Roby Frankel. Linking these two forces, Frankel’s work emerges from the canvas with kinetic energy, exploring tone and space. A similar yet more fluid approach is seen in the works of Liesbeth Willaert, whose dynamic lines cross to form intricate shapes in a world where both the abstract and the figurative collide. 

For Willaert, texture plays an important role in her mixed-media works. The abstract works of Gui Calil, an artist excellent in the technique of transitions. The abstract canvas balances the art of light and darkness in a delicate union. 

Present as well in the exhibition are the ludic pieces of New York-based artist, Meagan J. Meehan, whose style evokes a boundless joviality. Meehan has also pioneered an approach entitled “Conscious Perceptionalism”  focuses on works that can rotate 360 degrees on a wall. 
Elke Schmolzer, a figurative artist, explores saturation among her picturesque figures, a panorama of stone faces telling a story with the brightness of their eyes and other features. 

In terms of portraiture and its vitality for color, multi-disciplinary artist, Adelia Clavien, marvels her viewers with the faces of iconic actors ranging from Bardot and Monroe to more universal figures highlighting the beauty in its varied form.

The gallery will also be hosting a book presentation by award-winning writer, Brigidina Gentile, and the publication of her latest publication, Tequila. 

Production: Diego Ponce / Albert Valente / Liz Carvalho
Design: Camila Crivelenti
Support: New York International Contemporary Art Society (NYICAS), Bi/Coa: Bicultural Community of the Americas.