Category: Uncategorized

An artist capturing the various movements around her, New York artist
Barbara Shelly, has been involved in various modes of expression, such as the fine and performing arts. In keeping with this artistic ethos, the
multi-disciplinary gallery, Saphira & Ventura together with the New York
International Contemporary Art Society (NYICAS) announces a solo exhibition followed by a collaborative effort with Alison Cook Beatty Dance, an innovative school specializing in diverse styles and jazz pianist, Simon T. Church. 

In her mixed-media paintings, New York-based artist, Barbara Shelly captures scenes reflecting current events, politics, fashion, the performing arts as well as a variety of contemporary elements.

“My passion for the arts, admiration for leaders, compassion for humanity, and hope for change emerge in my work,” says Shelly, who has been active not only as a painter but also in the broader community of New York artists that includes ballet, fashion, cinema, etc… Her involvement as a board member of Ballet and Beyond NYC speaks to her devotion to the art of ballet, of which she herself practiced. The organization makes rigorous ballet training accessible to all populations, partnering with existing after-school programs and other non-profit organizations that provide services to children outside of their academic day. In truth, her passion for the performing arts has been manifested in her paintings to include subjects such as Spike Lee, Aretha Franklin, Stella Abrera, among others. 

The exhibition will not only feature such iconic pieces by the artist but also a spotlight on her three-dimensional works. Finally, on October 27th during the closing reception, there will be a live performance by the performers of Alison Cook Beatty Dance, a company exploring the universal human condition through expansive and emotionally driven movement. Part of the proceeds of the sales of Barba Shelly’s artworks will be going towards the Alison Cook Beatty Dance. In addition, there will also be a live performance by jazz pianist, Simon T. Church.

Curation: Alcinda Saphira
Production: Liz Carvalho / Albert Valente
Support: New York International Contemporary Art Society (NYICAS)
Design: Camila Crivelenti

In their journey to interpret their vision on the canvas, artists have relied on a profound intuition gradually developing itself in various stages. This leads to a variety of ideas, emotions, and sketches that forms the core synthesis of their thoughts. In its newest exhibition, Intuitive Dialogues, global gallery Saphira Ventura together with the New York International Contemporary Art Society, explore the effects of such dialogues as they manifest themselves on the canvas. 

The upcoming exhibition will feature an assemblage of artists both national and international that make part of the gallery’s versatile approach to its exhibition. From Austria, figurative artist, Elke Schmolzer, enriches her canvas with the anthromorphization of stones, a native element in her local community while photographer Maria Alejandra Ibáñez captures her local rocks via the snap of the camera, together with the various flora and fauna that inhabit the regions of Peru. Regarding the art of painting, a strong saturation and playful form characterizes the work of New York-based artist José Auquilla, as he captures the natural brilliancy of his colors, splashing them gracefully on the canvas. Another New York-based painter, Joanne Handler, creates her subjects with a medley of media, presenting techniques ranging from figurative to abstract expressionism. Moving into three dimensional works, the angular sculptures of artist, Gisseline Amiuny de Ottati blends in the elements of neo-kinetic and op-art in a contemporary framework. Intuitive Dialogues will also feature Rita BasuMallick, another New York-based painter, known for her landscape oil pieces showing gentle details in both a modern and contemporary style.

Heralding once more the glamorous tradition of New York Fashion Week, the vibrant international gallery, Saphira Ventura will be debuting its solo exhibition of fashion illustrator and painter, Barbara Tyler Ahlfield featuring new and older works during the iconic fashionperiod. Supported by the New York International Contemporary Art Society and curated by Alcinda Saphira, the exhibition accumulates the rich experiences of the artist and her career as a fashion illustrator and also her works on oil. 

In her career as a leading fashion illustrator for Lord & Taylor, artist Barbara Tyler Ahlfield’s  double-page fashion illustrations were featured in the Sunday edition of the New York Times. Pursing a course to ‘romance the human face and form’ Ahlfield’s artistic dedication quickly caught the attention of the broader art community, leading her to exhibit her oil paintings, capturing the grace of fashionable models in a pose of power yet with a touch of serenity. Regarding her style, the artist remarks “I consider myself a blend of classical, realistic figurative with modern, fashion-inspired quasi-impressionist.” Ahlfield’s work featured in Saphira Ventura’s participation at the 2018 Palm Beach Show where her golden Marestelle and her lush Reunion was exhibited to a warm reception. Ahlfield’s paintings and illustrations invite the viewer not only to a world of fashion but also brings the academic ingenuity of the great figurative tradition. 

Curated by: Alcinda Saphira 

Production: Albert Valente / Liz Carvalho 
Support: New York International Contemporary Art Society (NYICAS) 
Design: Camila Crivelenti 

In its newest exhibition, international gallery Saphira & Ventura, presents Tones of the Earth, an exhibition showcasing a series of artists exploring tone, texture, color, and a variety of earthly elements in their work. 

The exhibition will feature six artists from the gallery’s location, such as landscape artist Bherouz Bahadoori, working with oil, acrylic, among other other mediums, highlighting a powerful breath of expression in his works. A different approach is taken by French artist Geraldine Laly, known for the subtle alchemy of her style, mixing different materials to create an elaborate picture. While the direction taken by Swiss artist Regula Margrit-Bill, a follower of the abstract tradition, captures the grace of colors while touching on strong shadows while Hijo Nam focuses on the abstract by synthesizing various materials in a three-dimensional format.

Of the figurative tradition, the gallery presents Irene Van Celestine, whose compelling figures depict fascinating stories in the foregrounds of remarkable landscapes. While earthly textures are explored by Gloria Dumit, together with the delicate nature of birds and their flight.

The free and limitless use of color shows us a new phase for Elisabeth Wortsman. It achieves its own expression, a particular language. The translation of that moment in which she shapes her internal reconstruction in color is something very beautiful, without being overwhelming in perfect harmony, free from the past, ready for a new flight. Elisabeth’s informal abstract digital work is endowed with many structural elements such as lines, planes, and color, among others, which have perceptive and emotional qualities, each with its own weight and implications that must be analyzed in order to provide its definition and description, even if the artist uses several languages in a single work.

Curated by: Alcinda Saphira
Production: Diego Ponce / Albert Valente / Liz Carvalho
Support: New York International Contemporary Art Society (NYICAS)
Design: Camila Crivelenti

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.

The Art Students League of NY In its landmark contributions not only to New York but to artistic canon as a whole, the historical Art Students League has been an iconic institution in the artist’s fight for freedom of expression, beauty, and bringing the city to newer heights. In an exhibition supported by the New York International Contemporary Art Society, the Base Intercultural / Community of the Americas (Bi/Coa) and the Nueva York Poetry Press, the international gallery Saphira & Ventura, is honored to present Iberoamerican Artists, an ambitious exhibition presenting works by leading contemporary artists based in the United States with backgrounds from various nations in Ibero-America.Co-curated by the New York based curators, Alcinda Saphira and Monica Sarmiento-Archer.

In its rich history, the Art Students League of New York, founded in 1875, has been a resourceful component in keeping the arts strong not only in New York but the rest of the United States in its pioneering years. Notable Alumni include Georgia O’Keefe, Winslow Homer, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, among others. In this upcoming exhibition, tribute is paid to Ecuadorian-American artist, Hugo Bastidas, an artist dedicated to exploring engaging themes in his works ranging from history, humanity, but also elements such as water, the earth, and the impact of human civilization.

The Art Students League of NY

This exhibition introduces the work of Milagros Villanueva and Susana Aldanondo (Argentina), figurative artists who touch on memories, with her own contemporary methods, works by Luis Romero (Colombia) that capture a surge of frenzy and energy. Among these students is alumni Monica Sarmiento-Archer (Ecuador), recognized for her long dedication to the New York art scene; capturing the energy and momentum of different mediums, the multi-disciplinary artist has won numerous awards and recognition for her work. Jaime Vasquez (Peru), a painter whose hellenic influences harmonize the classics of antiquity with modern themes,  objects, towers and trains of New York city. The city as a theme also serves as inspiration for Rene Nascimento (Brazil), whose delicate strokes capture cosmopolitan life in all its vivid movements and colors. The approach is quite different when one imagines surreal worlds and fantastical objects, which is the case of Tony Rodriguez (Cuba).

Curated by: Alcinda Saphira & Monica Sarmiento-Archer

Production: Diego Ponce / Albert Valente / Liz Carvalho 
Design: Camila Crivelenti

The gem of civilization in antiquity, Egypt has served as an artistic inspiration from its pharaonic and ptolemaic days to modernity, both in figurative and abstract. Today, the city of Cairo, the home of many artists, flourish as a growing center of contemporaneity. This exhibitions is co-curated by Alcinda Saphira (Saphira & Ventura Gallery) and Shereen Badr (Artoday) with the support of the New York International Contemporary Art Society, Bridging Cairo & New York, is a dedication to the imaginative power of Cairo-based artists. 

In its first New York collaboration with Artoday, Saphira & Ventura welcomes six excellent Egyptian artists to its gallery ranging in different techniques and styles, the works synchronize to form a collection representing the city’s diversity. The works of Ayman El Semary, for example, will be on display, an artist with decades of experience, his mixed media works have been on display worldwide, in the case of Mariem Abutaleb, the artist believes in the power of writing as a visual language in delivering messages, experimenting with Arabic script and its harmonious nature. Installation artist Aliaa El Gready, such as with different techniques and styles, the artist has been awarded by the 

Egyptian Academy in Rome and continues her journey in many nations abroad. In the case of Khaled Hafez, the multidisciplinary filmmaker and visual artist has had his works show in festivals such in Rotterdam and Winterhur, together with special screenings in the Tate and Centre Pompidou. Sabah Naim transcend repetitions and embodies an equilibrium reminiscent of Sufi practices. Her pieces likewise span different mediums, (newspapers, threads, and fabrics), offering distinct angles from which she observes reality. This perspective in the work of Tarek El Sheikh is the human being, instilling in it a pure human impulse imposed by the reality of life that pressures us and the nature of our interactions. 

Curated by: Shereen Badr & Alcinda Saphira
Production: Diego Ponce / Albert Valente / Liz Carvalho 
Design: Camila Crivelenti

Support: Art Today, New York International Contemporary Art Society (NYICAS), Egyptian Airlines