Luce Gallery is delighted to announce our inaugural exhibition of 2024, titled Passages. This group show will feature new works by nine exceptionally talented international artists including: Mary Shangyu Cai, Dante Cannatella, Alice Faloretti, Alya Hatta, Yeonsu Ju, Rômulo Avi Oliveira, Shanee Roe, Jake Walker and Demetrius Wilson. Commencing January 25th, this exhibition brings together paintings that explore the pathways connecting realism and abstraction, both stylistically and conceptually. Passages aims to explore the fluidity of artistic style and viewpoint, unveiling the factors that grant artists the freedom to be guided by life experiences and inspiration.

Like a corridor passing through an entrance toward an exit, the title Passages poetically describes the open path between two distinct schools of artistic practice and thought— abstraction and realism. Within this ‘passage’ there is freedom of movement, to head forward, reverse, or pause at some point in between. The crucial aspect, however, is to keep this pathway open for exploration and to keep one’s artistic practice receptive to all available tools and disciplines. As Philip Guston once aptly stated, "This serious play which we call art can’t be static... you have to keep learning how to play as modern artists. That's our fate, constant change."

As artists grapple with the myriad dimensions of life, there are times when full abstraction becomes indispensable to an artist’s practice, as exemplified by British artist Jake Walker. In his paintings we witness an energetic frenzy of brushstrokes taking the form of dashes, streamers, comets, and dabs, all dancing to an unheard rhythm across the canvas. Walker's compositions astutely capture key evidence of the body moving through space and envisions what line weight, length, and hue would best describe each dance step.

In other instances, the creation of artworks leans more towards figuration to manifest more complex and abstract concepts. In Yeonsu Ju’s Sealed With a Kiss, we encounter a self-portrait of the artist seated, her mouth agape as if ready to speak, holding up a rectangular object close to her face as if presenting it to the viewer. Here, the artist creates a space not only to mourn and remember her departed loved ones, but also to emphasize the discomfort of acknowledging those feelings. Ju introduces this subtle unease with the candelabra in the foreground engulfed by flames and burning red hot.

When considered collectively, the paintings in this exhibition converge to create these metaphorical Passages, accentuating the fluidity of style and concept among contemporary artists. Viewers are urged to transcend the constraints of traditional artistic genres, and instead reflect on the interplay between form and emotion. This contemplation allows for a deeper understanding of why an artist chose to embrace a particular style and welcomes you to explore the many Passages.

Mary Shangyu Cai (1999, Beijing, China) is a painting artist based in London, UK, whose dynamic work explores the relationship between humanity and landscapes, celebrating the unity of living beings. Influenced by nature and literature, Shangyu is known for her vibrant use of light- derived hues, emphasizing hope, vitality, and the ethereal allure of landscapes.

Dante Cannatella (1992, New Orleans, United States) is a figurative painter originally from New Orleans and currently residing in Brooklyn. His paintings embrace an imaginative version of reality derived from personal experiences, memories, and dreams. Rooted in the landscapes of South Louisiana, his work portrays emotive figures through tactile paint and illusionary light, exploring relationships and narratives with an intuitive, improvisational approach.

Alice Faloretti (1992, Brescia, Italy) is a contemporary artist based in Venice, Italy. Her vibrant kaleidoscopic landscapes investigate the intricate relationship between humans and their surrounding environment. Through a dynamic dialogue between paint, drawing, and digital, Faloretti explores episodes of personal and collective experiences, intertwining the concrete and the imaginary to form new connections.

Alya Hatta (1999, Malaysia) is an interdisciplinary artist based in both London, England and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her work delves into her Southeast Asian identity, portraying the colorful intimacies of the diasporic human condition through personal experiences and memories. Utilizing both paint and locally sourced found objects, Hatta creates alternate realities in a quest to find new spaces she can call home.

Yeonsu Ju (1995, South Korea) is a painting artist currently living and working in London, UK. She sees painting as an imaginary space where we can meet lost loves. She repeatedly portrays dining scenes, she consider herself as a host who invites people in order to meet them. She further represents herself within the canvas as a figure of multiple forms.

Rômulo Avi Oliveira (1992, Sorocaba, Brazil) is an abstract artist living and working in London, UK. His vibrant tactile paintings explore movement, alchemy, and transformation. Through unconscious mark-making, opposing colors, and the layering and removal of gesso and paint, Oliveria works serve as a poignant reminder to appreciate fleeting moments and the impermanence of life.

Shanee Roe (1996, New York, United States) is an Israeli artist who lives and works in Berlin. Roe's figurative paintings delve into interpersonal situations, exploring various modes of intimacy, from bare nudity to misery and passion. Through her work, she exposes the complex power relations between genders, navigating the spectrum from blatant sexuality to compassion.

Jake Walker (London, United Kingdom) is a multidisciplinary artist and DJ based in London, UK, whose practice spans ballet, video, sound, drawing, and painting. His exploration of the dynamics of body movement and its interplay with diverse artistic mediums is evident in his abstract paintings. Using textured brushstrokes, Walker visually translates sound and movement into rhythmic and colorful visuals on canvas.

Demetrius Wilson (1996, Boston, Massachusetts, United States) is a New York-based artist hailing from Boston, MA. Working in abstraction, his paintings explore the interplay of stillness and activity, embracing impermanence while narrating stories through evolving colors. Wilson's work challenges visual perception by distorting rather than blending past and present, with adaptation and the linguistic relationships of color emerging as central themes.

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