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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We are pleased to present Intimate Gaps, the first solo exhibition for Shanee Roe at Luce Gallery.  Opening September 20th, the show will feature nine paintings — many incorporating collaged elements — on view through October 18th. Roe's paintings explore intimacy, interpersonal relationships, and power dynamics through vibrant characters that highlight the tension between connection and disconnection. Her works portray clumsy, playful attempts to bond, while revealing the underlying anxieties and emotional struggles within close relationships. Using a saturated palette, Roe's figures are both ‘cute’ and disturbing, featuring large, boulder-like heads with wide, glaring eyes designed to evoke both compassion and unease. Together, the paintings in Intimate Gaps expose the often overwhelming nature of our existential feelings of loneliness, fostering important conversations about dynamics that shift from playfully warm to distant and potentially abusive.

The exhibition’s title, Intimate Gaps, with the use of sense of humour and “silly” situations  describes the abyss between bodies seeking closeness the visceral yearning for connection. These ‘gaps’— though physically slight— become chasms of apprehension. They represent the very absence of what we desire to feel fulfilled.

In each painting, Roe stages intimate moments where her characters make clumsy, often playful attempts to connect. Yet, the physical exaggeration of closeness only amplifies the emotional disconnection and awkwardness of the figures. Nudity plays a crucial role in this, symbolizing raw vulnerability and exposing individuals in their most primitive, innocent form. Roe often portrays her male figures as disembodied heads, reflecting her belief that the nude male body can be intimidating. Their immobility makes them appear harmless and open to connection, yet at other times, it leaves them vulnerable and helpless. This creates a disconcerting dynamic where attempts at physical connection cannot be fully resolved through the body. These heads also reference an art historical prescient, the vicious severed male heads in the paintings of late-Renaissance artist Artemisia Gentileschi, evoking violent associations. This contrast with the soft, gentle, and playful treatment of Roe’s bodiless figures adds an intriguing layer of complexity to her work.

Her compositions, often derived from her line drawings, take on new life in their transition to painting. Roe likens her use of incorporating bold, saturated colors to a melody added to a poem, building tension and creating atmosphere, while her collaged elements add texture and depth, further animating the rawness of each emotion. Stylistically, Roe draw inspiration from contemporary figurative painters such as Nicole Eisenman and Dana Schutz, as well as the humorous caricatures and emotional intensity of paintings by artists like Canadian-American painter Philip Guston and the German Expressionists, such as George Grosz.

Rather than offering clear narratives, Roe creates scenes that invite viewers to observe and ask questions. She sees her role as setting the stage, layering tension and amusement, while allowing viewers the freedom to interpret the complexity of these intimate relationships through their own experiences. Her playful yet probing approach encourages viewers to explore the dynamics of relationships, seeking motives and discovering nuance in the details.

The strength of Roe’s work lies in her ability to disarm serious subject matter through humor, encouraging deep engagement and reflection. By tapping into the psychological complexities of intimate relationships, she instills a sense of compassion and insight into the emotional landscape of connection and the tension of distance.

Shanee Roe (American, b.1996) is a Berlin-based interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, collage, drawing, and animation. Her figurative paintings delve into interpersonal dynamics, examining various modes of intimacy—from misery to passion— while exposing complex power relations between genders. Roe navigates the spectrum from overt sexuality to compassion with nuanced sensitivity and humor. In 2023, she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna studying under Daniel Richter. Roe has also participated in prestigious artist residencies, including The Cabin in Los Angeles, which culminated in a solo presentation. Her work has been exhibited widely throughout Europe and North America, in major cities such as Berlin, Dallas, Leipzig, Los Angeles, Miami, Mexico City, New York, Tel Aviv, and Torino, among others.

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