RAGHAVA KK in MUMBAI

RIMI YANG - POINTING AT THE MOON December 4TH

Rimi Yang, a Korean artist born and raised in Japan, had a one-woman show at Skotia Gallery on December 4th. Rimi’s paintings have a special way of captivating her viewers, drawing them into a dream-like world that combines east and west, classical and contemporary. Her work has been celebrated worldwide since her graduation from Bowling Green State University in 1987; she has enjoyed solo exhibitions in New York, Denmark, Los Angeles and British Columbia, as well as group exhibitions in London, Amsterdam, Rome, Copenhagen, and Miami.

Pointing at the Moon includes 16 new paintings by Rimi. Of the exhibition, she explains: “The romantic title of my show emanates from our absurd and vain attempts to describe the Ultimate Reality, like answering by pointing our finger at the moon… My evolving technique presently is to place oil on the canvas & then take it away until I find, in the shifting of shapes, something real. One day I trust I shall give in to my painting, to surrender completely & in doing so, use one stroke to place oil, while taking nothing away, creating a reality which remains forever.”

STEVE HUSTON - CONTEND NOVEMBER 2nd

Steve Huston’s one-man show “Contend” includes twelve new works and features the artist’s iconic images of powerful, gritty boxers and grapplers. Aggression, tension, action, and drama all take their places in surprisingly graceful compositions that the artist considers to be his most cohesive body of work. His proportions provide the combatants with substance and monumentality: the tensed heaving bodies of the fighters fill the canvas and blot out murky backgrounds in an effort to focus the viewers’ attention on a moment of frozen action. Energetic, gestural brushstrokes and thick impasto are characteristic of Huston’s style and are used liberally throughout these images, endowing the series with a potent punch.

Steve Huston’s “Contend” is now on display at Skotia Gallery. The opening reception held on Friday, November 6^th attracted an impressive crowd, and the artist was in attendance to answer questions and talk with guests. The show will be on view through approximately November 27^th.

MARK SPENCER - DRAWN AND TEMPERED OCTOBER 16th

Drawn and Tempered includes 24 of Spencer’s pieces, mostly new works. A large portion of the show features oil on paper pieces from Spencer’s Whirlwind Series, along with his oils on canvas and panel. Regarding the Whirlwind Series, Spencer explains that his “love of drawing; the immediacy, the spontaneity and suggestive quality of it enable me to evoke the whirlwind that is our times. Drawing with paint, with color, tempers the action and enhances a sense of urgency.”

The opening for Drawn and Tempered was held on Friday, October 16th at Skotia Gallery from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The artist was in attendance along with an astounding crowd – simply moving around became difficult among Spencer’s bevy of admirers. A prominent spot on the cover of Pasatiempo along with a two-page preview urged gallery-goers and collectors not to miss what turned out to be a stunning exhibition of Mark’s new work.