Three SVA alumni are exploring the places that inspire them in vastly different ways.
Gonzalo Fuenmayor (BFA 2000 Fine Arts) presents “Tropical Mythologies,” an exhibition that addresses Latin America’s colonial past and Europe’s current influence on the region. In an effort to capture the tension that arises from these two distinct cultures, Fuenmayor employs magical realism, coupling the fantastic with the mundane. One piece, for example, features a banana tree in the jungle with an extravagant chandelier hanging from its branches. On view at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, April 18 – September 13.
Mariam Ghani (MFA 2002 Photography and Related Media) presents two video installations, Like Water from a Stone and The City and the City. Combining fictive elements and historical truth, The City and the City examines areas of St. Louis that are representative of the city’s socioeconomic changes and population shifts. Like Water from A Stone, conversely, focuses its lens on Norway, juxtaposing particular perils, such as the German occupation of the region during World War II as well as the modern-day petroleum industry, with the country’s inherent beauty and distinctive light. Both works are on view at the St. Louis Museum, St. Louis, through July 12.
Reka Nyari (BFA 2002 Fine Arts) presents two exhibitions in photography: “Nude York” and “Geisha Ink.” “Nude York” features ethereal images of nude women juxtaposed against the jagged terrain of skyscrapers and rooftops. “Geisha Ink” captures the rebellion and beauty of female tattooing, as well as the female form, while also addressing Yakuza gangs in Japan. “Nude York” is on view at Cold Stream Fine Art, Toronto, through May 2, and “Giesha Ink” is on view at Kee Private Members Club, Hong Kong.
Image: Photo by Gonzalo Fuenmayor from “Tropical Mythologies.”