Masquerade Art Party
By: Jen Abreu
Anchored by Amber (AJ) Kellie and Danny McLean, The Art Hub is the hot spot to promote underground art. The Art Hub curated an exhibition to bring together a verity of contemporary artists. The walls were filled with impressive creations based on powerful and playful context. The Art Hub is a New York based organization that provides an open door policy for emerging artists. It’s about creating art, not building walls of exclusion. Allowing diversity and enrich messages from talented individuals. They created a safe platform for artists to shine and be appreciated. Each piece narrate the artists’ history, culture, passion, fantasies and pleasures. The visual dialogue between the artists and their creations are truly remarkable.
Here is a snip bit of a few artist featured in this show are:
Sister Tribe
Cyre James acrylic painting centers a faceless African American woman with curly hair and tribal makeup. Her curly locks covers her eyes. The faceless woman allows the audience to give her their own identity. She is a representation of a sister tribe and the importance of ancestral roots.
The Universal Language of Love
Jonnie Williams aims to make people globally think about hope and love. The first piece is a playful presentation of the word love in 25 different languages. The canvas is a cross word puzzle and besides it the translation from around the world the word love. The 2nd piece, “Where are you?”, features jig saw puzzle pieces of a heart. In the heart there is one piece missing. The jig saw puzzles were selected as a universal and playful message everyone is familiar with no matter their age or what language people speak. “Where are you?” was featured in another show for mental health awareness experiencing loss.
Subways Stories
Sophodes is a published freelance illustrator. He featured his acrylic comic strips inspired by the MTA trains. He creates a manga that uniquely records the passenger destinations and their lives in the subway.
Burning Art
Savanna Matais the multitalented tattoo artist creates marvellous portraits through wood burning. Her work is inspired by emotions, her past, family, and everything of the heart. She dabbled into wood burning art to assist her tattooing skills. Wood burning is a tricky skill that requires light and steady hands. She finishes it off with watercolor.
I am grateful the Art Hub hosted an unforgettable masquerade art party where true beauty, mystery and imagination reigned. Although masks are meant to be a guise, this gallery was the life behind the veil about something fun and deep about each artist.
