Two artist-mothers explore bonds, betrayal, and beauty in “Motherland.”
Yashar Gallery is pleased to present the work of mixed-media artists Carla E. Reyes and Jill Danenberg as they explore the vast and turbulent terrain that a mother inhabits from childbirth through old age. The exhibition, titled “Motherland,” opens with a reception on May 5th, a Mother’s Day celebration on May 14th, and a closing event on May 20th. Reyes and Danenberg join forces from different stages of life to contribute to the frontier of contemporary artwork examining Motherhood through the hands and hearts of the Artist-Mothers themselves.
Reyes, a Queens based Colombian/Italian-American artist and educator, is a full-time working mother of two small children, trying to make space for her creative life and identity. That space is small and intimate, on wood panels, capturing endless, unseen events. Only glimpses of the mother herself appear in these scenes; the viewer experiencing the often humorous, sometimes bittersweet moments from her day-to-day routines. Her highly textural work straddles the line between sculpture and painting, and explores the interaction between the person-made and natural worlds.
Danenberg, a Bronx based artist, is the mother of two grown kids with lives of their own. Here, she collaborates with her own artist-mother, now in her eighties. At first, she paints on top of her mother’s paintings, treading carefully. What does it mean to transform your mother’s work? She experiments with silkscreen and digital collage as she and her mother recalibrate their bond through their art. Danenberg was an advertising creative director when a head injury interrupted her career. She turned to art to make sense of her life and often uses humor to approach serious discourse.
Motherland will be on view from May 4 - 24, 2023 at Yashar Gallery. Yashar Gallery is located minutes from Manhattan in the urban art community of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Yashar Gallery opened its doors in April 2010, and hosts monthly rotating exhibitions featuring the professional artists from Brooklyn Art Studios in the Greenpoint Industrial Center.
Visit http://www.brooklynartstudiosnyc.blogspot.com for Yashar Gallery’s exhibition schedule and updates, map/directions, and to learn about the artists of Brooklyn Art Studios.
Motherland: Mixed-Media Art by Carla E. Reyes and Jill Danenberg
On view: May 4 - 24, 2023
Opening Reception: Friday, May 5, 5-8pm
Mother’s Day Event: Sunday, May 14, 2-5pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, May 20, 5-8pm
Viewing Hours: Saturdays and Sundays 2-5pm and by appointment Questions/Press/Appointments: brooklynartstudios@gmail.com