Abstract Express

Summary

Exhibition: Abstract Express

Artist: Lio Slama

Styles: Marbling, Abstract Geometric, Abstract Expressionism, Biblical

Opening: Wednesday March 22, 2023

RSVP: Kindly text the keyword “RSVP” to (929) 930-5454 before March 20 to get on the list and get the details.

Details: In his fourth solo exhibition, Lio Slama presents 20 canvases comprising 10 paintings that encompass biblical scenes and science fiction, blending abstract representations with hidden symbolism. Lio employs perspective, shadow gaps, and marbling to create the impression that his paintings have greater depth than their flat surfaces suggest. These works are not merely two-dimensional surfaces, but rather three-dimensional volumes that invite viewers to explore them from different vantage points. To fully appreciate Lio’s paintings, viewers must move around and explore the different sides and perspectives of each artwork.

Contact

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Catalog

The Yam Suph painting was created in one day and one night. On April 7, 2020, when most of the world was still under lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this artwork was made. April 7 was also the day before the first night of Pessach, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the escape of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt, crossing the desert and the Red Sea (called Yam Suph in Hebrew), on their way to the land of Canaan. If the Hebrews took 40 years to make this journey, a few weeks of lockdown should be manageable.

Babel symbolizes the will of the people to be equal to Gød. In the painting, it is not clear whether the ray of fire comes from the sky or from the tower itself. Maybe the fire comes from both sides: the humans trying to destroy Gød from below, and Gød actively destroying the tower from above. This cataclysmic event eventually affects the surroundings and the whole world. Humans will have to accept that they cannot control everything and that they actually have very little control over their environment and destiny. Humans have free will to build, but they will always end up being destructive by overestimating their power. If humans try to play Gød’s role, they will end up destroying themselves.

The painting #89 “Hannukah Heptaptych” is a 261 inch-long (6.6m) retracing the story of the Hebrew people from the Tablets of Stone until today’s Golden Menorah. The painting is composed of 7 canvas, each depicting a different moment in the journey of the Jewish people in Israel and Judea the past 4 millenniums. It mixes deep symbolism and hidden imagery, and features shadow gaps in between each of the 7 canvas to create a sense of break and continuity, illustrating the experiences of loss and resilience throughout Jewish History, leading to the extraordinary event of coming back to their native land. The Heptaptych was first unveiled at the French Consulate in New York in December 2021.

Making Of