Alpay Efe, Eliza Ivanova, Joseph Martinez, Aaron Nagel, and John Wentz all come together at Abend Gallery to exhibit their stunning takes on contemporary figurative painting and drawing. From hyper-realism to abstraction there will be something for all viewers to delight in and enjoy. The exhibition opens on June 2nd and runs through the 28th.
Showing with the gallery for the first time, Eliza Ivanova’s gorgeously rendered figures will be on view in the form of drawings and watercolor works on paper. While her graphite drawings capture the subjects in immense detail, her watercolor pieces are expressive and gestural. Joseph Martinez will be exhibiting a variety of media as well, watercolor and oil included. As a new medium for the artist, Martinez excels unsurprisingly in watercolor; each piece in the series is wonderfully detailed, each figure is fleshed out with precision and care.
Alpay Efe will be presenting a series of beautiful portraits, as well as a few pieces that reference pop culture. One of these pieces, Ultraman, is presented in his signature style, the character posed for action, ready to defend Earth from its enemies. Aaron Nagel’s acute sense of realism is ever present in this exhibition. Works like Envoy and Crossing are gorgeous representations of photorealist rendering, presenting the viewer with a myriad of visual stimuli to ponder. John Wentz rounds out the show with his unique take on the figure. His series of 10 works on paper blend elements of abstraction and realism that draw the viewer in to appreciate each brush stroke.
Each of these artists brings their unique perspective to the table to create a wonderfully well-rounded exhibition that celebrates the figure as subject.