Geary is pleased to present I Found Your Note , a solo exhibition of paintings by Ayse Wilson. Wilson presents a new body of work committed to the journey of identity from childhood to the adult experience. Through her work, Wilson is in search of innocuous but foundational childhood experiences that have a lasting impact on identity.
Works like 'Chorus' with ghostly faces and rich pale hues recall familiar imagery from the memory palace and collective feelings of childhood innocence. Ayse’s paintings present a certain stillness and anxiety that emerges out of the mischief and play that her subjects engage with in the work: a match of doubles tennis, a group of apprehensive swimmers, and a singing choir are all among the these muted scenes presented in I Found Your Note.
Rereading a children’s book or singing a particular song ignites an early memory: Wilson reminds herself that she is the same person now as when she was five years old, just a little older.
Ayse Wilson is a Turkish-American artist who lives and works in New York City. Her work draws from memory and emotion to remind viewers of youth, innocence and the timeless space we occupy when we are young. She creates lively and childlike characters, finding inspiration in the works of early Italian Renaissance masters such as Fra Angelico. Wilson graduated from Wellesley College in 1991, and pursued her education in Florence. She received her MFA at New York Academy of Art then worked as a painting assistant to Jeff Koons for two years. She is also represented by the Pg Art Gallery in Istanbul.