This Too Shall Pass

About

Featuring: Alex Anderson, Leilah Babirye, Coady Brown, Marc Dennis, Melissa Joseph, Natia Lemay, Diana Sofia Lozano, Maia Cruz Palileo, Charles Mason III, Ferrari Sheppard, Shinique Smith

(New York, NY) – Venus Over Manhattan is delighted to present This Too Shall Pass, a group exhibition curated by Racquel Chevremont. Taking its title from a time-honored adage, the presentation explores concepts of impermanence, transience, personal memory, and ongoing change. Assembling work in diverse media by both young and established artists, the exhibition gathers painting, drawing, and sculpture by eleven artists who incorporate figurative and abstract representations of flowers in their work. Carefully selected for their explorations of multi-layered themes surrounding floral imagery, the works on view feature flowers and botanical elements to convey the essence of impermanence and embody the strength that lies within their fragility. “This Too Shall Pass” will be on view at 55 Great Jones Street from July 11 through August 4, 2023.

Speaking about the exhibition, curator Racquel Chevremont states:

“This exhibition brings together a diverse group of artists whose works beautifully capture the transient, fleeting nature of existence through the captivating aesthetic of flowers. Despite their ephemeral presence, flowers hold profound expressions of human emotions, eternally resonating even after their physical forms fade away. Each flower possesses a unique essence, embodying the individuality that lies within each of us. The exhibition takes its title, ‘This Too Shall Pass,’ from an ancient Persian adage, evoking the essence of impermanence and the ever-changing nature of life itself.”

This exhibition offers unique perspectives on impermanence and the evocative power of flora. Alex Anderson’s acclaimed ceramic wall works delve into multifaceted aspects of identity, culture, and memory, serving as poignant expressions of lived experience and historical inheritance. Shinique Smith’s calligraphic abstractions incorporate gesture and collage, exploring the interplay between personal and social scales, while Ferrari Sheppard’s monumental painting blurs the lines between abstraction and figuration to evoke beauty and nostalgia. Painting features prominently in the exhibition, including sharp and striking depictions of flower arrangements by Coady Brown; hyper-realistic renderings by Marc Dennis; new felted work by Melissa Joseph; a suite of paintings with heavy impasto by Natia Lemay, whose well-known all-black works reflect upon personal and intergenerational experience; recent works in flashe by Maia Cruz Palileo; and a range of gestural flowers on paper by Charles Mason III. Recent work in wood and ceramic by Leilah Babirye explores her widening approach to natural materials, and a new wall work by Diana Sofia Lozano, whose botanical sculptures and paintings engage ideas of identity, geopolitics, and history, incorporates a mirrored panel and protrusions that recall organic forms. Together, the works on view in “This Too Shall Pass” establish a vision of contemplation and introspection upon the transitory and the evanescent.