Vivid Art Gallery First Friday Art Opening

Vivid Art Gallery will host an art opening for Special Exhibitor Erin Kaya on December 6th at its monthly First Friday. The event, which runs from 5-7 PM, is open to all and is free of charge. In addition to the great art, there will be refreshments. Kaya will be on hand to speak with visitors and answer questions about her work.
 
Kaya, a Chicago area artist, will be presenting her newest work in her exhibit entitled Pixels of the Earth. Kaya’s work is inspired by her experiences as a woman working to find her identity as an individual. Kaya’s abstract works are defined by her strong use of color and geometric shapes, specifically lines and squares. Rather than these geometric forms restricting her work, Erin pushes the boundaries of both. The lines aren’t necessarily straight and the squares pulsate in various colors and shapes. The result is paintings that vibrate with energy and intensity.  Describing her process, she says, “Painting geometric shapes and patterns has a calming effect, letting my mind relax and become quiet. I get rid of all the outside noise and am just in the moment. I always feel that my best paintings are the ones I don't remember painting. I'm someplace else.”
 
For Kaya, the process of painting holds a special meaning. It serves as an escape from the world of expectations that she feels she must meet. When she puts brush to canvas, all else fades away and she is allowed to be herself.  Describing what her work means to her, she says, “Creating gives me strength and courage to reach for my dreams. The power to be true to myself and trust the timing of my life. Painting abstractly lets me live in a fantasy world that I control. You don't get to tell me what to do. I appreciate the paint and I have the power over the brush strokes. The canvas is mine, just mine.” This relationship with control is also reflected in her work, as she describes the messiness and disorganization on the canvas as a peek into her soul. The complexities of her work reflect the reality of the world; rarely do things fit into nice, clean boxes where everything works and happens as expected. Instead, there are imperfections, things that don’t go according to plan. Kaya’s work is a reflection of this reality and painting serves as a way for her to embrace this unpredictability.     
 
Kaya’s exhibit will be up through the month of December. Please stop by the gallery during the month to see her energetic, intriguing work.