Tag: cats

Serena Stevens at Postmasters Gallery

Now back in her native Iowa to complete an MFA, young painter Serena Stevens conveys contemplative quiet in new, large-scale paintings of domestic environments at Postmasters Gallery.  Cats abound, here, pictured in the panels of a cozy-looking quilt and as stuffed toys.  A pair of cast-off jeans on the bed suggest a quick change rather than an erotic interlude in a painting that explores the psychology of intimate spaces.  (On view in Tribeca through Sept 13th.  Appointments are not necessary, but masks and social distancing are required.)

Serena Stevens, Spare Bed, oil on canvas, 80 x 72 inches, 2020.

Fumika Koda at Sato Sakura Gallery

Taking in stray cats changed young artist Fumika Koda’s painting career, focusing her practice on the feline subjects and driving her to find intimate ways to portray their habits and personalities, often in connection to the seasons.  Koda even aims to empower the cats, as she puts it, “…giving them their power back over the people who left them,” but it’s her evident respect for the cats’ beauty and intelligence that stands out.  (On view at Sato Sakura Gallery through March 28th).

Fumika Koda, Dreaming, mineral pigments, gelatin, silk, 10.7 x 10.7 inches, 2019.

Alix Pearlstein at On Stellar Rays

Alix Pearlstein is known for artworks which juxtapose individuals from different demographics in order to question their relationships; for her recent solo show at On Stellar Rays, she substitutes cats for people, setting up dozens of relationships between the animals which are complicated by the installation’s title, Harem ROOM 1. (On the Lower East Side through Oct 18th).

Installation view of Alix Pearlstein, Harem ROOM-1, mixed media, variable, 2016.
Installation view of Alix Pearlstein, Harem ROOM-1, mixed media, variable, 2016.