Anh Thuy Nguyen in ‘Surface Unrest’ at Miyako Yoshinaga

Female hands, eyes, mouths and other body parts transferred onto stones by Anh Thuy Nguyen resemble a smashed frieze, carefully reassembled on the floor. Titled ‘Burden,’ the sculpture grapples with the difficulties of representation and with the pressures placed on the female body. (At Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery through Feb 18th).

Anh Thuy Nguyen, Burden, laser inkjet prints transferred on stones, 84 x 72 inches, 2015.
Anh Thuy Nguyen, Burden, laser inkjet prints transferred on stones, 84 x 72 inches, 2015.

Paulina Olowska at Metro Pictures

Polish painter Paulina Olowska’s series of female figures suggest strong personalities; this shadowy character is based on gardener Valerie Finnis, who confessed to having once put plants before people. (At Metro Pictures in Chelsea through Dec 22nd).

Paulina Olowska, The Gardener after Valerie Finnis, oil and acrylic on canvas, 86 5/8 x 70 7/8, 2016.
Paulina Olowska, The Gardener after Valerie Finnis, oil and acrylic on canvas, 86 5/8 x 70 7/8, 2016.

Jocelyn Hobbie at Fredericks & Freiser

Jocelyn Hobbie’s imaginary female figure is one step away from dissolving into the patterns that clothe and surround her; even her hair resembles wavy ribbons more than real locks. In the midst of all this visual input, the woman is a cipher, her far-away look suggesting she is only present physically. (At Fredericks & Freiser Gallery through June 18th).

Jocelyn Hobbie, Cobalt (Emerald), oil on canvas, 20 x 20 inches, 2016.
Jocelyn Hobbie, Cobalt (Emerald), oil on canvas, 20 x 20 inches, 2016.

Rosa Loy in ‘Empire of the Senseless’ at Friedman Benda

Major Leipzig school artist Rosa Loy’s painting ‘Comfort’ loudly signals spring with giant snowdrops and rebirth with the strange orb emerging from a central figure who may have just risen from a hole in the ground. (At Friedman Benda Gallery through March 28th).

Rosa Loy, Trost, casein on canvas, 63 x 82.75 inches, 2009.

Leonhard Hurzlmeier in ‘Proper Nouns’ at Rachel Uffner Gallery

This mildly racy painting by young German artist Leonhard Hurzlmeier of a dentist getting ready in the morning gives pause for thought – is she demonstrating extreme skill or incredible awkwardness? (At Rachel Uffner Gallery through Feb 22nd).

Leonhard Hurzlmeier, Zahnarztin bei der Morgantoilette (Dentist Getting Ready), oil on canvas, 38.4 x 27.2 inches, 2013/14.