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For some years now, Becky Soria’s work has focused on human and animal figures. In those works, Soria re-constructed female and animal forms from within, though not in any literal sense of depicting internal organs and such. Rather, through her sophisticated, painterly surfaces, she suggested forceful yet ambiguous “interiorities” that were poetic, emotionally intense, conceptual, and existential. In this new group of works, Soria has moved her penetrating gaze from those figures into the external world they inhabit. This is the dwelling place of Gaia - Mother Earth. “I feel this urge, as an artist, to respond to the urgent call of Mother Earth,” quotes Soria.
Her works indeed have a sense of urgency. They are a panoply of contrasting and contorting shapes that have strong directional textures, contrasting colors, and forceful linear rhythms, alongside tender passages and gentle resonances, all of which invoke a vulnerable and beautiful Earth in distress. Standing in front of Soria’s seemingly abstract forms, the attentive observer cannot help but read them as either threatening masses such as impenetrable rocks, tectonic plates, and chthonic hollows, or as violent episodes such as overwhelming deluges, erupting volcanoes, or suffocating plumes of ice and smoke. Yet, these same abstract shapes at times acquire the appearance of human and animal figures: a head of a wolf materializes here, a fish hides down there, a rock becomes a skull. Are these figures intended or unconscious? Probably both. The overall result is a rich pictorial experience from the hand of a seasoned painter. Soria’s mastery of color and texture provides a vision to us of humanity dwelling in the very entrails of Gaia, witnessing her existential cry.
Her works indeed have a sense of urgency. They are a panoply of contrasting and contorting shapes that have strong directional textures, contrasting colors, and forceful linear rhythms, alongside tender passages and gentle resonances, all of which invoke a vulnerable and beautiful Earth in distress. Standing in front of Soria’s seemingly abstract forms, the attentive observer cannot help but read them as either threatening masses such as impenetrable rocks, tectonic plates, and chthonic hollows, or as violent episodes such as overwhelming deluges, erupting volcanoes, or suffocating plumes of ice and smoke. Yet, these same abstract shapes at times acquire the appearance of human and animal figures: a head of a wolf materializes here, a fish hides down there, a rock becomes a skull. Are these figures intended or unconscious? Probably both. The overall result is a rich pictorial experience from the hand of a seasoned painter. Soria’s mastery of color and texture provides a vision to us of humanity dwelling in the very entrails of Gaia, witnessing her existential cry.
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Becky Soria pursued her early art training in South America. After immigrating to the USA, she continued her training at The Glassell School of Art in Houston, Texas, and with Fernando Casas, Ph.D., artist, and philosopher. Her background in biology and medicine, as well as her interest in archeology and paleontology has influenced the the subject matter of her paintings since 1980. They are often abstracted images with surreal allusions that suggest all manner of transformation, growth, and mutation. In the last 15 years, Soria has focused on the exploration of human and animal figures, inspired by the psychological and existential concept of the feminine, using texture, color, and rhythm to suggest complex inner landscapes. Becky Soria’s work has been shown in numerous galleries in the United States, Europe, and South America, and has been collected by South American Museums, international corporations, and private collectors in the USA. This is her seventh solo exhibition at Archway Gallery.
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MAY 2023 EXHIBITION EVENTS
May 6 (Sat) |
Opening Reception (5 - 8 p.m.) and Artist Talk (6:30 p.m.) |
May 14 (Sun) |
Carya String Quartet (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.) Carya's season will come to a fiery close with the youthful passion found in Mendelssohn’s Quartet in D Major, Op. 44 No 1. Where there’s fire, there’s smoke. This program will also feature two contemporary American composers: Texas State University faculty Michael Ippolito’s “Smoke Rings,” will be paired with Jessie Montgomery’s “Break Away,” which includes an improvisation on her original Jazz tune, “Smoke.” |
May 27 (Sat) |
Conversation with the Artist (3:00 - 5:00 p.m.) Visit Archway and enjoy conversation with Becky Soria about her current exhibition, her artistic career and body of work. |
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Upcoming Exhibition
June 3 - July 5, 2023 North Sea Gulf Coast Featuring New Paintings by Annette Palmer This exhibition is an exploration of distance, love, and connection. Inspired by Galveston and the Texas Coast, as well as the North East Coast of Scotland in Angus and Aberdeenshire, it is the experience of feeling at home in two locations, almost 5000 miles apart, separated by a vast ocean. Palmer’s semi-abstract land and seascapes speak to maintaining connections, treasuring memories, holding onto our kindred spirits, and embracing the fragments of what has been. More information here. |
Voted Houston's "Best Place to Buy Art," Archway Gallery is owned and operated by 34 Houston-area artists. Since 1976 we have been dedicated to welcoming and supporting the arts in Houston through weekly live figure drawing sessions, our annual Juried Exhibition, hosting music, dance, writers' events and much more.