Archway Gallery Exhibitions - 2021
March 6 - April 1, 2021
There Is An Instant
Featuring New Paintings by Silvia PintoSouza
When Silvia PintoSouza was very young, she read a poem titled, “There Is An Instant” by Guillermo Valencia, a 19th century Colombian poet and statesman.* The poem moved her deeply and has stayed with her ever since. “My original theme for this exhibition was “Old Barns” then the poem resurfaced from my memory in a very loud way and I was compelled to broaden that theme,” says PintoSouza. “A feeling of nostalgia took over -- a feeling of what was and is not anymore, but the spirit of which can still be felt.” Looking through the doors of an old and dilapidated barn, PintoSouza senses the presence of those who were there before, “the generations of families who cherished, worked, and stored so many hopes in it. These are nostalgic places imprinted with stories and memories that are not mine, but which I can sense. To me, this is the strength and symbolism of barns, their tangible link to the past.”
There is an Instant captures the moment when the sun sets -- the end of a day, as well as a metaphor for the end of a life -- a mission accomplished in a beautiful and generous way, full of nostalgia and feeling for what is about to end. A beautiful sunset can be enjoyed for just a few minutes before it ends, but the spiritual effect of having viewed it persists long afterwards. “I see in both, a crumbling barn and a glorious sunset, the stillness of existence,” says PintoSouza, “a silence that invades the moment. They both symbolize the completion of a journey, the successful completion of a day or a life’s work. They contain magic!”
Silvia PintoSouza’s paintings are intimate, romantic, and direct. Her message is the image itself, simply what you
see. “Critics often overthink a piece of work,” she remarks. “They overlook the possibility that ‘the moment of
beauty’ is what the artist wanted, nothing more. I hope that when you look at my work you are caught in that
moment of beauty and living it, because to me Art is comfort. It is where we take shelter. It is the shoulder where
we can rest our head.”
There is an Instant captures the moment when the sun sets -- the end of a day, as well as a metaphor for the end of a life -- a mission accomplished in a beautiful and generous way, full of nostalgia and feeling for what is about to end. A beautiful sunset can be enjoyed for just a few minutes before it ends, but the spiritual effect of having viewed it persists long afterwards. “I see in both, a crumbling barn and a glorious sunset, the stillness of existence,” says PintoSouza, “a silence that invades the moment. They both symbolize the completion of a journey, the successful completion of a day or a life’s work. They contain magic!”
Silvia PintoSouza’s paintings are intimate, romantic, and direct. Her message is the image itself, simply what you
see. “Critics often overthink a piece of work,” she remarks. “They overlook the possibility that ‘the moment of
beauty’ is what the artist wanted, nothing more. I hope that when you look at my work you are caught in that
moment of beauty and living it, because to me Art is comfort. It is where we take shelter. It is the shoulder where
we can rest our head.”
THERE IS AN INSTANT
(Translation from Spanish by the artist)
There is an instant at dusk
when things shine more,
a brief throbbing moment
of a slow intensity.
Tree branches turn velvety,
towers smooth their contour,
a bird engraves its silhouette
on a sapphire like background.
The afternoon changes,
it concentrates on forgetting the light,
and it is filled by the soft gift
of a melancholic stillness,
as if the orb gathered
all its goodness and beauty,
all its faith, all its grace
to face the arriving shadow...
My being flourishes at this hour
of a mysterious blooming;
I carry in my soul a twilight,
of dreamy tranquility;
in it burst the shoots
of a spring like hope,
and in it I inebriate myself with aromas
of a garden which is ‘somewhere beyond’!
*Guillermo Valencia (1873— 1943)
Studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, spoke several languages, translated other literary works from French, Italian, and Portuguese authors, and led an active career as a statesman and a diplomat being twice a candidate for the presidency of Colombia in 1918 and 1930. It was actually his son Guillermo León Valencia who became president from 1962 to 1966.
(Translation from Spanish by the artist)
There is an instant at dusk
when things shine more,
a brief throbbing moment
of a slow intensity.
Tree branches turn velvety,
towers smooth their contour,
a bird engraves its silhouette
on a sapphire like background.
The afternoon changes,
it concentrates on forgetting the light,
and it is filled by the soft gift
of a melancholic stillness,
as if the orb gathered
all its goodness and beauty,
all its faith, all its grace
to face the arriving shadow...
My being flourishes at this hour
of a mysterious blooming;
I carry in my soul a twilight,
of dreamy tranquility;
in it burst the shoots
of a spring like hope,
and in it I inebriate myself with aromas
of a garden which is ‘somewhere beyond’!
*Guillermo Valencia (1873— 1943)
Studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, spoke several languages, translated other literary works from French, Italian, and Portuguese authors, and led an active career as a statesman and a diplomat being twice a candidate for the presidency of Colombia in 1918 and 1930. It was actually his son Guillermo León Valencia who became president from 1962 to 1966.
February 6 - March 4, 2021
Regeneration
Featuring New Works in Clay, Paint, and Glass by
Carol Berger, Liz Conces Spencer, and Gene Hester
In this joint exhibition, Carol Berger, Liz Conces Spencer, and Gene Hester explore nature’s regenerative force in the face of enormous odds. The works in this exhibition reflect the artists’ concern about the impact of human encroachment, the destruction of habitats, and the planet’s survival. The eradication of plant species and diversity through human infringement and global warming, the disappearance of bee colonies and other animal/bird/insect/fish populations, and the devastation of massive pollution in the oceans, landmasses and atmosphere have engendered in each artist a response that celebrates and honors the rapidly shrinking natural world. Each artist presents works that, created solo or collaboratively, celebrate what may be lost if we do not quickly act. Even though nature has powerful regenerative abilities, it cannot withstand the onslaught of the need for humans to “grow.” Carol Berger’s works in clay along with Liz Conces Spencer and Gene Hester’s works in glass explore visual ideas using the landscape and its natural elements as starting points. Spencer additionally will present dimensional paintings on wood and traditional works on canvas.
To further support local efforts to protect Houston’s natural habitats, Archway Gallery is partnering with the Houston Arboretum, a 155-acre non-profit urban nature sanctuary which provides education about the natural environment to people of all ages. It plays a vital role in protecting native plants and animals in the heart of the city where development threatens their survival. During the month of February, the gallery is hosting a silent auction of artwork to benefit the conservation efforts of the Houston Arboretum.
To further support local efforts to protect Houston’s natural habitats, Archway Gallery is partnering with the Houston Arboretum, a 155-acre non-profit urban nature sanctuary which provides education about the natural environment to people of all ages. It plays a vital role in protecting native plants and animals in the heart of the city where development threatens their survival. During the month of February, the gallery is hosting a silent auction of artwork to benefit the conservation efforts of the Houston Arboretum.
Carol Berger’s art education began with her artist grandparents and various classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Berger has a double major in Art and Spanish from the College of Wooster and spent a year focusing on art history at the University of Madrid with side trips to France and Italy. After retirement from a career as a public-school teacher, Berger took a ceramics class which led to a second career as a professional artist. Currently, she teaches ceramics classes to adults and children in her studio. Berger draws inspiration from the designs, colors, and textures in nature. She joined Archway Gallery in 2018.
Liz Conces Spencer grew up in Pasadena, a refinery town east of Houston, and studied art at the University of St. Thomas in the early 1970’s. A Winant Clayton Volunteer in 1975, Spencer developed a summer art program in London, a placement which engendered her passion for teaching and socially collaborative work. Upon her return, she created figurative, nonrepresentational, and landscape works which led to her first major commission in 1996. She has taught continuously since the 1980’s for schools and organizations including The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Project Row Houses, City ArtWorks, St. Thomas High School, Incarnate Word Academy, and Young Audiences of Houston. She joined Archway Gallery in 2005 and has participated in numerous exhibitions, including three solo shows.
Gene Hester was raised on a farm in the rural west Texas town of Haskell. After studying ceramics in college, he joined the Peace Corps teaching math and science in a village primary school using the Malay language on the island of Borneo. Moving to Houston upon his return, Hester apprenticed with a glass studio, and then founded Genesis Art Glass late in the 1970’s. He has taught at the Glassell School of Art and Houston Center for Contemporary Craft; he has also been featured on HGTV. His expertise in ceramics and glass has cemented his reputation for artistry and craftsmanship, attracting numerous commissions. Hester moved his studio to Hockley, Texas two years ago, ending his active role as an Archway Gallery artist but has maintained professional and personal ties to the Houston art, glass, and design community. Hester and Spencer have collaborated on public and civic art projects, liturgical commissions, and gallery exhibitions since 2007 with projects in Houston, Rockport, Corpus Christi, and Plantersville. This is their first exhibition with Carol Berger.
Liz Conces Spencer grew up in Pasadena, a refinery town east of Houston, and studied art at the University of St. Thomas in the early 1970’s. A Winant Clayton Volunteer in 1975, Spencer developed a summer art program in London, a placement which engendered her passion for teaching and socially collaborative work. Upon her return, she created figurative, nonrepresentational, and landscape works which led to her first major commission in 1996. She has taught continuously since the 1980’s for schools and organizations including The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Project Row Houses, City ArtWorks, St. Thomas High School, Incarnate Word Academy, and Young Audiences of Houston. She joined Archway Gallery in 2005 and has participated in numerous exhibitions, including three solo shows.
Gene Hester was raised on a farm in the rural west Texas town of Haskell. After studying ceramics in college, he joined the Peace Corps teaching math and science in a village primary school using the Malay language on the island of Borneo. Moving to Houston upon his return, Hester apprenticed with a glass studio, and then founded Genesis Art Glass late in the 1970’s. He has taught at the Glassell School of Art and Houston Center for Contemporary Craft; he has also been featured on HGTV. His expertise in ceramics and glass has cemented his reputation for artistry and craftsmanship, attracting numerous commissions. Hester moved his studio to Hockley, Texas two years ago, ending his active role as an Archway Gallery artist but has maintained professional and personal ties to the Houston art, glass, and design community. Hester and Spencer have collaborated on public and civic art projects, liturgical commissions, and gallery exhibitions since 2007 with projects in Houston, Rockport, Corpus Christi, and Plantersville. This is their first exhibition with Carol Berger.
January 9 - February 4, 2021
Duo • Identity
Featuring Recent Works by Jiashan Lang and Anthony Pabillano
In this joint exhibition, Jiashan Lang and Anthony Pabillano explore ideas related to duality and contrast, as well as identity and culture through their shared interest in figurative art. Jiashan Lang’s three-dimensional figurines invite the viewer to encircle each piece and examine it closely for the fine details of her sculpture, whereas Anthony Pabillano’s two-dimensional pieces (some life-sized) rely on the surfaces of walls for support and are optimally viewed from a vantage point.
Lang and Pabillano tell stories through their figurative art. Lang’s dough figurines are based on scenes and events from Chinese history and literature; they depict traditional people, folklore, and scenes from ancient times. By contrast, Pabillano’s layered paper images portray contemporary Houstonians; people he has met, whose stories he relates to, and whose voices he hears as representatives of our culturally and linguistically diverse city. Though their stories contrast in terms of time and context, there are parities that weave the two bodies of work together. Lang and Pabillano are equally concerned with culture and identity – they strive to understand, capture, and celebrate the lives of others, past and present. In doing so, they seek not only to explore culture and identity in others but also to discover and define their own along the way.
“Dough figurines are a very old Chinese art form,” Jiashan Lang explains, “with their origins dating back to the Song Dynasty around 1000 CE. These figurines preserve Chinese history and lore by passing it down through the ages.” Lang’s technique involves coloring the rice dough and then sculpting it into the desired form so that no painting is required. Her work is in the collections of various museums, galleries, and individual collectors around the world.
The elevation of paper from a substrate to a medium has informed Anthony Pabillano’s choice of materials and style as he pursues his foundational interest in portraiture. Early in his career, he began creating portraits by layering blocks of colored paper cut along the defining contours of the human figure. He has spent many years developing and perfecting his technique. Through his portraits, Pabillano explores all aspects of the human condition and experience, from ideas relating to self and identity to topics about diversity.
Lang and Pabillano tell stories through their figurative art. Lang’s dough figurines are based on scenes and events from Chinese history and literature; they depict traditional people, folklore, and scenes from ancient times. By contrast, Pabillano’s layered paper images portray contemporary Houstonians; people he has met, whose stories he relates to, and whose voices he hears as representatives of our culturally and linguistically diverse city. Though their stories contrast in terms of time and context, there are parities that weave the two bodies of work together. Lang and Pabillano are equally concerned with culture and identity – they strive to understand, capture, and celebrate the lives of others, past and present. In doing so, they seek not only to explore culture and identity in others but also to discover and define their own along the way.
“Dough figurines are a very old Chinese art form,” Jiashan Lang explains, “with their origins dating back to the Song Dynasty around 1000 CE. These figurines preserve Chinese history and lore by passing it down through the ages.” Lang’s technique involves coloring the rice dough and then sculpting it into the desired form so that no painting is required. Her work is in the collections of various museums, galleries, and individual collectors around the world.
The elevation of paper from a substrate to a medium has informed Anthony Pabillano’s choice of materials and style as he pursues his foundational interest in portraiture. Early in his career, he began creating portraits by layering blocks of colored paper cut along the defining contours of the human figure. He has spent many years developing and perfecting his technique. Through his portraits, Pabillano explores all aspects of the human condition and experience, from ideas relating to self and identity to topics about diversity.