Criti que
by Emily Jeeone Han
This page offers in-depth critiques of both current and past exhibitions. The insightful text is penned by Emily Jeeone Han, a promising young writer who recently earned her BA in Psychology with a focus on studio art. Her expertise and fresh perspective are invaluable contributions to Raud Fine Art Gallery
on Steve Banaszek
Soul Searching
Solo exhibition July - September 2024 @RFA Gallery
With contemporary abstraction’s politically nuanced nature, this visual language has become…a mystical entity. It seems that once you “get it,” this creative bilinguality transcends into an honorary gateway to artist regality.
acrylic on canvas
54x54 inch
2000$
But you don’t need an elderly trained eye to look at art. As we mature, our brains safely rehearse that representation and resemblance are pillars to reliability. You see an apple. It’s red, round, shiny, with a hard shell. You know the taste before you even bite into it, and that crunch is so familiar it’s practically one of those complimentary iOS ringtones. But what if…you bite into it…and it’s….fluffy? Freaky, right?
Banaszek’s Red challenges you to understand something that is different. Beginning with thinned, chaotic scribbles, the medium crescendos toward the center, striking a finale with a sweep of yellows, reds, and blacks. The aesthetic creates an unconventional viewing experience.
acrylic and spray paint on canvas
50X50 inch
1800$
Graffiti ink, acrylic on canvas.
50x50 in
1800$
Notes of turquoise travel across canvases, developing their own identity in different realms. Donating a foundation in Color & Composition no.6, hinting in F.A.A.F.O, and persevering its way to the foreground in Color & Composition Study no.2, turquoise is a teasing character that sets a balance between momentary play and grit.
acryclic, spray paint on canvas
50x50
No.14 strips away conscious knowledge through a transitory yellow that skids through a mysterious-looking depth. These darker hues of turquoise and blacks swells an instinct for curiosity that leads to discovering what lies beyond the obvious. The dynamic of fostering curiosity and anxiety in questioning how to approach the art mediates meaningful experience.
acrylic on canvas
84x54 in
From sensing the momentum of streaks, the weights of acrylics, the glossy reflection or drywall esque elements that invite layers, I invite you to envision yourself in the artistic process of creating.
Through differentiation and determination, we channel insights, hunches, and intuitions in “Soul Searching”. We swing open the secret doors to our psyche and perhaps, bite into a fluffy apple <3.