August 22 - September 12, 2020
A solo exhibition featuring work by Lorena Morales.
From the gallery:
“A Question:
When we find ourselves forced to relocate or move, how does a building, a neighborhood, or a new culture become home to us?
An Answer:
We must embrace the change, embrace the place, and embrace our new surroundings.
We must also be embraced.
Embracing, Lorena Morales’ most recent series of artworks, arose out her experience living as an expat in Angola; specifically, in Soyo, a small town bordering the Congo River. These works contemplate the relationship between color, lines and shapes that appear, and disappear, according to the changing light, or based on the position and angle of the viewer. The experience is often dynamic, pointing to the relationship between the materiality of the media, and the immateriality of light and shadow — not unlike what it feels like to question the meaning of ‘home’ and ‘culture,’ in an unfolding search for similarity, or what is absent, in new and unfamiliar environments.
In the Artist’s own words:
In my work, I explore deeply personal themes of home and cultural identity, and reference feelings of nostalgia as well as ever-evolving expectations. As someone who left her country of birth, Venezuela, to build a new life in Texas, and once again in Angola, Africa, I am inspired to create by the places I see and visit, and the people I meet. Through my artistic practice, I am continuously exploring what it means to embrace a new cultural identity, while also protecting the one I have brought with me.
About the Artist:
Lorena Morales is a contemporary visual artist currently living and working in Houston Texas. Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Lorena holds certificates in painting and sculpture from the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, as well as a degree in Business Administration from Rafael Urdaneta University. She recently completed the Block XIX Program at the Glassell School of Art, and was also awarded a grant by the Carlos Cruz-Diez Foundation and the Glassell School of Art for participation in an Advanced Seminar in Contemporary Art.
Lorena Morales’ artworks have been exhibited nationally in Florida, North Carolina, and extensively in Texas. Her artworks have also been exhibited internationally in Venezuela and Germany. In 2016, the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston commissioned “Flight Plan”, a 50’ x 200’ site specific artwork by Lorena Morales, as part of their permanent collection. Most recently, Lorena has been selected as one of 18 international artists to attend the prestigious L’AiR Arts Drawing Research Residency in Paris France for the 2020/2021 season.”
Artist talk: August 17, 2020
6448 Highway 290 East, Suite A102
Austin, 78723 TX
Get directions