Show Preview | Silvana Gallery: Salon of Award-Winning Artists

This story was featured in the November 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art November 2012 print edition here, or purchase the Southwest Art November 2012 digital download here. Or simply subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!

When she opened Silvana Gallery in 2010, owner Silvana Ambar wanted to bring together master artists from the Ukraine, Russia, and the United Sates, her adopted home. Ambar moved here from Armenia in 1994. Over the past two years, she has continued to focus on her original mission. This month the gallery offers another must-see show for collectors—a presentation featuring nearly 100 works by more than 20 well-known artists.

The show, which opens with a reception on November 3 from 6 to 9 p.m., presents a wide variety of styles ranging from traditional realism to impressionism. Subject matter includes plein-air paintings of California as well as contemporary figurative works reminiscent of the Dutch masters. Mark Laguë, Jonathan Ahn, Tibor Nagy, Dan Beck, Yen-Ching Chang, and Mary Qian are among the participating artists.

One of the paintings in the show, SKETCHES by Northern California artist Fongwei Liu, is a moody depiction of a young woman drawing. Liu says he was inspired to paint the portrait the moment he saw his subject gazing intently at something and attempting to sketch it.  He decided to keep his model’s eyes in shadow to evoke an element of mystery. “She was so concentrated,” Liu says. “That is the strong information that I was trying to convey in the painting because I think I have to concentrate if I want to do something good.”

Participating artist Mark Laguë is well-known for his big-city street scenes, sometimes sprinkled with people going about their daily lives. When Laguë does depict people, he waits for the moment when they have let down their guard and are at their most candid. Such is the case, he says, with two of his paintings featured in the Silvana Gallery show. “In both PARIS SHOPPING and ON DAD’S SHOULDERS you see the figures from behind, which I find is generally more expressive than a frontal view,” he explains. “My inspiration for this type of painting comes from the expressive work of Kim English. He has a way of consolidating the figures with the background with a skillful use of lost edges. I hope that some of that comes through in my work.”—Bonnie Gangelhoff

contact information818.662.7070 
www.silvanagallery.com

Featured in the November 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase: Southwest Art magazine November 2012 digital download Southwest Art magazine November 2012 print editionOr subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!

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