TO SEE EACH OTHER
May 28 - July 21, 2019
The Passaic County Arts Center inaugural show seeks to engage the audience in a creative examination of perspective and interpretation. This exhibition showcases a variety of mediums such as sculpture, drawing, painting, and photography; allowing for an exploration of the artists’ understanding of what portraiture means to them.
Featured Artists Include: Andrea Coloma, Bleriot Thompson, David Fitzgerald, David D’Ostilio, Diane Car-bone, Donna Bassin, Eileen Burgess, Jie Li, Juan Ramiro Torres, Maryann Ficker, Niyani Simone, Poramit Thantapalit, Tina Ishihara, and Wil Swink
MEET THE ARTISTS
WIL SWINK
Wil was born in Williamsburg, VA in 1981. He is a self-taught artist who began painting in 2011 while living in Cambridge, MA. His paintings are typically a result of many layers of paint, maps or blueprints, wood stain, etching, and wood. These materials serve to provide richness and meaning in the sensory process. Wil's work is a product of a variety of life experiences and a vehicle for self-expression. Having a background as a social worker, teacher, and therapist, Wil's art captures themes related to the complex nature of the human experience.
DIANE CARBONE
Diane is an artist, who has lived in Northern New Jersey her whole life. She has always had a passion for drawing and painting. As a young adult, she studied illustration at F.I.T. in NYC. She has a degree in illustration and art therapy, and has worked as an art teaching in alternative middle and high schools. Diane is a figurative artist who used feminist and religious iconography. She works in several different mediums such as watercolor, pastels, oils, and sculpture. Her artwork has evolved over time to include portraits of friends and the natural environment. Diane finds inspiration from her travels.
ANDREA COLOMA
Peruvian artist Andrea, also known as Ade Ran is a NJ based visual artist concentrating in illustration, mixed media, collage, photography, and graphic design. Andrea's illustrations investigate the meaning of what identity means to her. Her work is an endless exploration of an uncanny similarities of a human being and a constant interpretation of the nonentities she creates. Since her work is mostly composed of a contrast of light and dark, this creates a juxtaposition which balance does not exist. Her subjects are born out of mystery and embrace the meaning of an enigma. Andrea's work has been exhibited throughout NYC and NJ since 2012.
TINA ISHIHARA
Tine is a traditional painter who works in oil on canvas. Although her true love is historical portraits, she also enjoys doing paintings of children, pets, and local landscapes and historic sites. Her paintings have been displayed in the New York Historical Society and Lambert Castle Museum. Her artworks can also be found at the Hermitage, and Historic New Bridge Landing, along with many private collections.
NIYANI SIMONE
Niyani is a photographer based in her hometown of Newark, J. In 2014, she began documenting the beauty of life and all that surrounds it. While Niyani was in college, her passion for photography grew and this is when she gained a great appreciation for the art form. In 2018, she received her B.A. in Fine Arts with a studio concentration in photography.
MARYANN FICKER
Ficker's portraits explore the intense and intimate process of sitting for a painted portrait. Her works reflect the relationship between artist and sitter as well as the conversations that occur while sitting in each other's presence. Ficker's works are primarily but not limited to, oil paint. The artist has been exhibiting since 2010 and received her MFA from Montclair State University in 2016. She lives and works in NJ.
EILEEN BURGESS
Burgess's goal as an artist is to capture the viewers' attention and draw them in, triggering emotional reposes and bringing back memories. Her intention is so people will have a visual dialogue of her work. Burgess chooses a subject matter that is evocative, whether a particular place or moment in time, in hopes of being moved to view their surrounds with a new perspective. Her subject matter varies. Burgess graduated with a BFA at the School of Visual Arts and went on to earn her MFA at Brooklyn College. Here biggest influences are pop art and photo-realism.
JIE LI
Li believes art has no boundaries and sometimes a picture is more powerful than a thousand words. She also believes the most important function of art is to enlighten others. She got the inspiration of her work of "Joy" when she was on vacation. She was shocked when she found an unclear photo in which a medial-looking man was laughing towards the sky. She decided to draw it because she felt her audience would be enlightened with his pleasant smile. Her inspiration comes from artist Edgar Degas - Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.
PORAMIT THANTAPALIT
A native of Thailand, Thantapalit graduated with a B.A. in Jouralism. he worked as a video producer and in television for three years before he decided to continue studies in the U.S. He received his master's degree in computer graphics from NYIT. He has over 15 years of experience as a graphic designer. He has produced works in various mediums such as recycled arts, mixed media, photography, and installations. His work has been exhibited at the national Academy Museum, IPCNY PrintFest, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Plaxall Gallery, Pleiades Gallery, and Tivoli Artists Gallery.
JUAN RAMIRO TORRES
Torres was born in Lima Peru and has lived in the U.S. since 1984, graduating from Parsons School of Design. His work has been exhibited in major galleries in the U.S. and other countries (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia, New Zealand, France, etc.). He has been recognized with numerous honors and awards, with works both in private and public collections. In 2014, he was among 100 artists selected to show their work in Times Square; and in 2017, Torres participated in the Salon International D'Art Contemporain at the Carousel du Lourve in France.
DONNA BASSIN, PH.D
Bassin is a fine art photography, clinical psychologist/psychoanalyst, published author, and award-winning documentary filmmaker who examines what is hidden within. She specializes in loss, grief, and mourning, and teachings "mourning as Transformation: The Creative Edge of Traumatic and Ordinary Loss" at NYU's Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. Her photographs have been featured in exhibitions on both coasts, including galleries and musesums, and are part of several private collections.
DAVID D'OSTILIO
D'Ostilio lives in Brooklyn, NY where he is a father, husband, and educator. He was in Brooklyn and New Jersey producing his own work, programming robots, and teaching at William Paterson University. D'Ostilio focus on digital sculpture, augmented reality, and performance; creating work that addresses the role of technology on labor, ecology, and culture. D'Ostilio has exhibited his work both int he United States and internationally including in Venice, Florence, London.
BLEIROT THOMPSON
Thompson is a contemporary painter who recently attained a B.A. in Fine Arts at William Paterson University. He uses his paintings to represent minorities through an explosion of color and design. His work has appeared several times at the University Galleries including a solo show entitled The Mind and Body Through Color. In April 2018, Thompson was one of 60 artists selected for the Creative Capital Professional Development Program. Thompson was also selected for the Early Art Practioner's Program at the Joan Mitchell Foundation.
DAVID FITZGERALD
Fitzgerald is a sculptor based in Montclair, NJ. About eight years ago Fitzgerald produced a series of portraits of female sex offenders. He would make them out of clay and paint them with encaustic. Fitzgerald moved on to capture portraits of people he knew and public figures. He is currently working on a new series of sculptures of owls.