Erica Licea-Kane: The Botanical Series

Denise Bibro Fine Art, at 529 West 20th Street, on the 4th floor, is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new works by Erica Licea-Kane, The Botanical Series: Mixed Media Works.

Exploring patterns and visual events found in nature, such as the veins of a leaf, or the rapid motion of flapping butterfly wings, Licea-Kane’s new suite of multi-layered, mixed media works draw the viewer into their intricate, richly textured surfaces, yet the actual method of construction of the work is elusive. The artist builds layer upon layer utilizing hand-sewn fabrics, acrylic medium extruded through a pastry bag, small bits of hand-printed rice paper, and numerous applications of acrylic pigment. Licea-Kane’s background in traditional textiles and design is evidenced in her incorporation of the grid, repetition, and her attention to detail. The work is executed in luscious, highly saturated colors, such as complimentary reds and greens, hot oranges and pinks, and dramatic black and cerulean blue. Each piece represents a meditation on the juxtaposition of order and chaos. Licea-Kane creates patterns that are deceptively organized in order to disrupt balance, or loosely organized “woozy” grids which merely hint at evenly measured space. Taking its inspiration from nature, The Botanical Series also makes a somber statement about the withering away of significant and vibrant life forces.

Licea-Kane has had numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the American Craft Museum, NYC; the Federal Reserve Bank, Boston, MA; Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL; the Textile Museum, Toronto, Canada; and Auspices Asahi Shim Bun and Tokyo Group Department Stores, Japan. Her work has been reviewed in publications such as the Boston Globe, Art New England, as well as Fiberarts and Threads magazines. Licea-Kane’s works are part of numerous corporate and private collections including Meditech Corporation; First Bank; and National Development Associates, all in the Boston area. Licea-Kane has won several awards and grants, most recently the Artists Resource Trust Grant for the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. She has held teaching posts at Massachusetts College of Art; the University of Massachusetts; and Wentworth Institute of Technology; all in Boston, MA, as well as Rhode Island College in Providence. Licea-Kane is currently a full-time faculty member at Wheelock College in Boston, MA.

Please join us for an opening reception Thursday, November 8 from 6 to 8pm.

For more information, or to request high resolution images, email [email protected].