Ryan Joseph Gallery is tremendously excited to announce “Sweet Surrender”, a solo exhibition by UK artist Emma Black. Her work investigates whether death is the necessary fate of every living creature or simply a regular, but perhaps avoidable, contingency within life itself. Caught between life and death, figures discover instead a way to transform into new beings; the non-living object merges with the living, forming a sensory coexistence. Their anatomy changes and nature embraces them, they claim new adornments and identities seeking not to be afraid of their differences, owning and embracing both their strength and fragility.
Emma’s work features, but is not limited to, an intricate and dark mix of flora, fauna, and portraiture; creating surreal balances between life and death in an unfamiliar way and capturing a moment of anatomical transformation.
The following is a brief overview quote from Emma regarding the latest body of work:
“In “Sweet Surrender” I extend an invitation into themes of introspection, revelation, and self-love. Through a series encompassing portraiture and still life oil paintings, and a supplementary collection of self-portrait Polaroid photographs, I undertake an exploration into memory, human connection, and the nuanced interplay between internal and external conceptions of beauty.”
Opening reception is set for Saturday, May 11th, taking place from 4pm to 8pm. New opening reception hours, so be sure to take note! As always, our exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Collector’s previews will be available. For more information on this exhibition or to request a collector’s catalog, send us an email at info@ryanjosephgallery.com
The exhibition will be on view from Saturday, May 11th through Wednesday, June 12th.
