Bridgette Mayer Gallery Presents:
Sweet Nature, a solo exhibition by Kaoru Mansour
In the Vault Room: Art Heals by Dr. James E. George, MD, JD
March 29 – April 30, 2022
Extended Hours & Artist Reception: Friday, April 1, 5 – 7:30pm.
Philadelphia, PA – March 1, 2022. Bridgette Mayer Gallery is pleased to announce its second solo exhibition with gallery artist Kaoru Mansour. Sweet Nature will be on view from Tuesday, March 29 to Saturday, April 30, 2022, with extended hours on Friday, April 1 from 5:00 to 7:30pm. The exhibition will feature 27 new paintings by Mansour, inspired by the plants and flowers kept by her family at her childhood home. Mansour describes the exhibition as follows:
I grew up in a small village in Japan.
Raised by two women who loved flowering plants.
My mother and grandmother planted all year so flowers were always present in our house during my childhood.
I didn’t truly appreciate that until I would go back to visit after moving to the city for many years.
Now, whenever I visit my family who still lives in that same small village,
I see there are still so many fresh flowers in vases around the house that my elderly mother tends to, and they make my heart full.
If my paintings bring that feeling, it would be so exciting!
My new solo show, Sweet Nature, is a reflection on how I experienced nature in everyday life growing up in a small village in rural Japan.
About the Artist:
Kaoru Mansour is a native of Japan working as a painter in Los Angeles. She moved to California in 1986 and studied at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles from 1987 to 1989. Her childhood experiences with the lush, natural environment of her hometown serve as the inspiration for much of her work. Mansour borrows familiar imagery from this environment, such as birds, fruits, flowers, and other vegetation, and collages them onto canvases to create layered mixed media paintings. Mansour also draws inspiration from and incorporates additional media into her work, including gold leaf, thread, painted dots, paper cut-outs, and the texture of traditional Japanese raku ware pottery. Mansour has exhibited nationally and internationally, including solo exhibitions in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Japan, and Singapore. Her work has also been featured in group exhibitions in Korea, Italy, Thailand, and Germany. Mansour has been invited to give lectures in association with the USC Pacific Asia Museum, Collage Artists of America, San Diego Mesa Collage, and the California Institute of the Arts. Her work is included in private, corporate and hospitality collections worldwide.
In the Vault:
Bridgette Mayer Gallery is also pleased to announce Art Heals, a featured exhibition by
Dr. James E. George, MD, JD in the gallery’s Vault Room. The installation will feature 11 new works on paper by Dr. George, who discovered his artistic passion through an art therapy program at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia after a tragic brain and spinal cord injury. Dr. George’s art is rooted in the exploration of shape and color, and he uses innovative tools and techniques to create his abstract forms and unusual, bright color combinations. Through his work, Dr. George hopes to inspire patients, families, and others and to connect them to abstract art. Dr. George believes that “Art heals the mind, body, and spirit—it is the gift that was given to me, and the one I want to share and make accessible to everyone.”
Exhibition information: Sweet Nature and Art Heals will be on view from March 29 – April 30, 2022 at Bridgette Mayer Gallery. On Friday, April 1, there will be extended gallery hours from 5:00 to 7:30pm and an artist reception at Bridgette Mayer Gallery.
Gallery information: Bridgette Mayer Gallery free and open to the public. We are located at 709 Walnut Street, 1st Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:00pm.
COVID policies: The health and safety of our community is our highest priority, and we are expanding our cleaning and safety protocols to abide by city guidelines. Every visitor is required to wear a mask while visiting the Gallery, following City of Philadelphia regulations. Gallery staff will continue to monitor and match our policies according to Philadelphia guidelines.
For further information, please contact Bridgette Mayer at: bmayer@bmayerart.com.
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