The Gallery at the University of Texas at Arlington is presenting a two-person show featuring works by Kana Harada and Ruben Nieto. The exhibition, which runs February 20 through March 31 (closed during Spring Break from March 12-17), features a site-specific sculptural installation by Harada and oil on canvas paintings by Nieto.

Artist Reception February 24, 6 - 8:30 pm. Gallery talk during reception beginning at 6:30 pm.

Kana Harada's site-specific installation of suspended organic forms made out of black and white foam and wood creates a tranquil, mystical experience that reflects the artist's awe of nature. The painstakingly hand cut foam pieces suggest exotic plant-life, yet have an abstract quality that makes the sculptural forms unique and personal. Evoking the "peaceful, serene embrace" of lush forests she has encountered in Japan and across the United States, the work is elegantly calm and contemplative.

Ruben Nieto deconstructs comic books and reformats the imagery and colors to create high energy, expressionistic paintings. The work is intensely visceral and yet it also engages on the conceptual level. Using computer software, he takes images out of their original narrative structure and recontextualizes them digitally. He then retranslates the work into a more traditional medium using a collaborative process in which he directs a team of assistants to replicate the composition in oil on canvas. Intentionally referencing the idea of Warholian mass production and seriality, Nieto produces works that are at the same time explosively individual.

In association with the exhibition, both artists will discuss their work and creative process in hour-long illustrated lectures. Ruben Nieto will speak on Thursday, March 1 and Kana Harada will speak on Wednesday, March 28. Both talks will take place beginning at 12:30 pm in room 148 in the Fine Arts Building.

Learn more