Five Points Gallery, presents two new exhibitions. In the Torrington Savings Bank Gallery, Elena Kalman’s powerful mixed media works on paper depict dramatic scenes of the war in Ukraine. The group exhibition in the West and TDP Galleries showcases seven artists who all connect through the material aspects of and diversity of paper. These images in the exhibition explore contemporary issues through unique approaches to sculpture, printmaking, and book arts.

TSB Gallery – “Ukraine Defiant”, Elena Kalman

Ukrainian-born artist, Elena Kalman presents a series of paintings dedicated to the Ukrainian

struggles in the current war. Kalman’s wartime landscapes are devoid of people, perspectives are skewed, explosions spill out from the confines of the paintings’ borders, and images protrude off the surface in deep relief. The images follow the tradition of descriptive narratives from classical prose. Strong emotions permeate the atmosphere of each of the paintings, but there is hope in them as well. Kalman utilizes torn paper, old paintings, fabrics, and plastic which emphasize to the expressive energy of the paintings. Paint is applied generously with a palette knife, to carve out gestures that follow the paintings’ dynamic movements. Kalman states, “The colors are bold, and the intent of the work is to evoke an immediate reaction in the viewer”.

The West & TDP Galleries – “Paper Play”, Meg Bloom, Denise Manseau, Julie Pereira, Krista Narciso, Chris Perry, Julie Shapiro, Karen Wheeler

Meg Bloom’s works in the exhibition consist mainly of handmade paper sculptures, composed mainly of Kozo and Abaca fibers. Bloom’s images are created in response to multiple contemporary issues such as themes of social justice, climate change, and human rights.

Denise Manseau’s work investigates constantly changing relationships in the environment, as a testimony of resilience and strength. Specifically, wind, light, and water are recurrent sources of inspiration. Manseau states, “Through observation, I find interconnected relationships in the underlying order and structure that shape our visible landscape”. The layered and cut-paper structures also demonstrate the versatility and durability of paper.

Julie Pereira’s world of paper encompasses playful and unique perspectives that are intricately cut out and built up with forking paths that mimic miniature playscapes or futuristic buildings.

This additive process of building these piled forms, alludes to endless choices or paths, giving the structures their own “personalities”. Pereira states, “Through careful attention at each step, I cast aside pre-conceived notions and discover meaning in direct response to the materials. The work is an engagement with the mystery of being.”

Measure for Measure, by Krista Narciso, metaphorically explores the act of migration and taking root in a new environment. The installation is composed of 4,487 handmade paper seeds confined in glass and brass curio boxes.  Each seed represents a mile that her family (and their fig tree) traversed when emigrating from Italy to the United States. “Through these masses of seeds, I aim to convey great distances traveled and the ability of people to take root where we end up, even as transplants.” states, Narciso.

Chris Perry alters unwanted books to impart information without the use of words or images. The books themselves are the idea – the shape of the paper and the information within. These ideas are conveyed through book selection, number and size of volumes, how filaments are employed, and where and what, if anything, happens inside the assembled mass. The focus is always on water in its many forms.

Julie Shapiro’s two-dimensional and cross-disciplinary work incorporates elements from printmaking, collage, drawing, and painting. Shapiro emphasizes the formal interactions of these mediums, which offer different resistances, palettes, surfaces, and space. Inspired by the geographies around her, Shapiro uses geometric and natural forms that intertwine the many layers that make up her surfaces.

Karen Wheeler’s work embodies the emotional constructs of joy, and what it means to be happy. A mantra that she appreciates more with each passing year. These paper-based sculptures emphasize the physicality of paper through the textured surfaces she sculpts from paper pulp and embellishes with intricate patterns. Wheeler states, “I revel in the total engagement of making my pieces, creating my work is akin to solving puzzles.”