In 1887, French painter Paul Gauguin left Europe for Panama, where he intended to buy land on an island and live a quiet life unbound by responsibility and commitment. His plan fell apart almost immediately: he arrived in Panama broke, land was prohibitively expensive and he had to take work on the Panama Canal to make ends meet. It was back-breaking labor, and likely contributed to a nearly fatal case of malaria.
Yana Movchan, Two Brothers, oil on canvas, 36 x 24"And yet, amid a torrent of setbacks, Gauguin used these obstacles to propel himself forward. Within the next decade, he met Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas, and he completed many of his greatest post-impressionist works. He wrote of a great storm, and its effects on what could have easily been his Panama island that would forever be out of reach.
“The cyclone ends. The sun returns; the lofty coconut trees lift up their plumes again; man does likewise. The great anguish is over; joy has returned; the sea smiles like a child,” he wrote.
Andrea Kowch, Beyond Here, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60"Renewal, he seemed to be saying, was a rite of passage, a mandatory episode in every life. Renewal was also a catalyst for whatever comes next.
RJD Gallery will explore similar themes in Renewal, a new group show opening April 30 in Romeo, Michigan. The show, which will feature more than 10 artists, will include a mixture of new pieces to the gallery, and older works acquired by the gallery that are now back on the market.
One of the artists with a returning work of art is Andrea Kowch, whose paintings often speak to themes of renewal, replenishment and regeneration. The work being offered by the gallery is the 2010 piece Beyond Here, showing the ultimate arbiter of renewal—fire.
Jamie Wyeth, Me and My Vulture, oil on panel, 28 x 31"
“The concept of renewal very much does apply to my work, my subjects and myself personally. It tends to be a main theme that underscores my paintings, presented through their settings, symbolic elements, and the general motifs running throughout their stories,” Kowch says. “The transition of seasons, and fire, in particular, hold several meanings for me, and I often find my thoughts unintentionally centering around the concept of duality as I paint, coming to realize its steady presence at the core of my pictures. It represents the glory of new beginnings after coming to terms with things past. While seemingly strange, even destructive upon first glance, the intent is to promote reflection. In agriculture, field burns occur each year to cleanse the earth of any lingering diseased crops and prepare the land for re-seeding; so too, the flames symbolize purification and renewal. Fire is a transformative force and a catalyst for rebirth and renewal, as well as symbol of enlightenment and empowerment.”
Fatih Gürbüz, The Angel Peacock, oil on canvas, 67 x 67"
Kowch adds that renewal is part of her creative process. This is a mixture of symbolic renewal, but also a physical renewal as she transforms the spaces around her to signify the completion of an image. “After a painting is completed, I typically catch up on organizational tasks that are otherwise on hold during the painting process, followed often by a deep-clean of my studio to ‘renew’ and recharge the energy of the space, setting the stage for the next canvas in line,” she says. “For me it serves many purposes, among them being closure and a way of setting a newly completed work free, as well as setting my mind free to harness fresh energy for the next one. Each painting carries its own unique journey, mirroring the inner personal journeys experienced alongside it; marking the endings and beginnings of new chapters in all their varying degrees.”
The gallery will be offering Yana Movchan’s 2023 painting Two Brothers, showing two roosters under a vibrant tapestry of flowers hanging in the air. Like fire, flowers offer many opportunities for renewal as a theme. “Renewal is very good and important concept in a person’s life. Lots of us went through it many times before,” Movchan says. “[For Two Brothers], I painted two of my sons, my life, my strength, my inspiration. Since they were born, my life went before and after—many people can truly relate it to this feeling. Renewal can be a sunny day, when all of a sudden you start noticing a beauty you passed by every day and didn’t see it. But for a great conclusion, [you] always need a struggle first, and on the end we will receive a beautiful renewal. Like a struggle during the birth and receiving a treasure of life on the end.”
Aneka Ingold, The Heart of Frida, mixed media, 30 x 22"Aneka Ingold will be showing her boldly painted image The Heart of Frida, influenced by the famous surrealist. “This piece is a tribute to the Mexican-born artist, Frida Kahlo. She was a woman of exotic beauty, elegance and passion. When making this piece I was inspired by her perseverance to overcome many hardships in her life. I believe her artwork was a catharsis and deep renewal for her as she was able to skillfully reveal some of her emotions through layers of rich symbolism within her self-portraits,” Ingold says. “For me, the art-making process can also be a place of healing and rejuvenation and ultimately renewal. A time to rebuild and reinvent the self. I have created a portrait of a modern woman embodying the essence of Frida in all of her grace and stoicism. I was also able to include my own personal allegory within this version of my admired heroine. I wanted to show that Frida continues to have an impact on the women of today with artwork that exudes optimism and hope in the face of great obstacles.”
Jhina Alvarado, Ella, oil and 22k gold leaf on wood panel, 30 x 30"
For his painting Sunburst, David Gluck turns to weather to help drive home the beauty of nature. The work shows sunlight piercing a storm cloud to illuminate a landscape partially obscured by a storm’s haze and gloom. “Renewal for an artist can really materialize when exploring landscape paintings. From the ever-changing seasons echoing nature’s cycles of death and regrowth, to the shifting light of night and day, landscapes are always in a constant state of change. It really is an enjoyable thing to capture, with unlimited possibilities leaving a lot to artistic interpretation,” Gluck says. “Artistically speaking, I am always experimenting with new ways to create my works. I often explore new materials, color palettes and compositions to breathe new life into my paintings. I never want my work to become static. There are only so many paintings we get to make in our lifetime.”
Jose Antonio Bernad, The Plunge, oil on linen on ACM, 59 x 374/5"
In Jhina Alvarado’s Ella, the artist paints a black-and-white image of a figure surrounded by a colorful ring of leaves filled with insects, a snake and citrus. The colors, and lack thereof, create a sense of rejuvenation. “For me, renewal is a deeply personal transformation. With so much unfolding in the world and in my own life, each painting becomes a milestone—a reflection of my evolving technique, shifting perspective, and ever-deepening approach to storytelling,” Alvarado says. “I am always searching for my identity as an artist. I never want to become someone who remains stagnant or resists growth in my creative practice. It’s not easy—I struggle with it. But the challenge of constantly digging deeper into who I am and what I represent artistically is what keeps my work fresh and evolving.”
Jose Antonio Bernad’s painting The Plunge, showing a boy standing on the edge of a rock at the edge of a sea, is less about renewal and more about the acceptance of change. The figure, his arms outstretched and greeting the scene in front of him, is read to meet his fate, whatever it may be. “I think the concept of renewal appears in the early stages of painting, particularly in the sketching phase, when everything is open, and a painting holds multiple possibilities. Each stage of the process could be seen as a small renewal,” Bernad says. “In my studio, creative renewal happens gradually, between projects. It might not be very noticeable from one or two paintings to the next, but it becomes evident over the course of a larger body of work.”
David Gluck, Sunburst, oil on panel, 14 x 10"
Also in the RJD Gallery show are two important works fresh to the market: Jamie Wyeth’s Me and My Vulture, and Fatih Gürbüz’s The Angel Peacock. Both works feature birds. The Gürbüz painting includes a peacock, its colorful plumage cascading down in a relaxed state. The Wyeth painting, Me and My Vulture, has an animal known not for its beauty, but for its ability to “clean” nature by disposing of dead creatures. Although the vulture’s job is considered dirty and gross, the vulture is seen as a force of renewal in the wild—a pivotal part of the circle of life.
Renewal will remain on view through May 4 in Romeo, Michigan. —
RJD Gallery 227 N. Main Street • Romeo, MI 48065 (586) 281-3613 • www.rjdgallery.com
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