Lux to bring 5 international artists for 10th season
To celebrate its 10th anniversary season beginning in September, Lux Art Institute in Encinitas has announced the five resident artists who will come to Encinitas from all over the globe, but also, in some cases, connect their art to the local area.
Each of the five — Camilo Restrepo (from Colombia), Xawery Wolski (Poland), Siro (Italy), Vibha Galhorta (India) and Jorge Pardo (Cuba) — will be living and working at Lux, as part of the institute’s residency program. Having the artists not only show their work, but also create at least one piece during their stay, provides a special opportunity for visitors who can actually see the art happen.
Current Lux resident artist Angela Kallus, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas, told the Encinitas Advocate that the program is a unique experience.
“For one thing, I don’t work in such a beautiful place at home, it is a mess at my study,” Kallus said with a laugh while she worked on her resident piece.
“(Doing the work in front of people) is a new thing for me. It’s actually kind of weird to do this thing that I usually do alone, in a public place. I don’t mind it though.”
She added that the nice residence and the beautiful setting were conducive to making great art.
Kallus’ pieces, which she has been making for 17 years, involve using a pastry decorating bag to create flowers out of different colors of paint. When the flowers harden, she connects them to a flat surface to form sort of a three-dimensional painting.
Kallus will be working on her newest piece at Lux Art Institute until July 9. That work, along with some of her other pieces which are on display now, will be at Lux through July 30.
A few months later, Restrepo will come to Lux from Colombia to kick off next year’s season.
After Restrepo, Wolski, a sculptor, comes to live and work at the institute, where he plans to use local clay to create one of his masterpieces.
Following Siro’s residency, Galhorta is at Lux to create one of her large-scale sculptures out of ghungaroos-metal ankle bells, a part of traditional India dress. An artist who explores local and global issues with her work, Galhorta will study North County coastal water systems and the sculpture she creates while at the institute, will reflect that research.
For more information, visit www.luxartinstitute.org.
Here’s a brief guide to each of next season’s five Lux Art Institute residents:
Camilo Restrepo (Colombia)
In Lux’s words: “Punctuated by bright colors and cartoonish characters, Camilo Restrepo’s works represent internal and external dialogues: one relating to the psyche and a desire for perfection, the other reflecting the horrors in drug-laden Colombia.” In studio: Sept. 10-Oct. 20. On exhibit: Through Oct. 29.
Xawery Wolski (Poland)
In Lux’s words: “Aspects of clothing — particularly the dress — subsume Xawery Wolski’s artistic practice. Wolski views the dress as a second skin used to cover, protect, defend and adorn. His process involves constructing individual beads from clay and stringing them together to create a larger sculpture. He also has a proclivity for travel, and each work is created from the clay of specific countries. Currently, the U.S. is missing from this link, but his residency piece will fill this gap and bind the U.S. to his oeuvre.” In studio: Nov. 12-Dec. 17. On exhibit: Through Jan. 7.
Siro (Italy)
In Lux’s words: “Siro’s paintings derive from his dreams, subconscious and fleeting thoughts, as well as abstract ideas unearthed from old journals. His works reject traditional narrative painting in order to demonstrate his own personal language.” In studio: Jan. 21-Feb. 18. On exhibit: Through March 18.
Vibha Galhorta (India)
In Lux’s words: “Vibha Galhorta’s large-scale sculptures confront the changing topography of the world to highlight the impact of globalization and growth on specific communities and regions. Using ghungaroos — metal ankle bells that are a feminine symbol within Indian culture — Galhorta creates works describing the ecological issues plaguing India and its water supply. In studio: April 1-April 29. On exhibit: Through May 27.
Jorge Pardo (Cuba)
In Lux’s words: “Jorge Pardo’s visually alluring work examines the crossing of contemporary painting, design, sculpture and architecture. Using a broad palette of colors, patterns, and a mix of organic and industrial materials, Pardo’s works range from murals to home furnishings to collages, buildings, pools and gardens.” In studio: June 12-June 17, 2017. On exhibit: Through Aug. 5, 2017.