Creatures of Saintly Disguise, A Solo Exhibition Featuring the Work of Jennybird Alcantara June 9, 2012

Opening Reception: June 9, 2012 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Exhibition Dates: June 9 – July 28, 2012
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 6pm

Varnish Fine Art is pleased to present Creatures of Saintly Disguise, a solo exhibition of new work by Bay Area based painter, Jennybird Alcantara, opening on June 9th. In this latest series of work, Jennybird melds her lifelong interest in fairytales, flora & fauna with her evocative Pop Surrealist style to reveal another chapter in her constantly evolving narrative. This exhibition will showcase large scale oil paintings in addition to smaller works and works on paper. An opening reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, June 9th, from 6-9pm.

In Creatures of Saintly Disguise, Jennybird Alcantara’s second solo show at Varnish Fine Art, the journey into her ever-unfolding world of the subconscious continues. In this new series, we meet a pantheon of “saints” existing in a more contemplative world than we’ve seen before. The interiors previously glimpsed inside of Jennybird’s hybridized women now unfurl, giving us pause to think about the role of one’s inner dimension in the outer world and letting that interaction exist in the open. With her signature complex and saturated palette, she creates a galaxy of symbols that coalesce into a greater whole, creating a universe that is mystical, playful and, in the words of one writer, “shamanistic.”

Casting large-eyed women, both dainty and strong, in the role of avatars, Jennybird speaks to us of Universal experiences from her unique point of view. Our own rights of passage and deeply personal journeys are channeled through her brush, channeling insight into our own pasts, presents and (possible) futures.

“As humans we crave knowledge and understanding about our place in the Universe and stories (mythology, fairytales) are a way to relate us to other living beings: animals, people, nature… you carve that. If you don’t do (religion) and still have that pulling inside you for wonder and things of a spiritual nature, then I think that those stories present themselves perfectly for that. For me my work blends (it all.)”—Jennybird Alcantara

About Jennybird Alcantara
Bay Area based painter Jennybird Alcantara is best known for minutely detailed oil paintings filled with a symbolism that draws the viewer deeply into a world both strange and beautiful. At its core her work has a dreamlike narrative that emanates from a central figure, encouraging us to contemplate the complex interconnectedness of opposites as seen through the prism of myth, fable and fantasy. She received her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her artwork has been exhibited broadly in the US and Europe and has been published in the Hi Fructose Box Edition Set, Ideafixa Greatest Hits, The Age of Feminine Drawing, several small publications as well as Hi Fructose, Juxtapoz, Raw Vision and Art Doll Quarterly magazines.

Official Website: http://www.varnishfineart.com/Exhibit_Detail.cfm?ShowsID=118