New Image Art is pleased to present JANGALANG, a solo painting exhibition (in the main gallery) featuring Atlanta based painter Monica Kim Garza.
Stemming from her own image and cultural heritage (Mexican/Korean), Monica Kim Garza creates work that celebrates the female form and various interactions within the world. Painting and sculpting women, primarily in the nude, Monica draws from her own memories and cultural artifacts, often placing her dark skinned full bodied models in contemporary situations. The characters are at play in a variety of reoccurring scenes based on the artist’s own memories and fantasy of the mundane and minuscule aspects of life she finds interesting and relatable.
Monica’s latest series of work draws influence from Monica’s time spent home in Atlanta, Georgia, capturing images of strip clubs, exercise gyms, religion, family, sports, and nature. Outside of the figure, color and shapes continue to play a central role in her practice. The works in this show are much larger than previous works allowing her to open up the paint strokes and gesture more freely. Mishaps that naturally occur during painting process become a means of inventing original images. “I find new aspects of painting through the exploration of paint and mixed media while still working with the same female figure over and over again. It is my intent to continue to explore and push shapes, colors, and the human form through my lens”, remarks Garza.
