Sara Abalan at the Ulla Surland Gallery
Ulla Surland’s first fall show this season brings a Manhattan artist whose colors and textures are inspired by nature. “Sara Abalan Recent Works” opens with a reception 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 and runs until Oct. 27.
Sara Abalan started her career in the 7O’s, serving as art director and illustrator for the original Cook’s magazine. She studied at Paier College of Art and at The New York Studio School. She lives in Manhattan and creates art in her Long Island City studio. Her work has been shown in many local and regional galleries and resides in private as well as corporate art collections, says Surland.
More from Surland:
Her paintings are emotionally evocative, using patterns and shapes that are familiar in that they are found repeatedly in various forms in the world around us. Red dashes appear against a red background, subtle but strong. Blue, green and red dots blend together, creating movement and energy. Bright cellular shapes wind and undulate against a black background creating order out of chaos. Small highly detailed pencil drawings on accordion folded moleskin pads, some individual illustrations, others continuous, illustrate her daily subway commute and often inform her larger colorful paintings. Her work is energetic and seemingly effortless; it appears unplanned and explosive, chaotic and spontaneous. One is left however, with the feeling that as in nature, what appears chaotic and unplanned is in fact highly organized and logical. There is power and intensity in Ms. Abalan’s work as well as sensitivity and depth; one cannot remain indifferent or unmoved in its presence.
11 Unquowa Road, Fairfield; 203-259-1572
I have had Ms Abalan’s paintings in my many homes for 30 years. They have travelled with me from coast to coast.
Their life will continue and their meaningful beauty is endless!