Valentin Popov, Mary Souza, Michiko Itatani, and Leslie Begert are new artists that we are welcoming in to our gallery, but all have achieved varying degress of success.   

The theme of the show New Realities deals with the contemporary approach to figurative or representative art as expressed by seven very different, creative artists.

This show is the New Gallery’s response to Art Miami/Basel. It will be like having a mini art fair right here in Houston where the best of a number of artists can be appreciated and enjoyed.

Popov, a hyperrealist painter from Russia is one of the most dazzling figurative painters working in the world today. Eschewing digital tricks that many realists now employ, Popov, like Cheryl Kelley, paints them straight from scratch.

Michiko Itatani from Japan currently teaches painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. A group of her works she calls “Hyper Baroque,” which display ornate, fantastic interior spaces painted with a rich brush stroke and sumptuous color.
 
Mary Souza from the San Francisco Bay area is a lyrical abstractionist who has mastered a very rich and layered, painterly technique. One of her series featured in the exhibition deals with the iconic form of a solitary figure either emerging into or growing our of a deeply textured color field.

Leslie Begert, a sculptor from Austin, deals with the human form in works that evoke both prehistoric sculpture and the works of Rodin.
   
Gallery II at New Gallery will feature “The Nottebohm Collection,” an ongoing showcase for the amazing aluminum creations of Andreas Nottebohm.

Gallery III will feature works by legendary Houston artist Dorothy Hood representing her estate. Dorothy was one of the pioneer abstractionists of Texas.

Also on view will be a seminal piece by Israeli artist Yigal Ozeri. “Hazy Window” is one of the first works from his current series of super realist nudes. This piece has an amazing spirit and obviously displays the unique “touch” of the artist.