Concurrent Solo Exhibits - Wesley Israel and Liza Valero

About this event

Oil painter Wesley Israel (Charleston, SC) describes his art practice as a compulsion. He is clearly influenced by the Renaissance and strives for the depth and surface quality first brought forth in that time. In his exhibit, A Painted Life, Israel presents a collection of nearly 20 oil paintings. While his subjects can run the gamut of creation, the themes explored focus on our collective conscience in either memory, story, or experience. In the end, the desire for each work is to possess a timelessness that could also inspire for centuries to come. Liza Valero (Charleston, SC) is a mixed-race artist whose work is shaped by the people in her life, her connection to nature, and music. Rooted in curiosity, humor, and emotional honesty, her paintings reflect a belief in the power of human bonds. In her exhibit, I Saw You in My Dream Last Night, Valero presents a collection of paintings that center around human experience, specifically surrounding loss, stillness, and the innately human choice of love and patience in the face of suffering. Through loose, gestural figurative studies and the colorful freedom of abstract expressionism, Valero investigates memory, presence, and the way her personal identity is built from both her own perception of the world and the people she shares her life with. The artists will host a free public reception at the gallery from 5-7pm on Friday, November 6.