Squares, Splash, Dots and Wax

April 17 - May 17, 2025

Kati Vilim · Joanne Ungar
Rodrigo Tafur · Ford Crull

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 17, 6-8pm
368 Broadway, Suite 409, New York, NY
Please RSVP: info@elzakayal.com

About


Elza Kayal Gallery is proud to present “Squares, Splash, Dots, and Wax”, an exciting new exhibition featuring four abstract artists whose works explore the use of space and materials through process-driven approaches.

Each of the artists in the show brings a unique perspective to abstract art, using diverse techniques and materials to manipulate space, color, and texture. Through their varied approaches, they challenge conventional perceptions of abstraction while creating works that invite sensory engagement and introspection.

“Squares, Splash, Dots, and Wax” showcases a diverse array of approaches to abstraction, each artist challenging the viewer to see beyond the surface and engage with the deeper meaning of materials, textures, and shapes. These works offer an immersive, sensory experience that invites reflection on the nature of perception and the ways in which art can illuminate both the visible and invisible worlds around us.

Artists


Kati Vilim, a Hungarian-born artist based in New York, creates hard-edged geometric abstract works that blend the worlds of color theory, mathematics, and visual perception. Using oil paint, Venetian plaster, and other mixed media, Vilim explores the relationship between form and perception, creating images that act as a bridge between abstract and concrete thinking. Her work invites viewers to engage with the idea that reality is a subjective experience, shaped by both personal and collective interpretation.

Joanne Ungar embraces the tactile qualities of encaustic, beeswax, and painted cardboard in her mixed-media works, using these materials to explore themes of consumerism and the ephemerality of modern life. Her abstract creations blend geometry and collage, capturing the tension between raw, exposed elements and the smooth surfaces of painted wax. In her process, the artist explores how discarded packaging can be reimagined, creating "time-capsule" objects that preserve the discarded detritus of consumer culture.

Rodrigo Tafur, a Peruvian artist based in Brooklyn, creates intricate, overwhelming surfaces that reflect his personal experience with anxiety and obsession. Working within the realms of Abstract Pointillism, Tafur uses contrasting tones, textures, and colors to evoke the push and pull between calmness and chaos, noise and silence. His paintings become "obsessive meditations," offering a profound sensory experience where color and texture vibrate with emotional intensity.

Ford Crull brings a fearless approach to painting, where intuition and the physicality of paint take center stage. His process is raw and unrestrained, often layering oil paint with palette knives or scratching into the buildup, allowing each piece to evolve organically. Crull's works explore the power of symbols and icons, reflecting his interest in how they influence our collective consciousness. His paintings are a meditation on the transformative power of color, brushstrokes, and the symbolism embedded in the human experience.