WATER AND ITS MANY THEMES, characteristics, and metaphors is central to the practice of Calida Rawles and serves as an anchoring through line in her paintings. A hybrid mix of hyperrealism and abstraction, her poetic images capture men, women, and young people submerged and floating in waves of stunning blue pool water. Drawing on the vast symbolism of water, the paintings are imbued with a sense of tranquility, spirituality, and healing. At the same time, vulnerability, trauma, and racial exclusion can also be read. Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) is presenting the first solo museum exhibition of Rawles in June 2024. The show will feature new works that connect closely with the local community and its rich history, natural environment, and surrounding waters. Calida Rawles. | Photo by Marten Elder Rawles is shining a light on Overtown, the historically Black community in Miami. Similar to many African American neighborhoods across the United States, Overtown was once a thriving enclave that suffered culturally and economically due to gentrification and the related social, political, and racial outcomes it bears, including mass displacement. For the exhibition, Rawles is presenting paintings based on residents of Overtown. She collaborated with several community members, […]
The post Forthcoming: Pérez Art Museum Miami is Presenting First Solo Museum Exhibition of Calida Rawles, Her Poetic Water Portraits Blend Hyperrealism and Abstraction appeared first on Culture Type.
