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 Gathered, Absorbed, Carried

Women’s Work Art Gallery presents a solo exhibition by Gabriella Kirby

August 6 - 29, 2021

Opening reception — Friday, August 6, 5 - 9pm

Artist talk — Sunday, August 8, 3pm

Our interactions shape us. We gather, absorb and carry them within, and, through observing the intricacy of experiences, patterns emerge. At times we are able to find connection, and at other times we find ourselves guarded; between these two states is the delicate space of vulnerability. It can be found in the moments of conversation, when uncertainty threatens to hold us back, so as not to risk exposing the truest parts of ourselves, but we shift and give ourselves permission to lower the walls and bring a part of ourselves out into the light. Such vulnerability is nature’s language, and we can feel it when we observe the weathered cracks of granite cliffs or piercing light reflecting off the surface of a stream. 

Kirby’s improvisational process ebbs and flows between tension and release, conflict and resolution, fear and ease. A series of fractured marks and plumes of atmospheric traces evokes the passage of an entity through space. Drawn marks scrape and carve their way into the plaster’s surface, a material whose inherent sensitivity holds dueling qualities of fragility and strength. Transparent washes of color flood and swiftly absorb into the raw canvas. Due to the nature of these exposed surfaces, nothing can hide here. Line mirrors vulnerability; both describe the distance between two points, with the ability to simultaneously separate and connect. “Gathered, Absorbed, Carried” becomes an imprint of those moments spent in this delicate space.

Kirby holds a BFA from Tufts University and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as well as an AA with High Distinction in Design from the Art Institute of Portland. She has exhibited work at Limner Gallery, Hudson; Treat Gallery, NYC; Emerge Gallery, Saugerties; Columbia Center for the Arts, Hood River, Oregon; Splendorporium Gallery, Portland, Oregon; Art at the Cave Gallery, Vancouver, Washington; and contributed the exhibition “Preparing” at Los Angeles' Craft Contemporary Museum. Kirby designed and constructed “An Unearthening,” a public art commission at North Mountain Park Nature Center in Ashland, Oregon, and developed an environmental art education program serving schools and at-risk youth groups. Her work is held in the private collection at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Kirby lives and works in upstate New York.

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Forest Bathing

Opus 40 | Cross Contemporary Art Projects

Saugerties, NY | June 13 - July 21, 2025

excerpt from the press release:

Opus 40 presents Forest Bathing, a group exhibition that explores the profound connection between art and the healing power of the natural world.

"In a world that often feels overwhelming and disconnected, the simple act of being in nature can be incredibly restorative," says exhibition curator, Jen Dragon. "This exhibition on the grounds of Opus 40 celebrates that connection, showcasing how seven contemporary artists independently find inspiration and solace in the woodlands."

This group exhibition features the work of Katie DeGroot, Gabriella Kirby, Anne Leith, Robin McClintock, Laura Von Rosk, Martin Weinstein and Dion Yannatos. While their approaches vary, the woodlands serve as a powerful touchstone, resulting in a diverse and compelling collection of paintings that resonate with the beauty and complexity of nature. A version of this show premiered in Venice, Italy, during the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024.

OPUS 40 — Created over four decades by visionary artist and Bard professor Harvey Fite, Opus 40 is a 6.5-acre earthwork made of finely fitted bluestone, rising out of an abandoned quarry at the foot of Overlook Mountain in Saugerties, NY. In 1978, Fite’s widow, Barbara, established the nonprofit Opus 40 Inc, opening the sculpture, along with 63 acres of meadows, walking trails, bluestone quarries, as well as the Quarryman's Museum to visitors from all over the world. Today, Opus 40 offers a diverse selection of events in a wholly unique setting that Architectural Digest has called “one of the most beguiling works of art on the entire continent.”

Improvisation

The Gallery at TGK Real Estate | Cross Contemporary Art Projects

Kingston, NY | May 24 - August 31, 2024

excerpt from the press release:

The Gallery at TKG Real Estate is pleased to present Improvisation | Susanna Ronner + Gabriella Kirby, a two-person exhibition of monoprints on paper by Susanna Ronner and paintings on plaster, paper and canvas by Gabriella Kirby. Ronner, with her lyrical shapes and patterns explores the multi-color printmaking process while Kirby's gestural brushwork portrays ephemeral forms and rhythms.

TGK Real Estate — is an independent boutique real estate firm, founded in 1995, serving New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley and the Berkshires. Their newest office, in the historic Rondout Waterfront District in Kingston, N.Y., will be hosting this art exhibition.

For inquires on available artwork please email gkirby.art@gmail.com