Press Release

Richard Levy Gallery is pleased to present Empty and Full, a selection of paintings and an installation by Albuquerque-based artist Xuan Chen. Empty and Full comprises three bodies of work with flowing color combinations, hard-edged patterns, and hybrid forms of painting and sculpture. These series of vivid abstract works show the crossover between new technologies of image making and traditional painterly practice.

Chen begins each process by constructing colorful 3D drawings on her computer.  Based on digital drawings, Chen’s Light Threads paintings explore transparency and luminosity.  These dimensional acrylic paintings made with bright embroidery threads capture and reflect light. Empty and Full is a series of paintings created by meticulously arranging strips of poured vinyl paint on wood panels. Her large-scale installation incorporates sewn fabrics, mylar film, felt, wood, and paint.

Born in Qingyang, China, Chen moved to the United States to complete a PhD in materials science and engineering at the University of California in Berkeley. She then received her MFA in studio art from the University of New Mexico. Chen has won the Miami University Young Painters Competition, the Reggie Gammon Memorial Award from the Harwood Art Center in Albuquerque, and a WorkingArtist.org grant.

Images for this exhibition can be found on our website www.levygallery.com. High-resolution images are available on request. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook: @levygallery

Dates: April 22 – May 27, 2016
Reception: May 14, 6:00–8:00 pm
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 11:00–4:00 pm
Location: 514 Central Avenue SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102