Friday, February 16, 6pm
Berlin Bar & Bistro, Umaran 19
Free

Bomba Tranquilo by Gaia Schilke - opening

Artist Gaia Schilke lived in Costa Rica for three years before moving to San Miguel de Allende two years ago, and she traveled extensively around that richly bio-diverse country, as well as Nicaragua, Panama, Cuba, and now Mexico. She has immersed herself in the vibrant nature and culture of Latin America, and those images now flow through her current work. Bomba/Tranquilo is the expression of the abundant natural beauty she witnessed during recent travels, and of what she continues to learn about the interconnectedness of all things.

The original collages also included in this show were created between 2006 and 2016, made from intricately layered cut and pasted paper, with reoccurring imagery of masks, cities, patterns in nature, religious iconography, and inverted landscapes.

Also part of this exhibition are two new works, “The Egyptian / Mexicano / Gringa Libro de los Muertos”, inspired by the hieroglyphics of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. These are part of an emerging project that also includes two works from “Gringa Loteria”, inspired by Mexican language-learning game cards.

Gaia (Gail) Schilke grew up in CT and lived in Manhattan for 20 years. She is most grateful to have discovered SMA and looks forward to many good years here. She has exhibited her artwork in New York, New England and Florida, and published her illustrations internationally. Schilke was an art therapist and then a psychotherapist for 30 years, and worked in clinical research at Brown University. Schilke is also a poet, who recently shared her work at Shelter Theatre and Belles Artes. Gaia is her given name; she gave it to herself.