Dec. 31, 2002 – Bajo el Sol Gallery inaugurates its 2003 monthly series of First Friday Featured Artists shows this week with an exhibition of paintings by Kat Sowa and jewelry by Kim Holland.
The public is invited to meet the artists and view their work at a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday in the gallery at Mongoose Junction on St. John.
Sowa, resident artist at Caneel Bay Resort, spends many hours at the water's edge observing the changing patterns of light on land and sea. The works she is showing at Bajo el Sol are oils she collectively calls "Out of the Light." They are evocative of the early morning hours and twilight time, when the world is bathed in angled light and deep shadow.
The artwork "brilliantly reflects the dramatic moods of this metamorphosis," publicity material states. And Sowa's new body of work also explores the use of collage, a medium she has used extensively.
Holland, a St. John jeweler for many years, says: "Some people believe life on an island is too enclosed, too limiting. For me, it's just the opposite. I feel boundless; life here opens up my creativity in every direction. All the elements of nature surround me, and while I can't always explain the beauty of it, I can create pieces that communicate what I see."
While living in Nigeria, Holland worked on a documentary about a water priestess and the worship of the water goddess Mami Wata. "To recreate the strength of the symbols, I began carving cuttlebone, then casting the carvings to create three-dimensional amulets to incorporate into my pieces," she relates.
Her new jewelry pieces return to this interest with detail and craftsmanship.
The show will be up throughout the month of January. Bajo el Sol's regular hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit the Bajo el Sol Web site, or call 693-7070.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
