Native artist Aja Reyes opens her first solo present, “A Colourful Human Response,” this weekend at Lees-Reyes Artwork Gallery with works as lush in coloration and texture as they’re in depth and that means.
Reyes paints in a variety of kinds, shifting deftly from post-modern clear strains and daring colours meant to recall to mind the aerial perspective of forests and canals to softer, expressionist purposes exploring the expertise of poverty and begging.
With a swath of the present relating varied parts of CHamoru and Micronesian id in addition to environmental conservation, plainly there isn’t a nook of human expertise that Reyes won’t go to — although she’d slightly her artwork invite individuals towards questions and dialog slightly than power discomfort upon them.
“It may be a dialog starter in a subject. For instance, watershed administration, Pink Hill, metropolis and County of Honolulu groundwater contamination, gun rights, shootings, most cancers, lack of information — good and unhealthy — generational transmission of data. … So these matters are all there, however it comes into a way more … pleasing presentation. If somebody’s not prepared then we are able to hold it on a lighter degree, after which perhaps later go deeper,” Reyes stated.
Fantastic artwork
The place Reyes sees a “pleasing presentation,” most will see advantageous artwork. Her work is undeniably expert in terms of method and her selection to handle significant points with such nuance and induction is masterful.
Shockingly, Reyes has solely taken one formal artwork class — however she has been sketching the pure world since childhood. Reyes remembers rising up with loads of inspiration from time within the water and mountain climbing round Guam, main her to finally pursue a profession in marine biology, in addition to benefiting from the presence of her artist aunt and gallery proprietor, Daybreak Lees-Reyes.
Reyes remembers her aunt sharing her supplies and information together with her all through her childhood, together with outdated video cassettes about artwork historical past and well-known artists.
“Rising up on Guam, you didn’t have entry to stunning work. Within the films you noticed issues just like the galleries, individuals go into the galleries and it’s so elegant, however it was additionally costly.
I simply thought, ‘Properly, I’m by no means going to have the ability to afford it. I ought to attempt to create it.’ And that helped open up the opportunity of getting access to one thing that I assumed was not accessible,” Reyes stated.
Influences
Now, regardless of the absence of formal coaching, she counts cubist and dadaist masters like Paul Gauguin, Max Ernst, Henri Matisse and Marcel Duchamps as main influences and is searching for out girls artists from the identical actions, corresponding to Barbara Hepworth or the extra up to date Cecily Brown.
“There are such a lot of; I’ve simply scratched the floor of studying all of their names. You take a look at the artwork and you’ll by no means know their identify, however their work is acquainted as a result of they reduce their tooth with the well-known male artists, however they only didn’t come into the foreground with them on the time,” Reyes stated.
Previous photographs
A few of Reyes’ strongest items are work constituted of flip of the century images, together with these of her nice grandparents, impressed by an article revealed by the Pacific Day by day Information within the Eighties in regards to the totally different household branches in Guam.
“That really helped me perceive my roots and I wished to do portraits like what you see in Europe or different Western nations the place they’re truly actually held in excessive regard, we don’t actually have that right here,” Reyes stated.
That line of considering led her to different images, together with a 1996 photograph taken by Bruce Campbell of a Yapese lady, Eulelie Ranganbay, making ready for a menstrual chant.
“I used to be struck by her pose, her posture — and once more, girls being such a powerful determine. However I used to be additionally considering as a lot as I don’t see portraits of CHamoru households and outstanding individuals — like could be commonplace in Europe — I don’t see that a lot in any respect for different Micronesian islands.
“So I actually wished to do a portrait that introduced the dignity and charm and majesty, actually, of these individuals,” Reyes stated.
That method, one which celebrates the dignity, grace and majesty of the individuals, land and cultures round her, is pervasive in all of Reyes’ work and the invitation to look deeply into her delicate imagery is met with ample reward, as in her portray “Y Achun Palao’an,” or “Rock Girl.”
The primary look reveals a grayscale, geometric and female determine. A second look would possibly uncover the mestiza model of her Spanish period hair and clothes — however an extended look could discover yet one more layer, that her form can be one in all a latte stone.
Storytelling
Reyes joins the grand CHamoru custom of storytelling in the best way she paints — it is probably not oral storytelling, however it’s going to little question immediate the sharing of tales and ideas amongst viewers. She stated it greatest in her description of two massive companion items, “Till They Disappear,” or “La Reducción.”
“It’s not solely the importance of the taotaomo’na tree, however it’s additionally the significance of the mangrove roots in coastal stabilization. I keep in mind individuals getting these drawings of the individual being enveloped by the taotaomo’na tree, such as you’d see their head or one thing, that is my model of it,” Reyes stated.
“So that is referred to as ‘Till They Disappear,’ and it’s about having the dialog earlier than individuals go away. Speaking story earlier than we lose that info and lose that connection.”