Martine Johanna - "The Dark House of Gloria"

Hashimoto Contemporary is pleased to present The Dark House of Gloria a solo exhibition of new works by Dutch artist Martine Johanna. Joining us for her second show, the prismatic figures within Johanna’s paintings and drawings smolder with introspection and complexity.

The kaleidoscopic colors of each painting reflect the varied spectrum of feelings contained within each subject and the artist herself. Utilizing her practice to process and investigate personal “internal psychic landscapes,” Johanna’s subjects are unconcerned with the viewer’s gaze and focussed inward. Alongside the hyper pigmented paintings in the exhibition are the graphite studies for each accompanying piece. The gray scale works are equally evocative and expressive in their textural mark making and gestures.

The fictitious environment of The Dark House of Gloria the artist has created is a place “where an uncontrollable amount of love and optimism collides with the harsh light of life experiences and its destructive effects.” Each of Johanna’s figures ricochet among opposing emotions - escapism and stasis, ferocity and vulnerability, intensity and tenderness.