Weather Report by Shara Hughes

    Shara Hughes' exhibition at the David Kordansky Gallery features nine paintings that redefine the experience of being human. Made using oil, acrylic, and dye, each artwork encompasses its own world of feeling and self reflection, creating a standalone experience for both the artist and the viewer. The vertical orientation of the paintings is meant to be immersive and intimate for the viewer, as if they are within the piece.

    MaMa (2025) is one piece representing a forest with vivid colors of reds, oranges, and yellows falling from the flower at the top. Many emotions are reflected, some contradicting each other. There's intensity yet calmness, precision yet free-flowing energy. The movement and liveliness represented through various aspects of nature, the intricate details and textures, and the luminosity really pull the viewer into all of the paintings. It feels like you could look at these paintings forever with how detailed and immersive they are, which allows the viewer to fully experience the emotions within the works.

    The exhibition space is organized in a way where it allows you to move from one painting to another as if you are exploring different journeys of thoughts and feelings. I appreciate the gallery's big open space being split by a wall in the middle, as it makes the spaces feel smaller and adds to the intimate experience that Hughes' is creating in her works. However, I also wish there was a way to have a smaller space yet to also see all the paintings surrounding you.