When creating a space for the promotion of wellness, beauty, and health, one may want to make sure that the atmosphere matches the intention. This can lead to brainstorming about the meaning of each term: Wellness, for example, may include addressing different aspects of mental health; meditating on the concept of beauty can motivate someone to change their perception and understanding of what it means to them; while thinking about health could inspire some to get in touch with nature and their primal selves. How, then, can each of these ideas be conveyed through the atmosphere in such a space?
The answer is art.
Indira Cesarine — an artist, curator, gallerist at the Untitled Space, and publisher of the Untitled Magazine — is the first artist in residence at the Parlor NYC, “a curated community of premier beauty and wellness experts in the heart of the NoMad Design District at 33rd Street and Madison Avenue” founded by Pam Wolf this past September. Her solo exhibition — which features an eclectic collection of over 70 artworks in a variety of mediums created by Cesarine between 1993 and 2020 — will be available for viewing by appointment until August 31st of next year.
Some of Cesarine’s artworks were previously featured in other shows, but a number will be seen by the public for the very first time. Peppered across the 13,000 square-foot space, her incredible photography, prints, etchings, neon sculptures, and mixed media works, are beautifully displayed for visitors to enjoy; but, they also provide a lot of food for thought and reflection. Cesarine’s art is saturated with empowering feminist themes, social commentary, references to historic works of literature, elements of philosophies inspired by our understanding of psychology, and more.
According to the artist:
“2020 has been a year of reflection for me. Like many others, during the quarantine, I have had a lot of time to think about my past, my future, as well as my work as an artist… It has been a motivating process to dig through my archives and not only see how my style has evolved over the years, but also see it come to life in The Parlor NYC’s contemporary urban oasis. Explorations of female identity, sexuality, dreams, and desires have been returning themes in my artwork since I first started creating... I’m looking forward to continuing the collaboration with the venue not only as an artist but also as a curator for future residencies at the space. Now more than ever is a time to think outside the box, with artists, creatives, and businesses alike supporting each other and continuing to make New York City thrive with creative opportunities.”
Although there are a lot of amazing works for viewers to take in, I tend to lean towards Cesarine’s Sappho series, and “The Dance” in particular. Something about this work strikes an emotional chord; it evokes a sense of freedom, liberation, and unrestricted female energy — a celebration of uninhibited womanhood. I also absolutely love The Labyrinth series, because of its fusion of sharp angles and spiraling patterns combined with the fluid femininity of her subjects, never mind that lighting and floral imagery give it a whole other dimension and depth. Similarly, The Goddess series — featuring dancer Katherine Crockett — is both impressively powerful and astoundingly ethereal.
But, there are plenty of different works that people will undoubtedly enjoy and be inspired by, from Papiliones and Eden to Only You and Girls. Cesarine is skilled at using nature and botany inspired motifs in her art. Between natural landscapes with nudes and “'butterfly blots' inspired by the psychological ink blots known as the Rorschach Test” there is a lot to meditate on as viewers think about the concepts of wellness, beauty, and health. But, for Indira Cesarine, it’s the continuation of and a testament to the enduring fight for equality, representation, and acceptance she's been engaged in since her youth.
Check out more from the artist here.
Note* All images and info for the sponsored post were provided by The Untitled Space.