PORTRAIT OF THE SELF

Chinatown Soup is pleased to present Portrait of the Self, an exhibition of abstract paintings on wood and canvas by Jaime Steiger that is showing from November 17 - 29, 2020. Please join us for an opening reception on Thursday, November 19 with the artist present from 3pm to 8pm.

And now, a word from the artist:

Portrait of the Self consists of numerous compositions that render an array of forms while using a limited color palette. The viewer is taken on a curious venture while I search and explore the unseen self. I begin with a gestural dark line that is either ink or graphite. The edges of these marks slightly trail across the surface while thick waves of gesso intersect and nearly submerge the initial suggestions.

Hues of white, olive, light blue and soft orange layer together and create a subtle amplification of texture. The overall juxtaposition creates a single resonance rather than a disarming clash. Rather, this colorful interaction is balanced with a select number of unpainted areas, transforming the role of the painted surface into that of a textured pigment. Sometimes the pastel colors seem to dominate while at other times not. Every part of a painting carries equal weight since the layers, themselves, tell a story.

Through her paintings, Jaime Steiger (b.1987 Bellport, NY) shows her commitment to line, texture and the internal search of identity. She has created five bodies of work that investigate universal life truths that apply to all of us. Her work has been shown at the Con Artist Collective gallery in the Lower East Side and Demi-Monde Cafe in Brooklyn. Jaime received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 2010 and currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.