OHANA
Hoops + Bangles
Paintings by Cathy Liu
June 26 - August 30, 2021
*Meet CATHY LIU Saturday 06.26.21 from 4-6 out front of the gallery
Presenting new artists to the gallery:
Lisa Ziff, Luana Coonen, Olivia Shih, Kelsey Simmen, and Ladha Jewelry.
SHIBUMI GALLERY presents OHANA a summer show to feed our souls. We are all feeling ready for a true summer; beaches, sunsets and some serious relaxation after last year. But are we really ready to travel and adventure out into the world again? The past year has made us dream of the carefree life and the innocence we once had about health and loved ones. We may value our pods more and may have a new sense of who our true 'ohana' is after 2020.
We have always loved the Hawaiian term ohana because its meaning of 'family' extends outside of the people you are related to. The idea that anyone can become family is one of the strikingly beautiful aspects of Hawaiian culture.
For summer, we have curated Hoops + Bangles from our Shibumi artists. It's the carefree jewelry that you can easily put on, layer and never take off. Who doesn’t love a new hoop or a bangle to wear all summer long.
Alongside the jewelry, Shibumi will also feature artwork and paintings by Cathy Liu. Her art pieces convey 'malama pono' another Hawaiian term which translates to "take care". However, the deeper meaning is take care of your light (soul) which she describes as the intent of all her work.
So take a short journey to visit our summer show at Shibumi. Or come by to pick out something to take with you on your summer travels.
CATHY LIU lives in San Francisco and on the Big Island of Hawaii where she’s constantly inspired by the island's fragility and its force of life. Cathy grew up in San Jose, studied in Florence, Italy and graduated from SJSU with a B.A. in Italian Studies. After five years of working for Mother Jones Magazine she decided to focus exclusively on her painting. She’s been showing her work since 1996, with one of her paintings included in the 2020 de Young Open exhibition.
My abstract organic paintings are a flowing meditation on life. They examine how we are interconnected with everyone and everything—all uniquely shaped vital parts of a vibrant dynamic whole. I have been contemplating the complex relationships and diversity among living forms since I started painting over 35 years ago. While continuing to refine and clarify my intentions, I have gradually moved from meticulous density to defined spaciousness. Every painting evolves through an exploration of how the inherent tension between dissimilar shapes, sizes and colors moves towards harmony, balance and equality.
