“Illuminated Reflections” invites you into a space where light becomes not only a medium to explore but also a transformative force. This exhibition features two female artists who explore the delicate interplay between light and color, offering intimate reflections on the human experience. While their mediums and approaches diverge — Edi Atlanta using airbrush to create color-rich abstract forms and Zoe Antona manipulating materials to evoke light through immersive sculptural works — both artists present light as a source of solace, joy, and contemplation. Each piece encourages the viewer to engage with their own sensory experience and personal interpretation, as the works breathe life into the space around them, giving form to the abstract notion of inner peace and emotional resilience. The exhibition challenges us to reconsider how light, color, and space shape our perception of reality, and how, through art, we can find moments of enlightenment.
Edi Atlanta is a self-taught artist from Altanta, GA. Light series 2024 began with the artist’s coinciding life events of becoming a first time mother and first time home owner. While navigating complex emotions surrounding postpartum depression and anxiety, the artist began to fill her home with color and light to freshen and brighten the space. Through this journey the artist reflected on feelings of joy and childlike wonder while reckoning with the loneliest experience of her life. She was met with a significant grief that was all encompassing towards the loss of her past self leading to questions such as:
How is it possible to be the happiest I’ve ever been while struggling with such complicated dark and intrusive thoughts? How is it possible to embody the greatest love of my lifetime while simultaneously experiencing exhaustion, burn out and isolation?
Through intricate compositions, Atlanta artist Zoe Antona delves into her past where she recalls intimate moments that have refined her sense of self. Antona depicts her perspective on the world’s colors fading with age because there is no longer time to appreciate life’s simple pleasures. Antona is interested in the emotional and physical dimensions of intimacy, capturing the weight and dynamics inherent in relationships.
By seamlessly blending unconventional materials, Antona acknowledges the gaps in her own story, underscoring individuality through the continuous ‘voids’ or ‘lacunas’ included in her work. Such ‘voids’ or ‘lacunas’ challenge traditional artistic norms of what is deemed as sculpture to painting. Antona emphasizes that each piece is handcrafted from 90% reclaimed materials, highlighting her commitment to sustainability and the innovative problem-solving techniques taught by her grandfather.
The Watson Gallery : 2197 Irvindale Dr. Chamblee, GA 30341
