Gallery Opening – November 6th, 2008 to December 6th, 2008

Dunwoody, GA - Connexion Gallery and Design Studio is pleased to announce its open house with a Gallery Opening on Thursday November 6, 2008 from 4:30 PM to 8:30PM.

The vision of Connexion Gallery and Design Studio is to promote interaction between art, culture and the built environment. Through art and design, contemporary issues can be addressed in a manner that is both engaging and thought provoking. The Gallery provides a space for artists from different regions and cultural backgrounds to collaborate and create dialogue. The vision of the studio is to enhance the role of art in the creation of space in contemporary architectural and interior design.

Connexion: exploring ideas through art will feature 10 artists from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds. The opening theme of the gallery reflects the commitment of each artist to push boundaries and explore beyond the ordinary to address contemporary issues facing us today. The exhibition will range from site-specific installation art, paintings, photography, furniture, sculpture and product design.

The featured artists are as follows:

Tad Gloeckler, associate professor of art, University of Georgia and a registered architect in Minnesota will feature art objects that represent inventive solutions to ordinary design problems. Beautiful assemblage, (the art of fitting together) is an essential aesthetic concern for Tad. His work is an expression of his deep respect for design, materials, and nature, and a dedicated struggle to mediate relationships between natural systems and contemporary life. He hopes to persuade viewers to reexamine familiar surroundings, cultivate interest in other earth life forms and processes, and reflect upon personal values.

Dr. M. Saleh Uddin is a professor of Architecture at Southern Polytechnic State University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also the founding head of the new Architecture program at American International University-Bangladesh. In the very recent past he was the coordinator of graduate program in Design with Digital Media in the Department of Architectural Studies, University of Missouri-Columbia. He teaches architectural design studios and graphic communication in both manual and digital media.

He has published several books on Design for which he has received accolades. He will be showing his paintings inspired by his native country Bangladesh as well his recent works of product design influenced by contemporary materials and trends.

Tazim Jaffer, international acclaimed artist who was born in Tanzania, educated in England and now living in Ohio, will bring to Dunwoody; her body of works entitled “Kantha,” which is inspired by works of the women from Calcutta. Kantha is the continuation of her body of works entitled Elements of Nature, which featured large-scale canvases made of saris and sadri mats, with sewing, and weaving incorporated into the composition.

Zamila Karimi, Adjunct Professor of Architecture at Southern Polytechnic State University in Atlanta, Georgia and a practicing designer, will continue her exploration of time as an element that affects us all deeply. “Memorial: paying homage to our heroes,” is a site-specific mixed-media installation that uses the four elements of earth, water, fire and air in its different forms, and features a large scale video projection to echo the fragility of life that comes with the horrors of war that often time we as bystanders and onlookers ignore and do not think about in our day to day life.

Karey Walter, a photographer and an educator directing the photography program at The Lovett School will show her mixed media canvases. Her work relies heavily on symbolism using emphasis with words, birds, trees, and the sky. Trees have long held a literal and symbolic fascination for humanity while the bird represents freedom and beauty. In addition to symbolism, Walter enjoys working with a thick textural surface and mixing a variety of mediums together to create a unique art piece.

Priscilla Nelson, Self-taught Atlanta Artist Priscilla Nelson is known for her portraits and her Contemporary Realism styled figurative paintings. Her paintings capture emotions through the interaction of the fabric and the figure.

Wendy James, originally from England, and now living in the United States will show her paintings and pieces of sculpture. Her large-scale figurative paintings drift into abstraction and are inspired by Etruscan culture as well as poetry.

Merle Bouffard, artist and designer, Youngstown, Ohio, combines organic shapes inspired from nature painted to imitate bronze sculpture with clean contemporary table design. A Coffee Table, Sofa Table, and Pedestal will be exhibited in Birdseye Maple with copper & glass. Also available in Dk. Walnut, Cherry, or custom woods.

Melinda Crider, a North Georgia artist will feature a site-specific installation entitled, Waterfall. Crider was inspired by water as the primary life-sustaining element and is being threatened by environmental conditions, which are man-made.

Marie Gayeski, from Georgia Museum of Art, will show her collection of photographs that is inspired by her observations of atmospheric conditions that surround her. She used photographic technique, natural light, color and the wind to create realistic images bordering on abstraction.