NEW YORK, NY.- GR gallery opened ‘Transfiguration’, a group exhibition of new and recent works by Atreyu Moniaga, Dalya Moumina, Karen Shiozawa and Mayuka Yamamoto, presenting five artworks each at the gallery’s location on Bowery. The exhibition’s title stems from the artists aesthetics, sitting in between the physical reality and fantasy inspired by the world they work and live in, figuration and the its shift towards abstraction; the conceptual, sensual, and spiritual concerns that underpin their practice. The works on view include depictions of changing forms shaping up into imaginary landscapes, outlandish strokes forming magical creatures and eerie kids transforming into cute animals; and images that engage with the artists expansive conceptions of the landscape and the portrait.
“Transfiguration” deliberately weaves a disorienting visual narrative to depict a newly attained state of consciousness, where individuals navigate an unstable equilibrium through novel forms of figuration. Atreyu Moniaga employs his distinctive style, blending symbolism and dark fantasies to craft a dreamlike panorama of a fantastical realm that feels both familiar and whimsical. From figural to abstract, and from realistic to symbolic, Moniaga’s imagery skillfully intertwines legends and contemporary issues, conjuring idyllic yet haunting visions that evoke nostalgia and illusions. In contrast, Dalya Moumina’s deeply conceptual inner landscapes emerge from an aesthetic clash between abstract geometry and photographic realism. This conflict resolves into ambiguous, disorienting natural scenes, pulsating with vibrant energy meandering through transcendental spaces imbued with a sense of musicality. Meanwhile, Karen Shiozawa offers a fresh and unexpected perspective on interior vistas, using them to interpret the psyche’s power through dreams. Her hypnotic artworks juxtapose traditionally painted objects and landscapes with bold abstract-expressionism-like brushstrokes, creating a flux of consciousness where abstraction and figuration converge, symbolizing the resolution of an age-old challenge. Mayuka Yamamoto’s transitional metamorphosis of characters evokes a sense of childhood innocence tinged with melancholy, evoking dystopian undertones. Animal attributes symbolize fantasy and escapism, yet the subjects exude a poignant loneliness, as if seeking refuge in their fantastical realms while yearning to remain unseen. Yamamoto’s aesthetic is profoundly poetic and introspective, her visual approach uniquely captivating and untarnished, drawing the attentive viewer into the dreamlike recesses of memory and sparking a dialogue with their inner child.
Atreyu Moniaga is an Indonesian artist based in Jakarta. He graduated with a degree in Communications and Visual Design from the Jakarta Institute of the Arts (IKJ) and started his career in the creative scene as a freelance illustrator and photographer before fully immersing himself as a fine artist. His works are influenced by dark fantasies with a tinge of surrealism, in which he combines visual symbolisms as a way to communicate his most private thoughts, feelings, and desires. His works are characterised by a whimsical universe filled with beautiful ornamental details.
Dalya Moumina creates oil paintings that encapsulate the majestic authority of nature and the metamorphosis of different topographies, with each work having a distinctive character. Dalya is inspired by the extreme landscapes of her childhood, which was spent growing up between the Middle East and the Philippines. Her use of light combined with her inherent playfulness make both her realized and imagined landscapes transcendental. Her exploration of memory and musicality infuses her work with a conceptual dimension, forging a singular vision of the nuances in our ever-changing landscape.
Born in Kanagawa, Karen Shiozawa spent her childhood in the Netherlands and graduated in Fine Arts School of Tokyo Zokei University. Shiozawa is seeking to expand the realm of communication mediated through her work. While projecting her childhood memories and everyday feelings into the two-dimensional works, she is also aiming to represent a world that is perceived through means other than sight by pursuing the phenomenon like sound and light. She was awarded the Best Formative Art Prize at the Asian Creative Art Exhibition 2018 held at The National Art Center, Tokyo. She was also awarded the Outstanding Performance Prize at the 48th Art Festival Tokyo-ten Exhibition 2022.
Born in Okayama, Japan, now works in between Tokyo and Gunma, Mayuka Yamamoto is widely recognized as one of Japan’s leading second-generation contemporary artist and known worldwide for her works depicting children showing animal features and enigmatic expressions. She received her master’s degree at Tokyo’s Musashino Art University in 1990 and joined the Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artist to continue her studies in London until 1999. Her works have been shown in several solo and group shows and found place in prestigious private and public collections all around the world.
