MARNE LUCAS STUDIO PRESENTS A TWO PERSON EXHIBITION EXPLORING MORTALITY AND THE LEGACY AN ARTIST LEAVES BEHIND

MARNE LUCAS STUDIO PRESENTS A TWO PERSON EXHIBITION EXPLORING MORTALITY AND THE LEGACY AN ARTIST LEAVES BEHIND

QUIETUS | MARNE LUCAS DEIDADES | MANUEL PECINA On View: November 3, 2021 – November 21, 2021 OPENING RECEPTION Saturday November 6, 2021, 6:00 - 8:00 pm Kente Royal Gallery, 2373 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. Harlem, NY 10030 Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 2pm to 8pm, Saturday & Sunday, 12pm to 8pm. Tel. 347-421-2006. Free, open to the public, all ages are welcome. ADA accessible. The gallery is required to obtain proof of Covid-19 vaccination for those visiting the gallery as part of the new Key to NYC requirement. Please be prepared to show your vaccination card upon entry. Masks must be worn inside at all times.   Harlem, NY – Quietus is an exhibition of assemblages on paper derived from black and white infrared thermal video imagery by Harlem based artist Marne Lucas. Through collage and video stills excerpted from Lucas’ Transmundane series and the Bardo ∞ Project the artist explores mortality, the human spirit and transformation.  The Bardo ∞ Project is an ongoing collaboration Lucas has with artists nationwide who are experiencing life-limiting disease. Through the creation of legacy projects, the artist’s work and life remain as vibrant and relevant as it was prior to diagnosis.   Deidades curated by Lucas, a presentation of Latinx artist Manuel Pecina’s contribution to the Bardo ∞ Project. Pecina’s legacy photography series is a modern interpretation of Mesoamerican deities in saturated color. Pecina will be present for the opening reception.

Offering, Marne Lucas, 2021, archival pigment print, 24 karat gold leaf, on Canson photo rag paper, 20 x 30 inches. Hexatic Prayer, Marne Lucas, 2021, archival pigment print, 24 karat gold leaf, on Canson photo rag paper, 20 x 16 inches.

Marne Lucas, Artist Statement: The images I selected for Quietus were captured with infrared thermal imaging (IRT), revealing eerily beautiful, actual heat signatures. The human body appears luminous, possessing a universal energy, conceptually I interpret the body as part of the spirit world. I apply gold, silver and copper leaf to archival pigment prints of my IRT video stills to allude to the metaphysical, the terrestrial and the spiritual. “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” -Carl Sagan As an artist my practice is greatly influenced by my work as an end of life Doula and my Bardo ∞ Project collaborations with terminally ill artists. My artwork and caregiving are in celebration of life; in confronting our mortality we gain a sense of peace and live richer, more connected and compassionate lives.

Soul Dummies, Marne Lucas, 2021, genuine silver leaf, archival pigment print on Canson photo rag paper. I first visited Bardo ∞ Project collaborator Manuel Pecina in Dallas, Texas in December, 2020. A most moving surprise was the early birth of his first grandchild, and I was able to photograph Manuel’s first moments with his son and grandson at the hospital. I made Manuel’s artist portrait later that day. The subsequent Covid-19 pandemic made travel impossible so we continued our dialogue virtually and over the phone. Manuel’s demeanor is always upbeat and his philosophical outlook on art and life is imbued with humor and passionate motivation. -ML

Portrait of Manuel Pecina,  Marne Lucas, 2019, Dallas, Texas. Manuel Pecina, Artist Statement: The inspiration for Deidades is derived from Mesoamerican deities whose universality transcends their specific history. These Gods are timeless in that they reflect commonalities in our own predicaments. They are not exotic forms or fictions but guides to heritage and history and a deeper reckoning with our own true self. Every display of beauty and love when projected through the soul should remind us that we are all indigenous. Through this work I am a storyteller, stories informed by my ancestors. The stories are constrained by orthodoxy, so I reimagine the past through the lens of the contemporary.

Xilonen_0019, Manuel Pecina, 2007/2021, archival pigment print, 20 x 16 inches. “It was April 1st, 2016 when I was diagnosed with IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis). It has taken me a while to clear my head and regain my center. I am grateful for the lessons, friendships, and discoveries that this diagnosis has brought me. Yet every year I find my quality of life continues to discover new limitations that cause me to rethink what I can do and where I can visit. As I age and feel the weight of mortality, I know that all must come to pass but not before I leave a beautiful memory.”  -MP

As part of the ReImagine: Grief, Growth, and Action’ Fall 2021 programming designed to bring awareness to death and grief, Kente Royal Gallery and Marne Lucas Studio will co-host a series of free events, are ADA accessible, and will be live-streamed on Instagram and Facebook. Click below to RSVP ARTIST RECEPTION Saturday, November 6th,  6 - 8 pm Artists Marne Lucas and Manuel Pecina will be in attendance. PANEL DISCUSSION Wednesday, November 10th, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Creativity, Grief, and End of Life Care Planning is an informal discussion with: Dr. William LaRock, RN, PhD, Artist/end of life doula Marne Lucas, Grief Counselor, Avery Lenora Ross and Artist/end of life doula Mangda Sengvanhphen. During the discussion Q & A is encouraged. Refreshments will be served courtesy Harlem-based, Modestine Teas. COLLAGE WORKSHOPS Saturday, November 13, Sunday, November 14 and Saturday, November 20, Drop in anytime between 1:00 and 6:00 pm. All ages are welcome, materials will be provided and participants will go home with their art work. CLOSING RITUAL Sunday, November 21st, 3 - 5 pm . Join artists Marne Lucas and Gavin Wilson for a sound healing ritual honoring loss, grief and gratitude.   For additional information about  the artists visit The Bardo Project, Marne Lucas Studio and Ello.co/mpecina Instagram: @marnelucas, @endoflifedoulanewyork, @theantcolony