This exhibition was rescheduled due to the damage to Asheville and the surrounding area caused by Hurricane Helene.

Bender Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of paintings delving into themes of time and light by widely exhibited and prolific artist, Angela Johal. Her work is inspired by growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1960s and 70s and the California Minimalism Movement of the same period. Johal’s exhibition opens on December 7 and runs through December 28.

Johal is a savvy disciple of the hard-edge geometric painters of the 1960s, with her new series of works continuing the work done by the California Minimalists, also known as the Light and Space Movement. The series “Music of the Spheres” and “Portals” are stripped down from her previous work, entering into this territory of Minimalism. The artist who coined the term in 1929, David Burliuk, wrote, ‘Minimalism derives its name from the minimum of operating means. Minimalist painting is purely realistic—the subject being the painting itself.’ 

The “Music of the Spheres” series utilizes circles of gradating color that overlap in areas, creating portals. Due to the shapes and music inspiration of this series, there’s a sense of sound emanating from the almost planetary bodies. The artist states: “California Minimalists are influenced by the light quality, climate, water, horizons, spectacular sunsets, and year-round color in the landscape. The fast-paced California lifestyle creates a longing to retreat into the minimal designs of architecture, furniture, and art. My clean lines, strong compositions, attention to light and transparent illusions, soft color gradations, and vibrant colors are influenced by my environment.”

Johal’s geometric paintings are all done by hand, and she invents tools and uses taping as a method to create the purest lines. The precise lines allow the viewer no distractions to fully take in the color exploration. Her vibrant acrylic paintings are executed on sanded canvas and unframed. Referring back to Burliuk’s quote from above, although there aren’t any recognizable figures or objects in her paintings, the painting in its physical form is what is real. A frame would interrupt the flow of the ground as it meets the wall that it’s hung on. Johal paints in her studio near a large window that looks out onto her garden. The hues of the flowers, leaves, branches, and atmosphere all impact the choice of colors she uses in a particular work. Other events like a California earthquake or the look of a vintage record can inspire her designs, but she really enjoys when her paintings can hold many layers of meaning.

Angela Johal (b. 1962, USA), holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from San Jose State University in San Jose, CA. Johal has taken part in solo and group exhibitions in prestigious institutes such as de Young Museum, San Francisco; SFMOMA Artist’s Gallery, San Francisco; and in art galleries in LA, Boston, NY, Montreal, and more.