Colors the Rain Throws
Erika b Hess
MAY 5 – JULY 8
Guava Jelly Studio presents Colors the Rain Throws, a solo exhibition of works by Erika b Hess. Through mystical landscapes and vibrant hues, Hess communicates emotions and experiences anchored in the recurring motif of puddles—symbolizing the impermanence of human existence and the depths of the subconscious. Hess invites viewers to delve into the beauty found in being lost and the transformative power of introspection.
I paint because I am a woman who is lost.
I do not mind being lost; I prefer to seek and discover what we can experience in small, cloaked moments. We spot a reflection in a puddle and see our world in a two-dimensional mirror rooted to the earth- the sky on the ground, our face at our feet.
My paintings are mystical landscapes that communicate emotions and experiences through the vibrant language of color, anchoring itself in the recurring motif of puddles. Puddles, symbolizing emotions and experiences, are fleeting pools of water that mirror their surroundings.
They materialize with the rain and vanish just as swiftly, paralleling the impermanence of human experience. Puddles also serve as metaphors for our past and future. They tend to form in the same location, etching impressions in the environment much like how our experiences deepen pathways within our psyche.
In the realm of Jungian psychology, water symbolizes the subconscious—a domain where the surface often conceals hidden depths. I draw inspiration from Jung's assertion that "Water means spirit that has become unconscious." My art delves into this uncharted spirit, abstractly painting the water's surface to evoke movement while hinting at the enigmatic depths beneath.
Encompassing the puddles is what I term "The Wilderness," a realm teeming with intense and multifaceted experiences. This wilderness may embody danger, the pursuit of spiritual transcendence, renewal, or a place of introspection. It's within the interplay between the puddle and the wilderness surrounding it that the emotions and tension I aim to convey take root.
About the Artist
Erika b Hess is a painter, host of the art podcast- I Like Your Work, and Artistic Director of Visual Arts at Chautauqua Institution. Hess’s work has been exhibited nationally including in NYC, Brooklyn, Detroit, L.A., Boston, and Philadelphia. Recent solo exhibitions include Marietta College (Marietta, OH) and MUSA Collective (Boston, MA). Recent group exhibitions include Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, and MASH Gallery, L.A.
She has been featured in various publications, including Boston University CFA Alumni Magazine, Art New England, ArtScope, AllSHEMakes, and Visionary Art Magazine, among others. Hess has curated and juried many exhibitions, publications, and awards, including Create Magazine, Friend of the Artist, Cambridge Art Association (Cambridge, MA), Gallery 263 (Cambridge, MA) AllSheMakes, Arts to Hearts, Riffe Gallery (Columbus, OH), and she has served on panels at SCOPE (Miami), Cleveland Institute of Art, and Boston University. She frequently lectures at colleges and universities, including Wellesley University, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, The University of Montana, Missouri State University, Eastern Michigan University, and many others.
Hess maintains an active studio practice in Columbus, OH, and in Long Island City in New York, where she keeps a selected inventory of work. She is represented by Contemporary Art Matters in Columbus, OH.
Hess received her MFA from Boston University.
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