Sasha Ira Devenir
August 6th – September 11th
Opening Reception: August 6th, 6-8pm
Northport, NY Haven Gallery is pleased to present Devenir, a solo show of new drawings by Sasha Ira. Devenir focuses on Ira’s quintessential gamines undergoing transformative stages in their lives. These females are in the process of “becoming” as each drawing visits various states of emotional change related to the mental, physical and psychological metamorphoses of life. Visual influences stemming from Japanese art and visual culture such as ukiyo-e prints, fashion, anime and manga are especially prominent in this body of work and further support the emotional vestiges encountered and expressed by these figures.
Devenir calls attention primarily to the choices one must make when life poses limits or restrictions. The use of binding elements such as chokers and strings primarily wrapped around her sitter’s necks indicate elements of reservation and restriction. Despite these challenges, the presence of flowers representing growth coupled with her females gyrating movements lends to the notion that these limits are not as restrictive as they appear. Further, their suggestive, contemplative and oftentimes seductive motions, reveal that these women are in fact playing with these binding elements and as a result, ultimately asserting their own level of control within these situations.
Ardently expressive eyes revealing complex layers of emotional depth and intelligence engage the viewer and further reveal aspects of this control amidst the turbulence of change. Ira’s women exude a nonchalant air of confidence and comfort as they themselves constantly evolve amidst the ever transforming world around them. These figures represent not only Ira, but all of mankind as everyday brings each one of us something new requiring a change not just within ourselves but within the world around us as well. How we handle these constants results in our continual evolution and inexorable state of “becoming” as human beings.
“I believe people are continuously changing and transforming; I myself in my work, with this show, and each piece that I do, even if that change is subtle.” – Sasha Ira
