The Philadelphia Museum of Art has its “tesoros” (treasures) of historic South American art. Projects Gallery has its own with the works of a living Venezuelan artist of great reputation. Fragmented Dream, a solo exhibition by Henry Bermudez, crafts minutely detailed and subtle images of abstract cosmos. Quoting guest curator Cheryl Harper, “This body of work is a hybrid of (pre-Columbian), African, Roman, Celtic and early Christian mythologies. Snakes swallow humans, which dive into centaurs and turn into arabesques in a primordial sea of black and gold…”
Henry Bermudez, The Green Circle (detail), Mixed Media, 48" x 48", 2006
A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Bermudez won the first of many national prizes at the age of 21. His works are included in several contemporary museum collections throughout Latin America. He was selected as his country’s representative to the world-famous Venice Biennale in 1986. After years of travel between Venezuela, Mexico, Italy, Germany and New York City, the artist has been granted an extraordinary visa by the U.S. State Department and has been living in Philadelphia for several years. In addition to an intense studio experience, Bermudez has been working with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, where he recently completed two solo murals and is already at work on another.
Including a catalog, Fragmented Dream explores the latest visions in the evolving language of this extraordinary international artist. On view from November 3rd through December 22nd, an artist’s reception will take place on First Friday, November 3, 5 – 9 p.m. Gallery hours are Wednesday and Thursday noon to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.
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