For those heading to Brussels this weekend, we wanted to give you a heads up on Alicia McCarthy’s solo exhibition @ Alice Gallery, showcasing the latest body of work on a variety of mediums and formats. We got to visit the show on the opening night and examine the signature weavings, rainbow arches, and patterns drawn and painted by the Bay area artist.

Over the years Oakland-born and based artist built a reputation of a creative who is able to channel her punk and DIY roots into colorful abstractions, and this showcase is presenting those efforts in a great light. From a large installation piece painted directly on the wall of the gallery, to a series of smaller works on paper, McCarthy is taking each of her pieces with the same enthusiasm and dedication as the creative process is the most important part for her. Starting from a simple pattern the works develop intuitively, as she keeps mixing and adding new colors and lines to it. Although abstract and almost geo-based, the creations are actually the artist's efforts to convey the same emotional quality of her earlier, pre '94, figurative works, with a universal, simple, minimalist visual language. And choosing to work on old sheets of paper and found panels, objects, and materials, with a range of techniques that come handy, results in a body of work that feels personal, honest and direct. The result is somewhat of a portrayal of the artist's life, showing both the beautiful enjoyable moments intertwined in harmony, along with annoying lines or color tones that are just sticking out of it all as a constant annoyance.

The idea of portraying herself through her work is further extended by including her friend's work in her show, namely Kellen Chasuk and Francesco Igory Deiana, something that McCarthy has been doing since the beginning of her artistic career. Always feeling her true self and most comfortable around people she knows, as well as aware of their talents and the opportunities she's given, she's regularly showing works by her closest friends and/or young artists as part of her solo shows. For her Brussels show, she also stepped outside of the gallery and painted a mural on the wall in front of it with her studio-buddy Kellen Chasuk, playfully and spontaneously mixing her woven patterns and Chasuk's typography elements.

Photo and text by @sashabogojev