CURRENT EXHIBITIONS:

Image: Na Chainkua Reindorf, *Evor: Showers of Blessings,* acrylic gouache, chrome paint on Claybord, 48 x 72 in.

main Gallery:

Na Chainkua Reindorf: Mawu Nyonu

Exhibition Dates: 3 MaY - 29 JUNE 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, May 3rd, 6-9PM

Mid-Exhibition Reception with Artist: Friday, June 7th, 6-9PM

Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts is pleased to present an exhibition of recent paintings by Ghanaian artist, Na Chainkua Reindorf from her series, Mawu Nyonu.

Project Statement:
This entire project stems from a deep interest in storytelling and world-building. Each of the seven paintings is based one of the seven masquerade characters (referred to as ‘skins’ or ‘glanu’), that make up of the Mawu Nyonu (roughly translated from Ewe as God is a woman). Mawu Nyonu is a mythical masquerade secret society in West Africa made up of seven skins (characters), each of which are distinct both in characteristics and features and each of whom possess a certain transformative power, so that when an individual wears their respective costumes they will be imbued with the power that they each carry.
The skins’ individual personalities and powers take inspiration from the Mino warriors, the highly skilled and fearsome all-female military regiment charged with protecting the King of Dahomey before it disbanded after Dahomey became a French protectorate in 1894.
The 7 skins are also inspired in part by Vodun Cosmology, where in some versions, Mawu is a female being with 7 children, each a deity with distinct powers.
My own personal experiences as a Ghanaian, African and Black woman also heavily inspired this project. The 7 characters are in a way my own dream alter-egos, each embodying a trait that I often wish I possessed, or believed I lacked or dreamed I could explore freely. These traits though, personal on the one hand are also quite universal, in that these sentiments are not singular but desired by many women.
This also connects especially with my interest in the idea of masquerades as a medium through which I can explore deviancy, non-conformity and perhaps a level of recklessness in behavior, without being judged harshly. Under the guise of a masquerade, often, aberrant behavior is tolerated and often acceptable.

Na Chainkua Reindorf (b. 1991, Ghana) is a multidisciplinary artist with a deep interest in world-building and mythmaking through the art of the masquerade. Upon imagining a fictional female masquerade society, Reindorf’s art practice is currently focused on creating artworks ranging from paintings and tapestries to sculptural installations which serve as referential visual lexicon for this imagined world.

Inspired by personal experiences and exploring West African folklore and religious cosmologies, Reindorf is interested in masquerading as an intervention through which guises and mutable personalities can be used to explore deviancy and non-conformity.

Na Chainkua received an MFA from Cornell University and has exhibited internationally in institutions across Africa, North America and Europe. In 2022, Reindorf was one of three artists representing Ghana at the Venice Biennale.

Project Space:

TICE LERNER - EVER ONWARD

Exhibition Dates: 3 MaY - 29 JUNE 2024

Opening Reception with Artist: Friday, May 3rd, 6-9PM

Mid-Exhibition Reception with Artist: Friday, June 7th, 6-9PM

Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts is pleased to present an exhibition of photographs from Ticer Lerner’s documentary street photography series, EVER ONWARD. New works from Chapter 3 of this series will be exhibited for the first time along with a survey of works from Chapters 1 & 2.

Project Statement:
EVER ONWARD is an intimate photographic exploration of Binghamton, New York—a city that once thrived under the auspices of corporate giants. This series delves into the echoes of a prosperous past, and juxtaposes it against the contemporary landscape of economic uncertainty and community transformation. Binghamton, the birthplace of IBM, called to defense during the Cold War, was once a thriving manufacturing hub but has long since experienced significant decline. In its industrial prime, IBM ran several of its largest factories here, employing generations of workers who dedicated themselves with a fervor resembling national allegiance. These employees, known as "IBMers," expressed their pride by singing corporate anthems, including "Ever Onward." Now a local resident, I've heard countless stories of a bygone era—childhood memories of a crowded mall, a busy downtown core with a thriving department store—something unseen in my time here. Yet, Binghamton once again faces transformation through "revitalization." Over the past decade, the city's core has shown signs of growth, a process that disrupts surrounding neighborhoods and their residents. My practice is grounded in the belief that social responsibility begins with fostering genuine connections within the communities I document. Through time spent meeting residents, and earning their trust, I capture spontaneous, raw moments revealing the human impact of urban renewal. The ongoing photo essay seeks to illuminate the cost of these changes, documenting lives and communities, already under strain, that now face ongoing displacement and instability. The series serves not only as a visual record of Binghamton's evolution but also as a testament to the enduring spirit of its people, reflecting the socioeconomic challenges faced by post-industrial towns across America.

Tice Lerner (b. Saint James, NY 1985) has been a Binghamton, NY resident since he was five years old. Mr Lerner’s late father, an amateur photographer worked in the press room of Newsday. This influence sparked his interest in photography from an early age. Despite his interest, it wasn’t until after high school that photography became a serious focus. When he is not applying himself in engineering, he can be found wandering through the communities in and around Binghamton, NY taking photographs.Having a strong science background and a fascination with the high magnification work of Lennart Nilsson he started photographing insects. In the summer of 2010 Mr Lerner went out on a photo-shoot with a friend and fellow photographer doing street photography, his focus was forever changed. Over the next two years his life around the diverse individuals and communities of Binghamton have further fostered his specialized love for the documentary style.Mr Lerner goes beyond the initial photograph forging relationships with his subjects adding depth of character to his body of work. When walking in town Mr Lerner is often found conversing with prior subjects, many of whom will approach him with a hand shake. For Lerner, photography is a creative outlet that allows him to reconnect to the humanities.

ONLINE EXHIBITIONS:

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS:

JULY - AUGUST 2024

Main Gallery: TBD

Project Space: TBD

SEPTEMEBER - OCTOBER 2024

Main Gallery & Project Space: New Mystical Realism | Works by Eric Green & Hisaya Taira

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2024

Main Gallery & Project Space: Linda Sokolowski

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