In a whimsical yet sharp breath of fresh air, Modern Anthropology (ModA) Studios opened its first location on June 27 in Lower East Side, Manhattan with a contemporary art exhibition simply titled, “Love”.
Curated by Sia Fang of Modern Anthropology (ModA) Curations, the exhibition features the work of six multicultural, young and emerging contemporary artists– Ching-Wei Wang (Way), Edd Ravn, Ellen Carpenter, Felisa Nguyen, Ibtisam Tasnim Zaman, and Magali A. Cult.
Upon entering the gallery space at 227 E 24th St, a description reads, “Flexible in interpretation and expression, love escapes definition and erodes barriers, moving through people, across places… We derive our perceptions of love from experiences with those we love, and more often than not, in spite of them.”
Guang Chen
As its title suggests, “Love” presents an unassuming façade of simplicity, but quickly pulls viewers into a deeper reflection of complex human emotion. Thematic elements of dream-scaped longings for the intangible feeling of home, belonging, from motherhood, and self-perception binds the exhibition’s artwork and artists together. Ellen Carpenter presents a tumultuous conversation between self and body. Artists Way and Felisa Nguyen dream of an elusive identity unimpacted by cultural tensions. Magali, A Cult uniquely uses salt as a symbol of emotional paradox– simultaneously preserving and corrosive– representing a navigation of the maternal experience. Edd Ravn explores the way human relationships grow and transform through boundaries with each other and the natural world. And ever compellingly, Ibtisam Tasnim Zaman paints a poetic intersection of the heart’s vulnerability beneath a desire for liberation from systemic oppression.
Hengyi Yang
Jiajie Lyu
“Love” marks the third installation of ModA Curations’s growing footprint in the contemporary art world, the organization’s impact delineated by the hundreds of enthusiasts in attendance at the exhibition’s opening evening. And justifiably so– the work spanning over 3000 square feet of commercial space is finely curated, its opening a well-orchestrated balance of youthful energy and tasteful refinement. Guests were welcomed into the exhibition by a selection of wine and programmed performance art by Magali, A Cult, Ching-Wei Wang (Way), and Ellen Carpenter, and lively conversation with all the artists and Sia Fang, the curator.
PAIR TO PAIR STUDIO
Modern Anthropology Studios, or more commonly known by its mononym ModA, is an interdisciplinary creative organization dedicated to sharing unique human narratives through a lens of Anthropology, hence its name. Founded in October 2023 by its present director Georgian “George” Fan, ModA has been steadily securing a name for itself in the world of indie arts.
Featured Image Credit: Photography by Liann Newby
