ExhibitionsAs Above, So Below
Melanie Luna, The Hunting of Picasso’s Cattle, 2024
Melanie Luna, Renunciation, 2024
Melanie Luna, Pale Blue Dot, 2023
Gallery 495 is pleased to present Melanie Luna’s solo exhibition, As Above, So Below, which directly relates to Carl Jung’s text Law of Correspondence. Luna’s journey from flesh to space testifies to the expansion of painting in her practice. Luna deconstructs and reconstructs in a cycle of interest, examining both the visible and the hidden.
“Too many of us have fallen victim to our own grandiloquence. To paint us in action or simply standing has grown to look so dull,” Luna explains. “I am attempting to provide a stage for the natural world and beyond. Perhaps I aim to uncover the hidden, humbling myself and the viewer to the things that are greater than us.”
As Above, So Below, explores the relationship between subject and space by building on canvas using a wet-on-wet application. This technique helps create the illusion of flesh. She investigates themes long studied by the students of life, comparing and contrasting man and nature. Through her work, she creates images that bear witness to the plight of the human experience, which has rapidly amplified throughout her existence. The artist paints life-sized and larger-than-life figures against high-contrast backgrounds. This exaggerates how the pieces are initially received and reveals her deep connection to the natural world.
Most of Luna's inspiration comes from nature, which she associates with fauna, flora, and the elements. “The idea always starts with a loose sketch, mostly depicting the borders and overall composition. I allow myself some wiggle room to change my mind. That’s usually when the magic happens,” she explains. “That’s how I’m able to take such a lighthearted approach to heavy themes. I’m not always trying to paint the end of the world but rather the beginning, where everything is still new and fresh and can change form at any given time.”
Melanie Luna (b. 1997, Dominican Republic) lives and works in Red Hook, New York. She moved to the Bronx at the age of 12 and attended public school, where she was first introduced to art. She later attended Pratt Institute, where she began painting. Recent solo and group exhibitions include: The Macedonia Institute, New York (2024); Tripoli Gallery, New York (2023); Swivel Gallery, New York (2023); Embajada Gallery, Puerto Rico, USA (2023); and Trotter & Sholer, New York (2022).