April 1 – 26, 2025
Gallery I
Libbet Loughnan
Stop Motion
April 1 – 26, 2025
Reception: Thu, April 3, 6-8 pm
The artist will be in the gallery Saturdays April 5 & 12
Ceres Gallery is pleased to present Stop-Motion by gallery artist Libbet Loughnan in her fifth NYC solo exhibition. The pieces on display range in subject matter from deeply personal self-portraits to abstract playful and meditative pieces.
Libbet Loughnan is a multi-award winning artist who has resided for many years in NYC, enjoys substantial time in Mexico, and is originally from Australia. The artist’s paintings and sculptures reflect a childhood rich in family warmth under the Australian sun, stories encountered across countries in adult life, and a desire for more reflection on the place of humans within nature.
Loughnan’s works can be found in collections internationally (Australia, China, Ethiopia, Italy, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand and the USA). Loughnan has enjoyed solo shows in the USA (NYC), the Philippines (Cebu), and Australia (Melbourne and Geelong), group shows in Italy (Civitella and Rome), Mexico (Mexico city and Oaxaca), residencies in Serbia, Mexico and the USA, as well as representation in art fairs in Toronto, NYC, Gwangju and Osaka.
Gallery II
Yu Rong
The Paradox of Things – An Exhibition Exploring the Duality of Human Nature
April 1 – 26, 2025
Reception: Thu, April 3, 6-8pm
Collage, Deformed Series, Mini Book 20
Ceres Gallery is pleased to present The Paradox of Things, a solo exhibition by multi-media artist Yu Rong. Through a collection of collages, drawings, paintings, and mixed media works, the exhibition explores the inherent contradictions of human nature—desire and suffering, chaos and serenity, the seen and the unseen. The centerpiece of the exhibition is Deformed: A Collage of Desire and Suffering, a series that examines emotional distortion and longing. The fragmented imagery and layered compositions invite viewers to question the gap between appearance and reality, suggesting that what we see is not always the whole truth. In this series, Yu Rong reflects on how outward images—such as those presented on social media—may conceal deeper emotional states, such as loneliness or abandonment.
Also featured are works from Symbols of Serenity: The Art of Auspicious Chinese Characters. Each day, Yu Rong selects a Chinese character that serves as personal motivation. These words are then transformed into shapes that reflect their meaning—such as a flowing form for the word “water.” These abstracted forms represent Yu Rong’s daily reflection on overcoming personal challenges and draw a connection between traditional symbols and contemporary life.
The exhibition includes the Blue series, a collection of mixed media works inspired by memories of someone once close. These pieces explore attachment, loss, and the passing of time. As time distorts and fades memories, the images in these works become increasingly blurry, reflecting how we forget and reinterpret the original visions of people and experiences in our lives.
Yu Rong, a New York-based artist, has exhibited internationally, including at Milan Design Week and the London Design Fair. Their work is influenced by a range of global traditions, including Chinese brush painting, tempera painting, encaustic techniques, and metal-point drawing. With a focus on cultural intersections and meditation through art, Yu Rong’s practice fosters an ongoing dialogue between tradition and modernity in contemporary art. The Paradox of Things invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of existence and to consider the contradictions that shape our lives.
Upcoming:
April 29 – May 24, 2025
Francine Perlman
Books
Anne Mondro
Tethered
Shirley Steele
UnderConstruction: Building Portraits