Flower + Brigade

D-Gallerie is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition Flower + Brigade this will be a combined exhibition by artists Kelly Moeykens and Abby Elizabeth and is the first exhibition of both American artists in Tampa Bay. The opening reception will take place on October 07th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm, and the exhibition will remain open for viewing until November 06.

Flower + Brigade exhibition consists of mixed media artwork created by every day recycled materials and green army men soldiers. Both artists utilize different mediums to transmit their messages on social inequality and the unjust world we live in. As artists, Kelly and Abby, think sculpturally and the visual language and creative energy between their works complement each other in a way that ultimately creates something much bigger than the individual.

About Kelly: Kelly is a paper and clay sculptor artist located on the coast of Maine.  For her, her work is driven by process.  She is drawn to the tactile experience of it all and often finds her processes are meditative. With her paper art, She uses thousands of hand cut flowers made from recycled paper that she paints, cuts, folds and layers atop one another to create an immersive experience for the viewer. Her use of recycled paper is to bring awareness to our biodiversity crisis.  It is understood that there is no greater beauty than nature.  Therefore, she uses the flower as a symbol of beauty. Her clay works are done by hand and are also nature-inspired compositions.

About Abby:  Abby is a mixed media painter living in South Jersey. She is currently using miniature plastic army figures as the basis of her work.  She began this work in early 2017 as a meditative exercise combining the symbolic toy soldier with colors and patterns inspired by the natural world. It was her intention to combine two seemingly contrary forces of; one inspiring serenity another inspiring severity, and the duality forming the whole.   On the surface, these paintings transmit a natural tranquility, but a closer look reveals a sea of plastic soldiers vying for control. For eons humans have exerted extreme dominance, violence, and control over each other and their environment. Our existence and behavior seems erratic and abnormal when compared to the natural world. In this vein, she uses the plastic figure to symbolize the character of human events, while the color palette and organization reflect the harmony present in the natural world.

Since D-Gallerie opened in 2015 the art gallery has positioned itself as an art resource for Tampa Bay communities by showcasing original contemporary artwork by talented established and emerging artists from South America, Europe, Across the U.S. and Tampa Bay.