The bonds of sisterhood and the bonds of simply being humans sharing this earth underpin two concurrent exhibitions at Artworks Trenton. Both remain on view through Saturday, August 16.
“The World We Share” is a collaboration by two sister artists, Marzena Haupa and Magda Dodd. The inspiration for their art comes from many shared experiences; a love of nature, people, and art. They venture out into nature by bike or on foot, visiting galleries, enjoying the arts, and meeting diverse communities of artists and art lovers. Their paintings capture and embody the beauty of the nature they experience as well as the people they meet, admire, and love.
The exhibit features both portraits and paintings of nature. The collection of portraits is an attempt to capture these people in a moment, with their colorful personalities, physical characteristics, and the depth of their emotions.
The collection of paintings dedicated to nature captures lakes, rivers, streams, mountains, flowers, and lots of forest, which Haupa is mesmerized by. The paintings show the beauty of nature from a slightly different vantage point, with an element of surprise.
“The world is full of diverse communities with beautiful, extraordinary people looking for love, lust, acceptance, and fulfilment,” Haupa says.
“The whole collection is all about positive feelings,” Dodd adds. “It is happy art created with bright happy colors and positive emotions. It is meant to ignite these positive emotions in the audience.”
Haupa, based in Princeton, is a member of West Windsor Arts, Artworks Trenton, and New Hope Arts, where her artwork is often exhibited. She participates in many local exhibitions and juried art shows and is a resident artist at Arete Gallery in New Hope, where her art is exhibited and available for purchase. As a contemporary artist, she works with several different mediums to create her art; this includes acrylic, sprays, and oil pastels.
“Painting is my passion,” Haupa says. “I discovered it during the time of the pandemic. Through painting I found inner peace and equilibrium. I love nature and people so this is what I paint. Through the means of contemporary art, I can capture the beauty I find around me and share it with others. I consider myself to be a modern expressionist. The style I use, a combination of abstract art and figurative painting, allows me to capture the emotions, character, mood, and beauty in nature and people. Vibrant colors, shapes, lines, and patterns give me the emotional freedom of interpretation to create a specific atmosphere for each painting.”
View Haupa’s art on Instagram: @marzenah_arts or @marzenahaupa, or on Facebook @M.Haupa Art.
Dodd, who lives in Lawrenceville, draws inspiration from her surroundings, color combinations, and subjects to create art that makes you look at the world differently.
“Painting is a mystery to me. Not only do I not understand it, but I’m also not convinced I am supposed to,” she says. “When I paint, I release my feelings without words. I become focused in total chaos and emotions fly.
“I tend to see things which I could never see before, even though they were always present just there.”
Dodd is a member of West Windsor Arts and is also represented By Arete Gallery, where her art is exhibited. Visit her on Facebook @magda.dodd.
“The body of work created by Magda and Marzena is so bright and colorful, perfect for mid-summer,” said Addison Vincent, artistic director of Artworks Trenton. “We encourage everyone to come and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the gallery on a hot summer day.”
“We Are All Connected Art Project” by Miami-based abstract artist and poet Beatricia Sagar is an exhibition without borders or boundaries. The living, conceptual work of art is made up of puzzle pieces, distributed to artists from more than 60 countries who decorated and then returned the piece, which was added to a 20-piece puzzle with a unique patterning, randomly interconnected into one large work of art.
It is an artistic vision with deep meaning at a time when there is so much division in the world. “We’re delighted to showcase this body of work from such an innovative artist,” Vincent said. “We are proud to host this beautiful conception.”
The World We Share and We Are All Connected Art Project, Artworks Trenton, 19 Everett Alley, Trenton. On view through August 16. www.artworkstrenton.org.
'Love Birds' by Marzena Haupa.,
