The Walnut Gallery announces “for the time being”, a new sculptural exhibition by sculptor and educator Khara Koffel. The exhibit will be on display from May 29 – July 26. An opening reception and gallery talk will take place Saturday, May 29th, at 7pm. Admission is free. The exhibit is being sponsored by Holiday Inn Express & Suites.
“For the time being” is a collection of recent sculptural work by artist Khara Koffel. Alternative materials such as chocolate candy and yarn are incorporated into each work, giving them a unique personality reflective of their subject matter. Most of the artist’s work deals with time, distance, and relationships and the ongoing struggle of maintaining them throughout the course of a lifetime. “Khara is the kind of artist that transforms your perception of what art is and can be. For example, one of the wall installations is constructed from over 2500 M&M’s that are carefully positioned to create what at first appears to be a beautiful abstract color-field, but as the viewer moves around the work it transforms into a painterly portrait reminiscent of a Matisse,” said Executive Director Mario Gallardo.
Khara Koffel received her M.F.A. in Sculpture from the University of Alabama in 2003 and is an Assistant Professor of Art at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, IL where she has taught since 2004. She has an extensive exhibition record including solo and invitational exhibitions and has received numerous awards and recognition for her work, including being named as an Emerging Artist of Alabama in 2003 by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
Koffel describes her work as evolving from visual stimuli – “objects that I see which drag me into my own mind, reminding me of a time, place or person. By selecting items that range from the commonplace to the obscure, Koffel seeks out symbols that not only reflect her own personal story, but are universal as well. “Creating sculpture has not only given me an opportunity to allow my hands and my mind to find a union, but also allowed me to look at my present and my past as inspiration,” said Koffel. More of the artists’ work is available at her website, www.kharakoffel.com.