Thoughts of Home—Cultural Identity and the Evolution of an Artist is an exhibit showcasing the art of the late Vadim Bora. Also included are works from some of his colleagues in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia: Natalia Abaeva, Akhsar Esenov, and the late Murat Kaboulov. The show opens February 26 at the Asheville Area Arts Council (AAAC), 1 Page Avenue in the Grove Arcade, and runs through April 2. The exhibition is presented in partnership with Asheville Sister Cities, Inc.
The show, curated by Vadim’s widow, Constance Richards, includes never-before-seen works of his that have been in private collections, as well as large commissioned pieces, sculptures, stained glass designs, and jewelry. Each piece that was chosen for the exhibit connects to the theme of Thoughts of Home.
Constance says this show explores “what is home and the memory of home” to an artist who has physically left his or her home (and culture) entirely for a new place filled with new customs, foreign traditions, and new language.
“Moreover, how important is that concept to an artist’s work and the direction their work takes?” she continues. “Does the concept of ‘home’ change the longer one is away? Does the artist portray an idealized view of those memories in future works? This show examines these questions through the eyes of those who have left compared to those who stayed closer to home.”
Constance invited the widow of Murat Kaboulov, another artist from Asheville’s Sister City of Vladikavkaz, to show her late husband’s works. His paintings portray images of the culture both he and Vadim left behind physically, but not emotionally. Murat and Vadim were both were well-known artists in their region and, by coming to the United States, each had to begin from zero.
Constance also asked Natalia Abaeva and Akhsar Esenov to participate in the exhibition, as both visited Asheville ten years ago with a grant through the Open World program she had helped organize through Asheville Sister Cities. Natalia and Akhsar explore thoughts of home from different points of view. Their worldviews of “home” (one moved to Bulgaria and the other still lives in Vladikavkaz) offer yet other perspectives.
*****
Also at AAAC from February 26 through April 6, there will be an exhibition of landscape paintings by Perry Houlditch. There will be a reception from 5–8 p.m. on Friday, March 11, during which the artist will demonstrate the process he uses in making his own paints.
“When you make your own paint,” says the artist, “you start to see everything a little differently; things connect a bit more.” He adds, “It is my curiosity of this organic connection the artist can cultivate with their medium that drives me to continue crafting my own materials, ever tuning the instrument of my expression.”
*****
Earlier this year, AAAC signed a lease for a building at 207 Coxe Avenue that the organization will use as an art incubator. The plan, says AAAC exhibitions manager Jen Gordon, is to create an artist production facility and cooperative workspace that will support artists and their creative expression by offering them the education, tools, materials, and space they need.
From 8–11 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, AAAC will be hosting a fundraiser in the Coxe Avenue space for Aurora Studios and Gallery, a facility that helps local artists affected by mental health needs, homelessness, and those in the early stages of recovery from addiction. The event will coincide with Zelda Fitzgerald Day. Music will be provided by the Firecracker Jazz Band. Tickets are $12 at the door.
Also, on Thursday, March 31, there will be an all-day Mix & Mingle and Open House to show off the new space.
To learn more, visit ashevillearts.com.
