Pop Artist Veronika Paderni Joins Gallery COR

Gallery COR has welcomed a new artist, Veronika Paderni, to its gallery. Paderni hails from Florence, Italy, and her art name is Galaxy Epop. “Epop is epopteia, a word from ancient Greek that means ‘to look from above, to reconstruct the past or trace an identity, a process of knowledge and emergence into consciousness where the artist’s self gives way to a vision that transcends one’s own memories and time,’” she says.

Gallery COR owner Leslie Rowland initially hired Paderni as a gallery assistant. “Veronika mentioned that she was an artist on her resume, but that was not the purpose of engagement,” Rowland says. “We get more requests for representation than we have time to even respond to. I really enjoyed Veronika‘s energy so finally asked, out of curiosity, to take a look at her work. I absolutely loved it.”

Paderni’s work pulls inspiration from Pythagorean numerology, symbolism and Kabbalah, a Jewish mystic tradition. “Having studied abstract and metaphysical concepts,” says the artist, “I found it difficult to explain in a foreign country what numerological readings are and the destiny inherent in each of us. My life in Florence and my years spent in Egypt on the Nile inspired me to convey difficult concepts through imagery, much like the Renaissance painters and sculptors did.”

Paderni uses digital collage programs like Adobe and Fresco to create her loud, chaotic, colorful works, which she prints on Fuji crystal DP paper and embellishes with pencil and pen. All works are finished with plexiglass. “Thanks to digital collage,” says Paderni, “I can create what I call ‘pop esotericism,’ because certain symbols like the seashell, circles, serpent or cow are esoteric symbols linked to ancient mystical knowledge that resonate in our archaic memory.”

Rowland sees the ethos of Gallery COR in Paderni’s work, making her a perfect fit for the gallery. “Cor is the Latin root for ‘heart and courage,’” she says. “I look for artists that are doing something completely different that is brave and is executed with unusual talent and excellence. Veronika fits this category nicely. We are very excited to be representing her.”

Gallery COR is located at 19 Biltmore Avenue, Suite 102, Asheville. Learn more at GalleryCOR.com.