Opening Night

Chloe’s exhibition took place on the evening of the 24th of March. I invited my mother as my plus one as she was also an admirer of Chloe’s works and had heard so much about her through my internship. We got dressed up and headed to the gallery at about 7 PM that evening.

The gallery space was an inviting and cozy space with large glass shop windows at the front so that one could peer into the exhibition.

I saw people milling around and maneuvering between Chloe’s large room divider pieces and large ornately painted pots.

A gallery assistant began talking to us about her works and it was lovely to see the paintings in a new light, as I hadn’t seen all the displayed works except when they had been leaning face down against Chloe’s studio walls.

On the wall beside the door, there was a large body of text describing Chloe’s themes and intentions for her exhibition titled, ‘CASA’.

The din of the room was pleasant and lively. The people were conversing softly against a vibrant backdrop of flora.

We had brought her a bouquet of giant lilies as a gift and gave them to her where we saw her. She was all smiles, greeted us warmly and thanked us for coming. She introduced me to her father who seemed very proud of her. I shared with him how rewarding it has been to work for Chloe and learn from her. Chloe also introduced me to the gallery owner who gave me their business card. I had never been to an opening night and I enjoyed the buzz and energy in the room. My mother and I helped ourselves to free refreshments, pouring ourselves a glass of honey lemonade.

My mother and I slowly walked through the room, taking our time to observe the works closely; as individual pieces as well as part of a whole.

At the end of the room, there were some steps that led down to another smaller exhibition space.

Three of Chloe’s works had been displayed here, as well as some abstract and colorful paintings by Lasalle’s alumni and a Taiwanese artist. This room had a different feeling, it was quieter and the artworks seemed to come alive.

The video that had been shot a few weeks ago in Chloe’s studio was playing on a projector screen in the back and I met the videographer again who knew a lot about all the works and artists displayed as well as the unique techniques they used. My mother and I listened as he explained the meaning behind certain creative choices and the artist’s use of color and form. I enjoyed learning about the different methods painters used and the reasons behind them.

In the video, Chloe was being interviewed about her vision for CASA. The video portrayed zoomed in shots of Chloe’s eyes and hands as she painted as well as all her organic imagery, the details in her paintings, bowls of paint, her brushes and her studio.

My mother and I took pictures with the works and the artist and left close to 9 PM, feeling light, happy and having worked up a good appetite for dinner!

A few days after the exhibit, Chloe suggested that since her exhibition was now open for business, as in intern, I could learn a lot from volunteering at the gallery for a few days as an extension of my internship with her. I thought this was a fantastic idea and was excited to experience yet another aspect of being in the art world. Chloe talked to the gallery owner on my behalf, and arranged for me to help out the other gallery assistants at Art Porters over the weekend. I sent the gallery owner my CV and am anticipating spending my weekend showing visitors around, understanding how works are bought and sold and what goes on behind the scenes in an art gallery!