Colorful Exhibition by Eliseo Casiano opens on August 4 at ASC
/by Morgun Henson
cumin, eliseo Casiano, 2022
The works in Eliseo Casiano’s exhibition Color, Faces, People are bold and colorful — demanding your attention when you walk into the gallery. Featured in the exhibition are realistic portraits, stylized, adorned paintings, and unique colored pencil drawings. Though the works are all very different, they complement each other well.
According to ASC Executive Director and Interim Curator Dr. Rachel Miller, Color, Faces, People invites the viewer into a world beyond traditional portraiture.
“In his striking depictions of friends and family, Casiano uses overlays of saturated colors to explore his subjects’ moods and identities,” says Miller. “This dramatic use of color abstracts the images, encouraging contemplation. Viewers may wonder: what are these people feeling or doing? How does color affect our interpretations?”
Color, Faces, People opens on August 4, 2022, at the Arts & Science Center in the William H. Kennedy Gallery.
ASC will host a drop-in artist reception from 5-7 p.m. on August 4 to showcase the work. Casiano will be on site to chat with visitors and answer questions. The exhibition is sponsored by the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas Endowment Fund. M.K. Distributors will sponsor libations at the reception.
“Color, Faces, People” features 27 pieces of art, including framed drawings, monochrome paintings on canvas, and paintings on unstretched canvas. The body of work pulls from the language of painting and personal narrative. Casiano uses his interest in color, light, and pattern to create a spectrum of potentialities that reflect a Mexican-American aesthetic centered on his lived experience.
good ol’ boy, eliseo casiano, 2019
“I reconfigure family photographs and oral histories into heavily saturated and adorned paintings with free associations and indefinite resolution,” says Casiano. “I hope my formal elements draw viewers in to make their own connections. Whether linked to family, identity, or self-reflection, I hope they appreciate the representations I chose to paint.”
laredo, eliseo casiano, 2021 (photo credit- eg schempf)
Casiano’s practice initially started by working from family photographs as a way to unpack and illustrate narratives from the past.
“Some of the relatives in my paintings passed away before I was born. I feel closer to them by the time I finish a portrait, maybe from looking at their faces for so long. I begin to imagine the way they sound, the way they laugh or carry a story.”
The monochrome paintings, from his “Spectrum Series,” feature friends and families from recent visits or conversations.
“This series is less inspired by race/identity, and more related to connectivity,” says Casiano. “Living subjects are different, definitely less heavy. I often think about where they are, what they’re doing, what they’re eating tonight.”
A native of Clinton, Oklahoma, Casiano is based in Batesville, Arkansas. He earned his Bachelor in Fine Arts degree in painting from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, and his Master in Fine Arts degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Casiano serves as gallery manager at the Batesville Area Arts Council and is an adjunct instructor in painting and drawing at Lyon College.
bangs, eliseo casiano, 2022
In recent years, the Batesville-based artist has shown his pieces in numerous solo, two-person, and group exhibitions. Casiano’s work has been featured throughout several states, including Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and California.
Most of Casiano’s pieces were created over the past 2 years, during the pandemic.
“I’m still processing the past few years during the pandemic and cherishing my connections so much more,” stated Casiano.
“Color, Faces, People” is on view through October 22, 2022.
For more information about the exhibition, visit asc701.org. For more information about Casiano, visit his website at eliseocasiano.com.
