March 20 - April 20

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 22, 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Artist Talk: Sunday, April 6, 4:40 pm

Closing Reception: Sunday, April 20, 4:00 - 6:00 pm

440 Gallery announces the debut of Jo-Ann Acey’s latest collection, The Journey Home, a deeply personal roadmap of joy, memory, and self-reflection. In these abstract paintings, Acey invites audiences to find solace in the concept of “home” and embrace the cycles of personal history. This is Acey’s fifth solo show at 440 Gallery.

In The Journey Home, “home” is not a single place, but a fluid concept—where we come from, where we are, and a feeling we carry within us. For Acey, the act of creation itself returns the viewer to that personal sanctuary, a space of peace and renewal. Whether in her studio or traveling back to her birthplace in central New York, she experiences home as an emotional as well as physical journey.

Acey’s work Sky Blue, Sky Blue, a painting in Flashe and mixed media, invites viewers on a journey of joy and homecoming. Through soft colors and swift brushstrokes, Acey captures a deeply personal narrative—an entry in her visual diary that resonates with warmth and nostalgia. Serene blues suggest an expansive sky watching over a poetic landscape. Lines and gestures lend an almost intimate touch, reinforcing the association of mind and hand.

Acey says, “I allow ideas to unfold as I work on each piece, where subject matter is secondary to an emotional landscape. Achieved through color and movement, I let gesture and feeling become critical elements in my work.”

Jo-Ann Acey received an MFA from Texas Tech University and a BFA from Daemen University. Her work is included in collections throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Central America. She has shown at Brooklyn-based galleries including The Cluster Gallery, The Candy Factory, Site:Brooklyn and Saint Joseph's University, and Established Gallery. As an art educator, Acey was an instructor at the United Nations International School and with the innovative Studio in a School program. Her studio is located at the Brooklyn Art Cluster Studios within the Gowanus, Brooklyn, art community. She has been a member of 440 Gallery since 2016.

Project Space: Abstraction by Many Means

Ellen Chuse, Hyunju Kim, Catherine Orrok

The Project Space features abstract works by three artists that are quite distinctive. Ellen Chuse, Hyunju Kim, and Catherine Orrok locate their influences in different sources, and arrive at the final work via very individual processes. Abstract art has a long and varied history that ranges from representational interpretation to pure geometry. This show invites thoughtful comparison to these artist’s approaches to abstraction.

These recent acrylic paintings on paper by Ellen Chuse highlight her continued exploration of some of the abstract forms that have been part of her visual vocabulary for many years. The circle or oval is an archetypal form that depending on color and context can vary dramatically in meaning. As Chuse states, “Ominous or meditative, playful or somber, they engage the viewer through their familiarity, and yet have the capacity to shift and challenge.” Her use of highly saturated color, often put down in layers is another contributing factor to the emotional resonance of these works. With thoughtful viewing these seemingly simple forms give way to unexpected tensions and movement.

Hyunju Kim explores time through these fiber pieces made entirely from thread. Her focus is less on the abstracted figure contained in the thread and more on the process through which the image emerges. Using sewing techniques the thread becomes the surface of these works, but more importantly it is also a metaphor. The thread has a beginning and an end that is completely contained within the process. Kim says, “For me sewing means passing through time.” Her concern with process and time is evident in the titles of her works as well. NUBIGi means sewing in Korean, and the number corresponds to the order in which a piece is made, thus NUBIGi ,000,099., 2021 has a precise location on a timeline of Kim’s work.

Catherine Orrok’s acrylic paintings use the classic idea of ‘the grid’ as a starting point. This structure is then subverted by her process which is one that prioritizes her medium. The characteristics of paint; color, viscosity, and variations in opacity and transparency allow for a more expressive experience of geometric abstraction. This is manifest through Orrok’s brushwork and hand-painted edges of her forms. Referring to her process Orrok says, “I build space intuitively which means discovering the painting through the process of making it.”

For press and sales inquiries, including interviews with our artists, please contact Pam Wong, Gallery Director, at 718-499-3844; info@440gallery.com. For more information on these shows, the exhibiting artists, and the gallery, go to our website at 440gallery.com.