Royse Contemporary offers Askew Series through mid-May
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Royse Contemporary presents the Askew Series — a testament to the extraordinary life and work of Barbara Kemp Cowlin.
This exhibition will showcase a diverse array of her last series of paintings, which she commenced in 2017 and continued until her untimely passing in late 2023, according to a press release.
Nicole Royse has curated a selection of her work that vividly demonstrates her expressionistic and painterly style, masterfully interwoven with her poignant commentary and humor.
The artist embarked on the Askew paintings as an exploration of color and design, venturing into the realm of abstraction. The paintings, initially inspired by architectural details, swiftly transformed into whimsical abstractions from Ms. Cowlin’s creative mind, the release states.
“I had the immense pleasure and honor of featuring several pieces from this series in various stages of its evolution in several exhibitions at Royse Contemporary,” Ms. Royce said in a prepared statement. “Her fervor for creation, the arts, and her community radiated in all her endeavors. She adored her studio; it was a source of daily joy, and she was prolific in her creations.”
Ms. Cowlin lived and worked in Oracle, Arizona, a small mountain town between Phoenix and Tucson. She earned a BFA and an MA in Printmaking from Northern Arizona University. In 2023, Ms. Cowlin received the Arizona Commission on the Arts Research and Development Grant. She was awarded the prestigious Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Individual Artist Grant in 2019.
This special exhibition will be displayed at Royse Contemporary, 7077 E. Main St., through Saturday, May 18.
