Spanish-American artist Domingo Zapata hosted the “HOLD ME” exhibit in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village this week. Zapata is behind international artworks, including commissions for a panel at the Colosseum in Rome and The Plaza Hotel in New York.
The exhibition featured a collection of works from artists Radhika Gupta-Buckley (India), Evelyne Druout (France), Joaquin Avila (Cuba), and Zapata himself (Spain).
Many famous faces were in attendance, including Edwin Hodge (Actor, ‘The Purge’), Antoine Verglas (Photographer), Skye P Marshall (Actor), Kelly Hughes (Model), Amber Wang (Model), Jessica Val Ortiz (Content Creator), Malik Roberts (Artist) and Vernon O’Meally (Artist).
Guests were welcomed by live entertainment and invited to explore many of the artworks on display and for sale.
Zapata explained that when asked about the artists who exhibited, “Radhika examines the ongoing struggles of Indian women and peoples but with a unique, explosive approach to color. While it is specific, it speaks to global conversations for so many right now”.
Describing French artist Evelyne Druout, Zapata outlined how “Evelyne sees the world with heightened perception, and when she processes that through her own artistic lens, her fantastical animals and natural worlds become a collision of form, color, and fashion”. Zapata describes Joaquin Avila as “the new Jackson Pollock”. He continues, “Joaquin goes back to the past to bring that work into the future; it’s a conversation many people aren’t brave enough to have. Joaquin’s movement of color transports the viewer from past to present in ways which reveal how these moments are connected to each other.”
While a New York City resident, artist Domingo Zapata, is constantly inspired by the city. He tells us how his experiences in other places inspire him, particularly Palma de Mallorca, Spain (his hometown). Zapata outlines how “Downtown Manhattan has experienced a significant shift for the arts over the last two decades, yet artists always find a way”.
From practicing law at the Un in the Hague to international artists, Radhika Gupta-Buckley, certainly has a wealth of experience. Her artwork, exhibited at “Hold Me”, brought an abundance of diverse backgrounds and knowledge about various cultures and global perspectives on society. Inspired by Indian art history, her pieces are meant to give a voice to oppressed peoples by utilizing bold patterns and colors.
Those include Gupta-Buckley’s pieces Squad and Gilfriends, displayed this week. The work’s use of gold against the contrast of bright, vibrant colors, was a massive highlight of the night.
