Jiha Moon and Amber Robles-Gordon at Derek Eller Gallery
Amber Robles-Gordon - Observacion - 2020
From January 6 through February 5, 2022, the Derek Eller Gallery presents two solo exhibitions by artists Jiha Moon and Amber Robles-Gordon.
Source: Derek Eller Gallery. Image: Amber Robles-Gordon, "Observation of Influencers: Taino culture and heritage, the climate and machismo," 2020.
Born in Puerto Rico in 1977, but raised in the suburbs of Washington DC, Caribbean heritage has always been present in Amber Robles-Gordon's work. Using a wide range of materials -including acrylic paint, photography, canvas, and ink drawing- Robles-Gordon pays homage to traditional Puerto Rican themes while denouncing the colonialist relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico. The gallery explains how the rubber tree (Fiscus Elastica, a plant native to Puerto Rico) is a recurring theme in the works exhibited in "Place of Birth and Breath," being at times surrounded by "circular ‘ecospheres’, densely packed with information and artifacts related to her spiritual and ethereal connection to her surroundings."
At the same time, the gallery is also presenting Jiha Moon: Stranger Yellow, an exhibition of works by artist Jiha Moon, born in South Korea in 1973 but based in Atlanta. The title of the exhibition refers to a particular shade of yellow employed by the artist in her works, which Moon describes as a "mysterious, luscious, yet cautiously high-key color that stands out." The centerpiece of the exhibition, "Yellowave (Stranger Yellow)," a diptych about three meters long, showcases several of the usual elements in the artist's work, from the use of the aforementioned "Stranger Yellow" to the presence of elements of Korean folklore and popular culture.
Both exhibitions are on view at the Derek Eller Gallery on Broome Street, New York, Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and by appointment.

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