Closing Reception with Amber Kouba
Thursday, Oct 10, 2019 7 – 10 pm
Private viewings available by appointment from 10/5 - 10/9
Artist Statement: As an abstract expressionist I seek to carry on the work of the modern artist that the Abstract Expressionist movement began but with the intent of bringing it into present time. We find ourselves as a society in the games of “right and wrong” and “us vs them” which seeks only to isolate and disconnect our common connection. We are all human, and what makes us real is our flaws and imperfections. We all have experienced suffering and bare the wounds and scars of the growth we have had in choosing to live a real yet flawed life. It is in the imperfections, the scars, the wounds that we can connect and find our common bond in our own humanity. For many though, it is too vulnerable of a place to venture. Some wounds too fresh, some scars too deep and some imperfections too much to accept. I found myself disconnecting from my own humanity because it just became too overwhelming. The older I got, the more I became a less real version of myself to limit the very thing that made me human, growth. Where does one even begin to reconnect? That answer is deeply personal for everyone but for me, I found my answer in color.
Back in 2015, I began my psychic journey by enrolling in a 22 week Clairvoyant training. I was taught, or better, I began to remember how to see energy. This innate aspect in myself, in all of us, can be shut down and I consciously decided to open it back up and in doing so I began to see so much. I went from a world of black and white to a world of full HD color; a world of “right or wrong” to a world of infinite possibility and freedom to just be. I needed an outlet to express all that I was seeing. However, it was much more than simply expressing; it was an exploration of the energy with the intent of finding in it all, my own energy. It is here that I began to face the colors of my life that were not my truth. The imperfections of my decisions and naivety of my actions. Yet, I saw beauty and life in the colors. If I could see that in what wasn’t my truth, what would my true colors bring? This inspired me to dive even deeper and connect to the parts of me that have been buried and hidden away; my true colors. I found that the colors did not always make sense; sometimes there wasn’t enough of my truth; or OMG way too much black; or not enough movement; and more than I’d like to admit messy as hell; yet all of it representing the energy of my story. The profound healing it can be to see yourself and find compassion and beauty in your own humanity, and ultimately discover that the imperfections make the art, your life an absolute masterpiece.
It is my hope that in embarking on this journey to reconnect and find my own beauty and compassion in my true colors it will inspire others to do the same. If you too have been searching for that starting point to reconnect, I invite you use this very moment to take that first step. My work is an invitation for you to take a moment and connect to an aspect of yourself and your own story, especially the aspects that don’t make sense, the ones that are messy as hell or maybe even the ones that are a little spicy. Discover the beauty and compassion in your own true colors and dare to share your discovery with others.
Bio: Amber Kouba was born and raised in Chicago and she currently resides in Andersonville. She uses oil paint on canvas. She is a member of the Fulton Street Collective and is currently participating in 2 additional projects each one benefiting non-for-profit organizations. The first being the Brushes with Cancer program sponsored by Twist out Cancer. In this program she works directly with a cancer survivor to create a work of art illustrating their journey and aiding in the healing process. The artwork is unveiled at an Exhibition and Gala on November 2nd at Moonlight Studios. The second being the DIFFA Chicago’s Art for Life Exhibit and Auction on October 24th at Venue West in which she has donated a piece of artwork to be auctioned.