mario petrirena | this, that, and the other
Exhibition Dates: October 9 - December 11
Sandler Hudson Gallery is pleased to announce the latest body of work from artist mario petrirena entitled this, that, and the other. Though most of the work in this exhibition was produced during Covid, the overarching themes of duality, division, conflict, and otherness can be traced back through petrirena’s entire career. His objective here is to create a visual language of our shared humanity: namely by honing in on the various complexities in life. For petrirena, the twists and turns life takes and the way we are pushed and pulled in many directions is precisely what connects all of us. Naturally, given his focus on conflict and division, there is a level of darkness. This, he hopes is tempered by the work’s physical beauty. Not outside the scope of his primary theme, humanity, is his hand series: an homage to Nellie Mae Rowe, an artist who petrirena both admires and is deeply inspired by.
“Being human is given. But keeping our humanity is a choice.” - Anonymous
MARIO PETRIRENA works with a variety of mediums ranging from sculpture to installations. As a Cuban native currently living and working in Atlanta, GA, previous themes explored by Petrirena encompass complexities surrounding dual heritage and identity. Petrirena attended the Rochester Institute of Technology School for American Craftsmen and the University of Florida. His work is held in the collections of the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, FL; Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, The Cintas Foundation, NY; the Carter Presidential Center, the Paul Jones Collection at the University of Delaware; MOCA GA, the Ogden Museum in New Orleans and numerous private collections. His work has shown in solo exhibitions with Sandler Hudson Gallery, City Gallery East, the President’s Gallery at Brenau University, and the Ogden Museum in New Orleans. During the course of his over 30 year career as an artist Petrirena has received awards, including, but not limited to, a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pollack-Krasner Foundation Grant, and the Hambidge Fellowship.