Palagiano to exhibit at MassMu in April
"In Boxes," mixed media, 2017
"Andrea Palagiano: Self Conscious" will be exhibited in the Massillon Museum’s Studio M April 3-25. The exhibition reflects the relationship between introversion and projected self. The integration of figure and pattern along with the application of layers is indicative of a person’s thought process in defining self within society — the balance between personal identity and societal expectations.
A podcast interview with Palagiano will be posted Tuesday, April 13 at noon. Her Instagram handle is @anya0024. Visitors can meet the artist during MassMu’s extended hours on Saturday, April 24 from 5-7 p.m. Timed tickets should be reserved at www.massmu.org/tickets. The extended-hours evening is a monthly collaboration with Massillon’s Last Saturday event.
Palagiano, a Northeast Ohio artist, received a BFA in 2020 with a concentration in painting and drawing from Myers School of Art, University of Akron, and has showcased her work in Summit Art Space and GAR Foundation shows. The Massillon Museum presents two university student exhibitions in Studio M each year to provide a venue for emerging artists and their perspectives.
Living in a different country every year of her childhood has opened Palagiano's eyes to varying cultures and customs, which are catalysts for her love of sociology and psychology. Her inspirations are characters from Greek mythology and the sense of drama Italian artist Caravaggio (1571-1610) created with his interplay of light and dark to convey mood. Her use of color contrast and pictorial symbolism is rooted in her Italian and Thai heritage and influenced by her world travels.
Palagiano’s references to mythology dovetail with MassMu’s 2021 NEA Big Read, which is based on "Circe" by Madeline Miller, a book that reimagines the life of a sorceress in Greek mythology.
The artist wrote, “My interests for this series stem from questioning who we are and where social conformity meets self-identity. I want to be able to depict the id, ego and super-ego within developmental stages of psyche. The underlying tone of the series is a sense of uncertainty in the search for affirmation of self.”
The characters serve as icebreakers that welcome varying interpretations of their perceived symbolism. Juxtaposed to the inner turmoil is a series of portraits reflecting a moment of pause where the conscious can tap into the unconscious. These portraits use water-based media to create a soft atmosphere depicting a sense of calm.
Studio M is a dedicated space made available by the museum’s expansion project to exhibit the work of contemporary artists. The gallery hosts eight exhibitions each year.
The museum maintains its building for maximum safety. Visitors must wear masks and distance themselves from others. Precautions and guidelines are posted on the museum’s website for guests to review before they visit.
Exhibitions can be seen during regular MassMu hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 2-5 p.m.
MassMu is located at 121 Lincoln Way E. in downtown Massillon. A visit is always free. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots.
For more information call 330-833-4061 or visit www.massillonmuseum.org.