Zoya Tommy Gallery is pleased to present Open Your Eyes a group exhibition of emerging artists. Up and coming artists Rachel Fischer, Eric Ockrassa, Margaret McMillan and Angel Castelán will come together to display a collection of their works. In addition, the gallery will host a solo-exhibition, entitled Connected for talented artist Kay Tasuji in a separate room.
All of the works included in the show are truly unique in style and philosophy. The show will include quirky sculptures by Rachel Fischer, colorful compositions by Eric Ockrassa, narrative sculptures by Margaret McMillan and provocative portraits by Angel Castelán. Kay Tasuji will showcase her surreal drawings inspired by her Middle Eastern background.
Eric Ockrassa’s background in graphic design shines through in his marvelously colorful modern compositions. Ockrassa is inspired by the complex systems that help to shape society. The infinite organizations that are constantly used but rarely given further investigation are the foundation for his work. Eric Ockrassa has an MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Houston. He has exhibited at numerous galleries in Houston including G Gallery, 4411 Montrose Gallery, and the Lawndale Art Center, Houston.
Rachel Fischer is new to Zoya Tommy Gallery; she is a multi-media artist currently residing in Denton, Texas. Her captivating small-scale pieces exude absurdity and whimsy. Using plastic appliance parts, cosmetic sponges, horsehair, and other humble foundations, she interprets new forms that defy their material components.
Fischer’s use of painting and sculpture explores the nature of object hood in art, as it relates to America’s cultural obsession with materiality. Fischer earned her MFA in Drawing and Painting at the University of North Texas. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions at the local and national level and has had several solo-exhibitions in Texas. Most recently she co-founded the artists studios and creative space Brick Haus Collective, which received a 2015 Nasher Sculpture Center Artist Microgrant.
Margaret McMillan’s work explores narrative in sculpture, from implied to literal text. She draws deeply from the natural world but is also drawn to the potential of fantasy and worlds unencumbered by the strictures of reality. Blending the two she creates new topographies in installation, as well as objects and creatures that exist just outside the realm of the familiar. Each piece invites the viewer to engage with this narrative potential and further develop the story themselves. The features of an imaginary world need not exist only in the imagination. “I am exploring and you can come too” says McMillan. She employs a range of materials, including traditional ceramics to common household goods and found objects. Margaret McMillan received her MFA from the University of Houston in May 2015.
Angel Castelán is the youngest artist appearing in the exhibition. He is currently a BFA candidate at the University of Houston pursing a degree in Painting. Castelán brings a fresh perspective to classical portraiture. A socio-political critique of culture radiates from his paintings.