HomeNewsNorth Charleston City Gallery to exhibit works by Vik Hart (Charleston) & Pascale Bilgis (Lexington)

North Charleston City Gallery to exhibit works by Vik Hart (Charleston) & Pascale Bilgis (Lexington)

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that mixed media works by Vik Hart of Charleston, SC, and Pascale Bilgis of Lexington, SC, will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from September 1-30, 2019. The artists will host a free public reception for their concurrent solo exhibitions at the gallery on Thursday, September 5, from 5:00-7:00pm.

– New work by Vik Hart
In his exhibition, Far Fields, Vik Hart presents a series of imaginative acrylic paintings set in a fictional land he calls “Firn.” By setting all of his paintings in this imaginary land, Hart creates narrative strands between his paintings. “I love the idea of world building in fiction,” says Hart, “and one of my goals when I paint is to have information in the work for the viewers who want to know more beyond the initial visual image. I often get comments that my pieces remind the viewer of different things they’ve seen before. Often times these will be books, movies, cartoons, and TV shows. While my work isn’t directly derived from any one piece of existing media, I enjoy the general sense of nostalgia it gives to others who see it.” Hart seeks to preserve spontaneity in his artistic practice and works in fast-drying acrylic and watercolor medium so that he can quickly make corrections and changes to his images.

Vik Hart received his Associates Degree in Commercial Graphics in 2014 from Trident Technical College. His paintings have been exhibited in group and solo shows throughout Charleston, SC, including shows at The Southern, Redux, Beresford Studios, and Saul Alexander Gallery. He currently teaches a Character Creation class through Fabulon Studios. Learn more about the artist at www.vikhart.com.

HOME – New work by Pascale Bilgis
Abstract Expressionist Pascale Bilgis is a multimedia artist focusing on landscapes. In her series Home, Bilgis recalls significant landscapes from her own life: the small French village of her childhood; Turkey, where she worked as an archeological photographer; and her current home, South Carolina. Working in acrylic, Bilgis splits her compositions into geometric sections using different color palettes to show the landscapes in different times of day or different seasons. She adds buildings in ceramic or wood relief. The architecture of the buildings helps identify her landscapes as belonging to specific regions: she creates the simple cottages of rural France, the bustling cityscape of Istanbul, and the nostalgic country houses of South Carolina. She chooses to show the buildings in ceramic relief to emphasize the durability of human habitations in contrast to the natural world, which reflects the changing seasons. “As the landscape is ever changing, homes remain in their original state,” Bilgis says.

Pascale Bilgis received her BA in photography from the University of South Carolina. After graduating, she worked as an archaeological photographer in southern Turkey and as an art assistant at the Pierre LOTI French School of Istanbul. While in Turkey she began to pursue a new passion for painting and ceramics. She currently lives in Lexington, SC, where she has had many solo exhibitions. She is a member of South Carolina Artists. Learn more about the artist at www.pascalebilgis.com.

The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in two corridors of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. The exhibition space is at the northwest corner of the Convention Center adjacent to the Coliseum, facing International Boulevard. Parking and admission are free. The gallery is open 9:00am-5:00pm daily, with an attendant present Tuesdays 12-5pm, Wednesdays 11am-5pm, Thursdays 11am-7:30pm, and Fridays 11am-5pm.  Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website.