Marywood University Art Galleries to Present Free Photography Exhibition
Marywood University presents the exhibition, FLIGHT OF FANCY: Photographic Imagery of Reality in Imaginary Worlds by Chala Jan. The exhibition opens on Saturday, October 18, 2014, with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m., in the Mahady Gallery, located on the first floor in the Shields Center for Visual Arts on the university’s campus. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on display through November 23.
Chala Janpraphasakul’s photography focuses on her story-telling qualities and the visual dynamic essence that she invokes in a viewer’s perception. Her photographic imagery contains elements of surrealism, combining photography and creative digital processing to render multiplicity, levitation, nature-defined movement and supernatural transformation to the subjects in her images. Her intentions are to illustrate a story without words, by using photography as an instrument that allows her to collect elements to blend into a composition that reflects her imagination. Her inspirations are taken from her surroundings, imagination, thoughts, feelings or dreams.
According to the artist, “If one asks themselves the ‘what, when, where, why and how’ questions about their surroundings, the first answer that flashes in their mind can make an extremely dynamic image, given that one needs to train their imagination to wander beyond the realm of possibility.”
Janpraphasakul was born and raised in Thailand until 1998. She attended Hunter College, New York, in 2014, and graduated with a degree in computer science. After graduating, she came to Scranton, Pa., and has worked as a software developer ever since. The digital era inspired her to apply photography as a medium to express herself. She has studied at the International Center of Photography for a well-grounded understanding in digital photography techniques and lighting.
The artist was awarded a one–person exhibition in 2014–2015 at Marywood University by the selection committee for the Northeastern Biennial Twenty Thirteen; she also was awarded first place in photography. In addition, her work received recognition with the F. Lammot Belin 2014 Emerging Artist Award.
Gallery hours are Monday, Thursday and Friday, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, from 1 – 4 p.m.
For further information or directions, visit www.marywood.edu/galleries or contact Marywood University Art Galleries at 570.348.6278, ext. 2428.