Ron Hicks

Introspective Reflection, the latest solo exhibition by Ron Hicks opens at Bonner David Galleries in New York City from October 10 through November 9, 2024. The gallery will host an artist's reception Thursday, October 17th from 6-8pm with Hicks in attendance.

Introspective Reflection is a result of Hicks merging two seemingly disparate painting styles- abstraction and classical realism. The paintings in this exhibition begin with traditional portraiture in look and style but Hick's mastery of the medium allows the inherent realism to be overtaken by color and the abstract patterning created with the paint.

"In recent years, my work has changed a lot," says Hicks. "Not in form as I have always been concerned with humanity in some shape or fashion but in some respects, these are self-portraits or reflections of views of how I have been responding to things I see. I paint my truth, and these dialogues are all out there on the canvas." While Hicks has always focused on the figure and expressed copious emotions through his figurative work, he stepped back recently and realized that everything is an abstraction in its true nature.

"Even in representation, there is never true realism," says Hicks. "When I am teaching portraiture, I am concerned with light, shadow, and space. But I also wanted to pull back and let people interpret the work in a more organic and natural way. I do not want to dictate what I am painting. I want that to reveal itself to people in a wholly different and more organic way. What is the truth that I am putting out there?"

For gallery owner Christi Manuelito, this combination of realism and abstraction elevates the work to a spiritual level that opens itself up to the audience. "Ron Hicks' figurative and portrait paintings are God's gift to the art world," says Manuelito. "Beautifully textured abstraction combined with his award-winning portraiture allures the heart and mind of the viewer."