Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Boprae Studio Opening: A CultureHaus Event






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CultureHaus, a social and educational support group of the Denver Art Museum connecting the young at heart with art, hosted a Collects event at the opening of Boprae Studio on November 20 at Boprae Studio in Denver. The event featured “Edit,” an art installation by artist Richard Boprae.

“Over 200 people attended the grand opening of this new studio,” remarked Collects chairperson Michelle Losasso. “As a pioneer of the Wynwood Art District in Miami, Boprae’s decision to relocate to Denver will definitely be an asset to the art community here.”

“Over the years, through my sculpted pieces, I have shown the importance of the voided space,” Boprae explains about his installation titled “Edit.” “In this new show, I am highlighting this void by simply editing the elements of my work. I am stripping it to its bare minimum, and realize that when it is stripped of all, only then can the voided space really shine.”

“‘Edit’ highlights the negative space created by patterns and will bring to light the beauty that lays between the lines. It is also the title of the main wall installation, an example of the adaptability of my work into design,” finished Boprae.

Attendees perused smaller installations at “Edit,” symbolically representing different aspects of life, entitled “White Picket Fence,” “Vises,” and “Element of Green.” The pieces are created so that viewers can mingle through them and become the voided space between them.

Boprae is a French Canadian artist from Montreal, who, through his travels around the world, found inspiration from the natural elements and the legacy of traditional art. The rich textures he has encountered in sacred spaces often serve as the backdrop for his opulent designs.

Boprae’s art brings ancient totemic hand-carving techniques and organic elements to contemporary design. His diverse body of work includes work on canvas, decorative murals, sculpted architectural panels, screens, and room dividers that are commissioned for private and commercial installations.

His unique self-taught style consists of sculpted patterns crafted in cement and applied to carved wood, wood panels, and canvas. He uses this cement base to create a high-relief texture, which is later coated in color. The three-dimensional aspect of the work’s final result brings his art closer to the family of sculpture.

Boprae’s work has been featured in a variety of solo and group exhibitions throughout the U.S., Canada, and Japan. His screens and room divider creations have been published in various international design publications, including Architecture Digest Italia, American LifeStyle, Florida Design, and Blue Print Directory. His architectural panel was recently used for the set of the Bravo TV show, Top Chef. In addition, his work has been commissioned for various residential and commercial installations, including Karu&Y Restaurant, OceanSide Realty, and Majestic Property—all in Miami; Clinique L’Actuelle in Canada; and Salgari Fabrica in Colombia.

For more information on Richard Boprae, visit www.boprae.com.

CultureHaus, a social and educational extension of the Denver Art Museum, connects the young at heart with art. CultureHaus provides its members with a wide range of opportunities to learn about art and collecting. At exclusive events held nearly every month, members and guests can enjoy unique insights about art, private exhibition viewings, and the chance to meet other art enthusiasts. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and others formed CultureHaus in 1997 to create awareness for the Denver Art Museum and the arts amongst the 25 to 40 year-old demographic. For more information, visit www.culturehaus.com.

Photo credit to Heather Owens.

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