Akwaaba Gallery Presents “Light Within Darkness” by Abstract Painter Tamara Torres

(NEWARK, NJ) — Akwaaba Gallery in Newark presents “Light In Darkness” by Tamara Torres. This is a collection of abstract paintings that evoke feelings of desolation, hope, comfort, epiphany and spirituality. The Exhibition will run through June 17, 2023.

“I call them emotional landscapes because it’s unspoken darkness, things that aren’t talked about, and glimpses of light, moments of hope and shine,’’ said Torres, a self-taught artist  based in Trenton.  “That’s what I want people to get from these paintings—to see something new, a place they can swim in and hide. I want people who feel lost to see the light in the painting, to find that within themselves.’’

Torres is the second artist to be represented by Akwaaba Gallery.

Many paintings from the “Light Within Darkness” collection feature cavernous fields of darkness, shot through with luminosity. Small human forms that Torres calls “shadow people” are often half-obscured.

“They are unspoken, forgotten, these angels we have in our lives. They’re not here, but they make themselves seen,’’ explained Torres, who has exhibited her work both locally and internationally.

Several paintings are interspersed with images of the cross. “It’s a reminder that there’s something greater, something bigger than all of us that we can see and have and a peace with,’’ she says. “It’s a symbol of forgiveness, forgiving yourself, forgiving others.’’

Torres’ paintings–especially her color palette of pinks, purples, yellows and turquoise–draw from her Afro-Caribbean heritage as the daughter of Puerto Rican parents who came to the U.S. before she was born. The struggles and sense of loss she witnessed and experienced during her youth in Trenton are also a source of inspiration.

“A lot of people I grew up with, a lot of them didn’t make it or ended up in jail or passed away,’’ said Torres. “I could have easily been a statistic so many times in my life.”

The pieces in the exhibition are mostly oil and acrylic paintings on cotton canvas and created within the past three years, with many influenced by the fear and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. They range in size, with the largest measuring 6X6.

There will be an opening reception for “Light In Darkness” on Saturday, April 29th from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.

Torres, who has worked on many community-based art programs, has exhibited her paintings in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Chicago and Europe. She  has been painting for more than 10 years and began her career in visual arts as a photographer. Later, she used her images as a basis for collage.

“I lived in really low income, broken neighborhoods,’’ said Torres. “I would rip them up and make things that are hard look beautiful.’’

The collage process led Torres to explore abstract painting, a medium that was foreign to her at the time. As a woman of color who does abstract work, Torres says she often finds herself defying expectations.

“The minute you see a woman of color be an abstract painter, especially as an African- Caribbean painter, you’re expected to be painting palm trees, something that’s pretty and kind and beautiful,’’ she said. “ And there’s nothing wrong with that kind of art form, but for myself, it’s not my story. I grew up in a poor, urban community, and I’m trying to find the light constantly in everything I do.’’

Akwaaba Gallery is located at 509 S. Orange Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. The gallery opened on February 15, 2019. Akwaaba Gallery is a hidden Newark gem located in the historic Fairmont neighborhood. The gallery features diverse and eclectic contemporary works of art in various mediums. Akwaaba’s mission is to engage the community and public with exhibitions featuring emerging local, regional, national and international artists. Akwaaba Gallery is quickly becoming the art hub of the West Ward and a welcoming venue to the community and surrounding towns.