Bushwick Gallery presents Soft Shadows, a group exhibition curated by Daphney Estrada featuring thirteen contemporary artists whose works explore quiet transformation, subtle illumination, and the emotional spaces that exist between presence and restraint. On view from March 19 through March 26, 2026, the exhibition brings together painting, photography, printmaking, mixed media, and installation to examine how change often emerges gradually rather than through spectacle.
Soft Shadows
Curated by Daphney Estrada
March 19 - March 26, 2026
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 19, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Bushwick Gallery
22 Fayette Street
Brooklyn, NY
Rather than focusing on dramatic gestures or overt declarations, Soft Shadows centers on works that reveal themselves slowly. Through layered surfaces, intimate scale, environmental observation, and contemplative imagery, the participating artists investigate how memory, vulnerability, spiritual reflection, and environmental awareness shape contemporary experience. Each work offers a different perspective on transformation, encouraging viewers to slow down and engage with subtle shifts in perception.
Several works establish key conceptual touchpoints within the exhibition. Gina Keatley's Latitude: Oku presents a large-scale triptych composed of dense black fields interrupted by a restrained bronze register. Built through layered acrylic surfaces and controlled scraping, the work explores depth, persistence, and the quiet expansion of space through sustained viewing.
Rachel Herring's installation 53 Days examines the relationship between time, attention, and contemporary technology. Through a slow-moving projection of light that transforms the gallery into a human-scale sundial, the work invites viewers to reconsider their relationship to time and digital attention.
Yulissa Cortinas contributes works from her Leap Series, a group of small paintings depicting figures suspended between hesitation and motion. Through expressive gestures and a restrained palette, the series explores the emotional threshold where vulnerability and courage intersect.
Other artists in the exhibition contribute diverse material approaches to the theme. Aubrienne Bergeron's mixed-media works Peony in Ink I and Peony in Ink II draw on memory and family history through fluid watercolor and ink compositions layered onto wood panel. Eva Mesa's Crucifix embeds a physical crucifix into painted cotton, transforming a personal object into a reflection on faith, family memory, and cultural inheritance.
Helen Zhang contributes hand-carved block prints including Homecoming and Comfort in the Discomfort, while Johanna Arganbright's figurative painting Full Yet? explores anxiety and introspection through layered oil painting.
Kevin Jackson's photograph after the storm captures a quiet moment in nature following a sudden thunderstorm, reflecting his attention to atmosphere and landscape.
Moira Kelly's painting Annunciation introduces a luminous oil surface that explores emotional tension and transformation through shifting color and form.
Ronnie Williams' textured acrylic works CLAY and THE EDGE use layered materials and tactile mark making to explore vulnerability and resilience.
Sandra Tan's photographs Wildlife Underpass and Interwoven examine sites where natural ecosystems intersect with built infrastructure. Spencer Patrick's painting Pray depicts a solitary figure kneeling in prayer within a contemporary interior, reflecting on spirituality within modern environments. Valentina Benaglio contributes the portraits Ephemeral Dream and Fading Fragments, exploring memory and identity through layered oil painting.
Together, the artists in Soft Shadows create an atmosphere where subtle gestures and quiet moments carry significant emotional weight. The exhibition invites viewers to slow down, look closely, and consider how transformation often unfolds gradually through reflection and observation.
Participating Artists
Aubrienne Bergeron, Eva Mesa, Gina Keatley, Helen Zhang, Johanna Arganbright, Kevin Jackson, Moira Kelly, Rachel Herring, Ronnie Williams, Sandra Tan, Spencer Patrick, Valentina Benaglio, Yulissa Cortinas
About Bushwick Gallery
Bushwick Gallery is a contemporary art space in Brooklyn, New York dedicated to supporting emerging and established artists through curated exhibitions that highlight innovation, experimentation, and diverse artistic voices.
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