Municipal Bonds is pleased to present All the Hemispheres, a solo exhibition of works on paper by Jamie Romanet. Inspired by a poem of the same title, written by the 14th-century Persian mystic Hafiz, Romanet explores the infinite self through conceptual representation of the face and figure. Delving into existential limitlessness, her work comprises otherworldly portraits and subconscious symbols in congruence with the classical elements of matter.
In Romanet's words, "Painting for me is a vehicle to investigate existential truths, and to excavate and mine my inner geography. The emphasis of my work during recent years has turned to experimentation and intuition—washing away, bleaching, pooling, and pushing paint to find the source of the message within the work as it appears.
My artistic practice also encompasses and is influenced by poetry. I want my paintings to be like small poems that give evidence and name to emotion and our human experience. I want to call forth certain feelings that I have when I am most alone, but also most in tune with my being and others. My hope for the viewer is that they hear that call and respond to it."
There is a certain psychological intimacy in Romanet's work, as her inner narrative expresses the duality of the isolated individual as well as the shared consciousness of the group. Looking at her work, we are reminded of past artists like Louise Bourgeois or Edvard Munch who did not turn away from their anxieties or traumas, but instead used them as fuel to speak to the viewer in a universal fashion. The work is not meant to provide answers, rather it probes and asks with childlike innocence: What are we here for?
JAMIE ROMANET
Jamie Romanet (b. 1978, Farmington, CT) is an American painter living in France. Romanet graduated with a B.A. double major in Poetry and Geography from Central Connecticut State University, and later received a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Painting from the Studio Arts College International in Florence, Italy. She was awarded a Visual Artist Fellowship for her residency at the Vermont Studio Center. Romanet has exhibited in the UK, Europe, and the US, including at the Ely Center of Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT; Abigail Ogilvy Gallery, Boston, MA; and Turn Gallery, New York, NY.
GALLERY STATEMENT
Municipal Bonds—our name as well as our purpose—is a symbolic play on words. Municipalities form and encourage a concentration of people and ideas, where bonds are the connections and strengths between us. Conceived in the Bay Area, CA in 2019, Municipal Bonds is a contemporary art gallery, international in scope and cross-cultural by intention. Founded and directed by Emily Miller, Municipal Bonds seeks to enhance artists’ support, development, and exposure; and to increase the diversity of art showcased for the betterment of community, collectors, and creativity.
For all enquiries, please contact Emily Miller at 917.450.0583 or info@municipalbonds.art