Anna Rita Alatan, also known as ARA, creates images with an almost magical sense of presence, as if the painting is a window from reality, showing us all that lies beyond. Her worlds are infused with a feeling of poise and timelessness, something that becomes clearer when one focuses on the subjects of the artworks.

The female figures who dominate the works are presented in almost tangible detail, yet their expressions make it clear that they are not entirely grounded in reality. Rather, the scene that surrounds them gives us an insight into what is going on in their minds, giving shape and form to the ideas and thoughts that possess them. ARA's gift is to make each painting both utterly believable and yet simultaneously dreamlike.

The exhibition The Poetry of Color: Anna Rita Alatan / a Solo Exhibition begins on November 4, 2014 and continue until November 25, 2014. The opening reception is on November 6. Entrance is free and art lovers are encouraged to attend and enjoy these intriguing images.

About the Artist

Painting in acrylics on canvas, ARA makes the most of a color palette that runs from intense reds to soft, dreamy blues and lilacs. Her ability to animate those colors with light results in images that seem to glow from within, lending each painting an aura of spirituality. Her keen sense of space and depth gives weight and presence to abstract backgrounds, turning the world of dreams into a convincing reality. "Paint can create atmospheres of magic where anything can happen," she says, and her paintings are living examples of that magic.

But it is ARA's ability to give the dreamlike world she depicts a vibrant and direct sense of life that ultimately makes her images so powerful. Although the women in her images often seem to hover weightlessly before the viewer, their faces and bodies come across as thoroughly real and present. The artist's sharp eye for facial expressions and her skill at capturing the positions of her subjects' bodies in a believable way make the fantasy worlds that contain them all the more compelling. She turns the dreams that she presents into stories with flesh-and-blood heroines. Calling her work "painted poetry," ARA says that the desire to tell stories is a main part of what inspires her, and the vivid scenarios of her paintings fulfill that intention.

Exhibition Dates: November 4, 2014 – November 25, 2014
Reception: Thursday, November 6, 2014, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat 11-6
Gallery Location: 530 West 25th St, Chelsea, New York
Event URL: http://www.agora-gallery.com/artistpage/Anna_Rita_Alatan_%28ARA%29.aspx

About Agora Gallery

Agora Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in the heart of Chelsea's fine art district in New York. Established in 1984, Agora Gallery specializes in connecting art dealers and collectors with national and international artists. The art gallery's expert consultants are available to assist corporate and private clients in procuring original artwork to meet their organization's specific needs and budget requirements. With a strong online presence and popular online gallery, ARTmine, coupled with the spacious and elegant physical gallery space, the work of our talented artists, who work in diverse media and styles, can receive the attention it deserves. Over the years Agora Gallery has sponsored and catered to special events aimed at fostering social awareness and promoting the use of art to help those in need.