Ema Ri is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses painting, drawing, sculpture, video, and installation, in an ongoing exploration of relationships, the human body and spirit, the natural world, and cycles of transformation. The paintings and installation featured in this exhibition embody the traditions of Baroque vanitas vignettes and classical Roman memento mori – reminders that we will all move on from this world. Ri’s approach blends the philosophies of Abstract Expressionism, Tonalism, and Impressionism, manifesting in dramatic and organic floral still lifes that serve as a reminder to give oneself space for grace, balance, and release.
The artist’s identity also profoundly shapes their practice. As a second-generation Cuban American and queer artist, Ri’s perspective invites contemplation of displacement, vulnerability, reflection, and tenderness, the positive forces of which are thoughtfully extended to the viewer, nurturing quietude for one’s soul.
Ri’s paintings exist in a space that honors the traditions of action and gesture in Abstract Expressionism, the dreamy, subdued palettes of Tonalism, and the fleeting moments of natural light in Impressionism. Ri uses their hands, putting their body and a part of themselves, their essence, into each work by massaging, pushing, and scratching oil paint across the canvas.
In Spellbound (2026), Ri captures the discord and rapture of a wild patch of unidentifiable plant life revealed against a dark, poetic sky tinged with blue. The telescopic composition of You can only see as far as your heart allows (2026) churns in a circular motion, guiding the viewer’s mind and eye through arching stalks that bend like a cresting wave toward a distant and hazy horizon. These wistful moments operate as a meditation for Ri to recognize and communicate parallels between our human experience of life and the natural world. Who’s Watching Who (2026) expands this perception, illuminating an intimate conversation between the artist, their muted yet expressive subject, and ultimately the viewer, all energetically existing and reflected in the paint’s deep hues.
Flowers transform from encased seedlings into attractive blossoms laden with pollen. Some become fruit, bearing new seeds before wilting and returning to the earth to fertilize, only to be resurrected in the next generation. They can be physically fragile yet tenaciously resilient, emerging from cracks in the pavement or the ash of a fire. Native wildflowers are often considered weeds in our neighborhoods.
Nevertheless, they continue to bloom despite rejection. These qualities, rich with metaphors in a spiritual connection to human existence, are why Ri is so drawn to depicting and working with flora. In This Way! (2026), bright orange tropical buds with hints of chartreuse and purple leaves shoot energetically upward from a dense, forested backdrop, suggesting that we follow their metamorphic lead through life.
Lush seventeenth-century Baroque vanitas scenes, built on the wisdom of memento mori, featured luxurious items such as wilting florals, musical instruments, bubbles, and gold, functioning as metaphors for our own fleeting lives. The ashen and swampy terrain of This Ends Here (2026) is electrified by a red shoot, fire, or lightning in an almost chiaroscuro-like contrast of light unveiled by Ri. The glowing warm color appears ethereal, like a specter or spirit – a visualization of the undiscovered forces of nature, released.
Let it all out (2026), in its massive scale, reveals ephemerality through rippling water mirrored below golden plants. The atmosphere and downward movement of paint echo the momentary sounds of falling sheets of rain, like liberating tears. Beneath this massive canvas lies a pedestal of dried flower petals, frozen in time, and impressed with the artist’s form. Ri’s expression and imprint unfurl here in a lyrical insight into equilibrium, inviting meditation on grief and departure through an awareness in reverence of flowers.
