Artist makes paintings personal with stories
Get ready to be taken on a journey —- not a physical journey but one of the soul.
Summerlin artist Nja Oné plans to present "Pennies From Heaven," a program explaining the stories behind the artwork in her "Art Coming to Life" exhibit, at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd.
In the 90-minute program, Oné plans to explore the subconscious process that led to the various characters depicted in her portraits and take attendees along for the ride.
Each painting touches on another facet of life, change and inner growth. Many have a glimpse of their back stories written below.
It "provides the viewer with the opportunity to begin a dialogue and perhaps identify with the portrait’s journey, perspective, purpose and experience, " said M. Jewel Jeppë, senior cultural activities specialist at the West Las Vegas Arts Center. "As a viewer, you are informally introduced to the subject in the portrait and drawn into their story."
One of the latest paintings is "Najee’s Bad Day," the story of a little boy who doesn’t understand when told his mother is now "sleeping with the angels."
Then there’s "Calilou," an old woman who has "seen lots of birthdays and too many funerals." The original painting is on display at Agassi Preparatory.
"Wedding Day" puts the viewer into the mindset of a young bride who suddenly realizes she will never see her village again.
Perhaps the most stunning is "Village Princess," a large piece that holds center court in the exhibit room and demands attention. With her vivid orange outfit and steady stare, she wears the weight of her position.
Taken all together, the paintings are a journey of life and of transformation, if you will.
Oné underwent her own transformation after her mother died, a blow so devastating she shut down and sheltered herself from the world.
"In that dark period, that’s when these people came to me," she said of the characters she’s painted. "By telling their stories, telling their lives, they helped me get better … They told me to share this with people, so they (other people) can get better, too."
The exhibit’s artwork was done over the last few years. Oné is a prolific artist; three paintings, one sculpture and five vases in the show were done in the past 10 months. That’s in addition to her commissioned artwork and murals that appear on buildings downtown.
Oné was approached about the show in the early spring. She said when she walked into the display room at the arts center and saw the African mural on the wall and the carved tools and seats, she knew her artwork would fit right in. Oné incorporates fabric and jewelry on her portraits, giving a 3D effect.
A former show at the arts center included a mural of an African landscape, complete with rain trees. The arts center opted not to have it painted over but covered it with a curtain.
Lisa Russell, cultural specialist for the West Las Vegas Arts Center, said when Oné peeked behind the curtain, she expressed a desire to include the mural as a backdrop for her pieces.
"She was inspired to create a few new pieces to go with it," she said. "It became a good union of both. Everything just connected."
Those new pieces are wall sculptures of fabric-covered, painted poles, grouped together to make a village. Each pole represents a person, Oné said, and their "clothes" give clues to their personalities.
"There are no faces, so you can project your own face onto them," she said.
Oné said a person’s innate interests will lead them to their purpose in life. How does one know they’re on the right path? Deja vu.
She said she has many deja vu moments, and that’s how she knows she’s doing what she was meant to do. She equated it to following a map.
"Every time one happens, it’s like passing a checkpoint," she said.
The show went up Sept. 14. The "Pennies From Heaven" presentation will cap off the final day of the exhibit.
Admission is free. The exhibit is up now through Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays.
For more information, call 229-4800.
Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.
‘Pennies From Heaven’Summerlin artist Nja Oné plans to talk about the stories behind her paintings in "Pennies From Heaven" at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd.
Admission is free, and the exhibit is up now through Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays.
For more information, call 229-4800.
