Chenlu Hou and Chiara No: "What the Hands Remember to Hear"

 

Hou and No draw upon their Chinese heritage to create ceramic works that bring to mind bells and sounds.  Both artists make objects that suggest sound's potential to invoke ceremony and shared histories across cultures and time.

I particularly liked No's bell-shaped creations.  Some were hung against the wall and I thought the shadows enhanced them. 

Hou's vivid sculptures reference Chinese folklore and ritual vessels, Buddhist and Taoist temples, and memories of home.

Jennie Jieun Lee: "Luteal Elements and Grooves"

 Jennie Jieun Lee works primarily with clay.  She was transplanted from Korea to the United States when she was three.  She writes that her art navigates themes of loss, ceremony, and invention, reflecting on her lost Korean heritage and her transnational experience in America.

In the walls of the gallery where some of her ceramic works are shown, 15 min hold, Slow cool, 2025, the artist's largest textile work to date, provides a fascinating background.  Lee describes it as a monumental translation on textile of a glazed test tile.

Would I buy it?  No.  Did I understand it?  No.  But, did I enjoy seeing it?  Absolutely.

In a smaller adjoining gallery, Lee recreated the tomb of a Black nineteenth century voodoo queen in New Orleans.  At its base, the tomb has the artist's vases and dried flowers from her gardens, along with encouragement for visitors to make a wish, leave a tip, and mark the tomb with an X.

Uman: "After all the things"

 Uman now lives in upstate New York but her work draws on childhood memories in Somalia and Kenya, before diasporic experiences in Europe and the United States.

Uman's colorful paintings were hung against rich red walls, a terrific curatorial decision.  

I am not the person to interpret contemporary non-representational paintings, especially those done by an artist with a very different background from mine.  But, I can say that they made a strong positive impact on me and on the others who were in the gallery at the same time.

Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art

 Ridgefield is fortunate to have a high quality art museum on Main Street.

It was a rainy Saturday, a perfect day to spend a couple of hours inside.  The administrative offices are in this older building on the front.  

The galleries are in a newer building below.

I looked out at the older building from the second floor of the newer one.

There were some very good exhibitions.  All were foreign-born artists who had wandered elsewhere before coming to the United States.  Photos from those exhibitions will be here in the coming days. 

Pink

 I am back in Connecticut two or three weeks earlier than in recent years, so I can see trees in bloom.

A handsome cherry tree is on the corner of the First Congregational Church's property at the intersection of Main Street and West Lane.  On the left is a fountain designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert, who lived nearby and donated the fountain to the town.

Funky Vehicles

 I come across interesting vehicles.

This is an odd one, but I am originally from the Boston area, so I liked the Celtics hat on the front.

Nice paint job.  And rattan seats!

Spare tires can be pretty boring, but this guy put it to good use.

This belongs to a friend in my community.  He has another car for bigger trips, but he is a non-golfer so he uses this Moke to get around the community the way many of us use golf carts.

If you think I am running out of things to post from Naples,  you're right.  Posts from Connecticut begin tomorrow.

Naples Grande

 Naples Grande is an ultra high end hotel on the Gulf of Mexico in Naples.  It is closed for upgrades and renovations through the rest of 2026.