Delicate Beauty and Daily Experiences Are Highlighted in New STL Airport Exhibitions
Posted on November 30, 2018 in News
(November 30, 2018 – St. Louis, MO) Two new exhibitions on display at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) remind travelers of the delicate beauty of daily experiences through carefully crafted hand-blown glass and oil paintings. The exhibitions, by St. Louis area artists Kaeko Maehata and Brian DePauli, are uniquely crafted using intricate, labor-intensive detail that encourages viewers to challenge their focus on daily life and reimagine natural beauty.
Kaeko Maehata’s exhibition, SHIRO-KURO and IRO-IRO, is composed entirely of hand crafted glass vases and flowers, using traditional European and Japanese glass blowing techniques. Blending colored and clear glass, Maehata plays with patterns and colors so that the flowers seem so bountiful that they overflow their containers. A former graphic designer, Maehata trained in glass blowing at the Toyama Institute of Glass Art in Toyama, Japan. According to Maehata, “Glass is the most exciting material I have ever worked with. I love its unlimited possibilities.” SHIRO-KURO and IRO-IRO are now on display in the Terminal 1 Ticketing Lounge now through June 5, 2019.
Brian DePauli’s exhibition The Proper Aim of Work is to Provide Leisure is composed of two oil paintings, Life’s a Beach and Retired, that use humor and optimism to remind viewers that each day provides the opportunity for new experiences. A multidisciplinary artist, DePauli’s work functions on multiple levels, from surface meaning to deeper conceptual themes. These themes “remind us to ignore what is fleeting or inconsequential and embrace the joyful aspects of life,” says DePauli. The Proper Aim of Work is to Provide Leisure is on display in Terminal 2, between gates E18 and E20 now through May 27, 2019.
SHIRO-KURO, IRO-IRO, and The Proper Aim of Work is to Provide Leisure are part of the Lambert Art & Culture Program’s temporary exhibitions program. The program is supported by the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis.
Kaeko Maehata and Brian DePauli were chosen to exhibit in the Lambert Art & Culture Program through the Airport’s seven-member Airport Art Advisory Committee. Current members are Lisa Cakmak, Associate Curator of Ancient Art at Saint Louis Art Museum; Ellen Gale, Executive Director Clayton Chamber of Commerce; Shelley Hagan, Wells Fargo Curator Corporate Art; Leslie Markle, Curator of Public Art, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum; Kiku Obata, Founding Principal of Kiku Obata & Co.; Roseann Weiss, consultant with ART+; and design artist and illustrator Carlos Zamora.
The mission of the Lambert Art and Culture Program is to create a visually outstanding impression of St. Louis Lambert International Airport, generate community pride, and ensure that art at the airport continues to complement and build upon the airport’s rich visual legacy. The program aims to highlight the St. Louis region’s unique art and culture, while also showcasing national and international works, focusing on both visual and performing arts. Currently, there are 29 works of art (temporary, permanent or on-loan) on exhibit at the Airport. For more information, visit www.artoftravelstl.com.