Many stories to tell
- frida@artyardbklyn.org
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
This week in Advanced Studio on zoom AYB Artist Neah Gray presented Chinese Astrology: The Year of the Horse.
Neah writes: “Our AYB community often enjoys astrology, symbolism and cultural storytelling, and our preparation for the new year is no different. As we migrate into the new year, this week’s lesson explored similarities and differences between astrological zodiac signs and Chinese zodiac animals. We learned different cultural layers related to the Chinese New Year, including the lunar calendar, zodiac animals, natural elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water), the Chinese zodiac wheel and their meanings. Together we learned the folktale of The Great Race, which determines the order of the zodiac animals, and we discussed the symbolism behind the Year of the Snake (2025) and the incoming Year of the Horse (2026).
Images from Neah’s presentation
We connected these themes with the work of two influential Chinese artists, Qi Baishi and Xu Beihong. Baishi was a painter noted for his whimsical, playful and scenic style of work, often traveling and painting scenic places throughout China. Beihong, was also a well-known painter, highly regarded for his Chinese ink paintings and artistic leadership during the 20th century.
The Year of the Snake represented wisdom, transformation, growth, renewal and rebirth. Our upcoming Year of the Horse represents power, freedom, movement, new beginnings, quick action, and forward momentum. So if this past year felt like the slow process of a snake shedding its skin, then the symbolism of the Chinese New Year tells us that 2026 is a brighter year to look forward to.
I was blown away by the collective experiences and interpretations my class shared when approaching our artwork.
Flo and Pat’s pieces visualized the hard and painful act of a snake constricting its prey and the tension of being stuck, a theme many could resonate with in 2025.
Pat describes her concept: “It's a rough sketch--maybe as ephemeral as a snake's skin--showing the snake of the old year curling around an amphora (representing the water jug of Aquarius, my sun sign), with a fiery horse clambering its way out from the mouth of the vase. The horse's foreleg, part of the snake, and the right handle of the amphora are all confused together. On the other hand I'm not sure how a horse fits in an amphora in the first place, even a very big one.
I was so taken by the image of the snake when Neah started talking about it. My sister is Year of the Snake and definitely shows the good characteristics of a Snake. Last Halloween there was a vase you could get at Target with a snake curled around it. I should have picked one up but never did. There's something about the sinuous curving of the snake--all fluid movement--around the fixed clay or stone of a vase that stays with me.
The horse was inspired by (in addition to the paintings Neah showed us) the statue of Blucifer in Denver, the inexplicably large, inexplicably blue statue of a horse with glowing red eyes. I've never seen it in person (and it's blue, not red) but it has a chaotic energy to it that seems to push things in the direction of a very fiery Fire Horse.
Water jugs are on my mind because we had to deal with a drip under the kitchen sink. The water jar of Aquarius is the space to hold that chaotic energy.”
Neah continues: Lila and Nayarit’s vibrant digital collages are a beautiful representation of the multifaceted layers of life and transition. Nayarit’s red cultural symbols represent the fiery and forward energy of the new year, while Lila’s golds, reds and crab (the Cancer zodiac symbol) signify triumph and victory for surviving a snake year.
Nayarit Tineo, Chinese Astrology l & ll
Vera B. gets into the concept of time elapsing with her Year of the Horse hour glass image.
Cammi blends her signs - Year of the Pig and Scorpio!
Vee’s artwork represents being one with the energy of the horse. Their centaur self portrait carries an expression of calmness and serenity, choosing peace and balance amidst the fire.
Adji’s goat is a gorgeous drawing, with an expression that is suggestive, calm and intuitive. It signals the mystery behind a new year ahead, and the confidence it takes to move forward.
This lesson overall was timely and full circle — Adji and I traveled to China together in December 2019 and recently reconnected through ART YARD BKLYN last year. Adji’s tarot readings at our Exhibition Gala last month, and her previous class creating tarot cards tied perfectly into the themes of transitioning into a new year. Vee also joined our Zoom class this week from China! She shared her experiences so far and some Mandarin she’s learned during her trip.
Meridith’s New Year mini calendar was a perfection addition to the dollhouse (which was pictured next to mini versions of our tarot cards from Adji’s class).
I enjoyed the freehand repetition of Karla’s horses and the subtle yet powerful expressions on Leah’s centaur figure.
Although the Chinese New Year doesn’t start until February 17th, we can still learn important lessons related to life transitions, new beginnings, personal changes, overcoming challenges and shifting energies from its traditions.”
In Advanced Studio in person at 180 Franklin Avenue AYB Artist Ajani Russell introduced Barkley L. Hendricks’ landscape paintings created during the artist’s annual winter sojourns. Shaped canvases with a view to an enticing place, we took this work as a springboard for our own watercolor paintings of views places remembered or wistfully drawn to.
Ajani writes: “ I introduced artist Barkley Hendricks landscape paintings and assigned the task of creating watercolors inspired by a place you saw out of a window while traveling with specific attention to the framing. Barkley Hendrix paintings were done in Jamaica. The colors, composition and subject matter he chose are very specific to the place he’s working from.
Participating artists were asked to focus on what time of day the temperature and the weather was at the place that they were painting because this would change the color palette for their own paintings.
Richie did two pieces of the same place his bus route to work- one shows this place in the winter and one shows this place in the summer. The color palette between the two are drastically different but the place feels the same.
Richard Lee Chong, Porthole Vista
Colin, Jules and Evelyn created pieces from the perspective of a car window.
Colin’s piece was very vibrant depicting the beach where he grew up. The palm trees lining the street, disappearing into the distance, added to the feeling that you were in a car.
Evelyn’s piece used very saturated colors the shape of the frame leads the viewer to know exactly which seat in the car they were sitting in.
Jules place was rendered within a trapezoid frame, naturally bringing the viewers’ eyes from the bottom to the top of the piece. This created a tunnel like effect mimicking the tunnel she painted.
Seb’s peace, illustrated an air streamer window viewing Joshua tree. The silhouette of the Joshua tree makes the location very apparent to the viewer. The color scheme also indicates that it’s close to dusk.
Aaron’s desert scene is depicted in a well rendered wooden frame.
Ajani, Georgia-Rae and Meridith’s paintings were all in circular frames. Both Meridith and Georgia-Rae’s depict trees. Georgis-Rae’s appeared to be a daytime rendition of a woody area in the Catskills and Meredith’s was Rome, Italy at night. Meridith’s use of contrast invokes the feeling of moonlight while Georgia’s color palette feels more like daytime.
Travis’s aerial view of land from an airplane window was very textured with a more mild color palette. The brushstrokes create a lot of movement in this piece.
Similarly Jas and Kim’s sunsets in Brooklyn had a lot of texture that made the sky feel very rich.
In our only interior view, Lilo lovingly captures her family’s Jamaican home through the alluring arch doorway.
"The roads and fields I find myself on and in have many stories to tell beyond my creative motivations and responses to what I see around me" Barkley L. Hendricks
Managing Director Dennis Buonagura reports: “I met with school administrators of PS 6 in Jersey City to discuss our upcoming programming cycles starting January 9th. We chatted about budget (!), our theme of migration, and they even offered options for exhibition dates. They are always on the ball - organized and looking forward to our return.
It's hard to believe that we started at PS 6 in 2013 (maybe earlier?) - the kids we taught back then are probably medical school graduates by now.”
Pictures of ART YARD Art Matters at PS6 in action over the years:
Dennis overseeing everything - including classes, exhibition installation, docent training and maintenance!
Other Art News
As the semester comes to a close, the AYB Artists enrolled in college are finishing up final projects!
AYB Artist TJ Edgar, currently studying at Spelman College, shares: “This is my final piece for my photography class. The five images on the left are my recreations of the five on the right which we sourced from an archive of images of Black people from the 20th century. It was super, super fun and really allowed me to get creative. The models are all my friends.”
AYB Artist Mia Lew, currently studying at RISD, writes: “This is my design final. Trace monotypes on paper, cut and woven for the two longer sides and hand sewed. It’s a lot more structured looking when I’m inside it! I’m really proud of this and am going to submit it for a Boston printmakers thing.”
Mia Lew, Woven Bag, 2025
AYB Artist Assata Benoit shared her most recently completed drawing from her current series of long curved neck figures:
I (Meridith) am pleased to report the miniature catalogue for my upcoming exhibition Peer More Closely is ready and on its way with the other art (big & small) to the Museum of Miniature Houses in Carmel Indiana, where it will be on view from February 2026- February 2027.
Exhibitions to See & Artists Talks
AYB Teaching Artist Aisha Tandiwe Bell invites us to the artists talk for Reconstruction in Relief, an exhibition she has curated for Tiger Strikes Asteroid, 1329 Willoughby Ave., Brooklyn, tomorrow Saturday December 13, 4-6pm.
I enjoyed an afternoon of exhibition hopping in lower Manhattan and have several exhibitions I recommend you catch before they close:
Beautiful painted ‘tankas’ and works on paper, many in a loose almost impressionistic style, others composed of strong geometric/triangular abstraction by Faith Ringgold at (the oh-so-swank) Jack Shainman, 46 Lafayette Street, through January 24, 2026.
Faith Ringgold on view at Jack Shainman. Photos by Meridith McNeal.
Flight of the White Heron Clan is a wonderful solo exhibition by Santiago Yahuarcani at Stephen Freman Gallery, 54 Franklin Street, through January 17, 2026. “An advocate for the rights of the White Heron (Áimeni) clan—his family within the Uitoto nation—and a leading figure in contemporary Indigenous art, Yahuarcani paints on llanchama, a bark cloth that he harvests and prepares by hand.”
A striking site-specific exhibition/installation, Kiki Smith The Moon Watches The Earth, debuts a series of new bronzes, drawings, and prints produced in recent years alongside sculptural works and they work wonderfully together! The exhibition is on view at Pace, 125 Newbury, through January 10, 2026
Kiki Smith, The Moon Watches The Earth at Pace. Photos by Meridith McNeal
Also on my favorites of the day is The Voice of Space: UFOs and Paranormal Phenomenon at The Drawing Center, 35 Wooster Street, a excellent eclectic grouping of artists with a wide range of approaches and styles. Something for everyone. I am pleased to say as it is the year of Migration, (UFO’s!) we will have an Advanced Studio session visit to see the show on January!
Installation view of Voice of Space: UFOs and Paranormal Phenomena at the Drawing Center. Left to right: Stephen Willats, "Traveling with the Good Connector" (2019), Isa Genzken, "Welempfänger Daniel (World Receiver)" (1990). René Magritte’s Voice of Space (1931), and Howaerdina Pindell Astronomy: Northern Hemisphere (August-September 1997) (2000–01), Adam Putnam, Visualization#136, 2021-22. Photos by Meridith McNeal.
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