December 09, 2023 – February 18, 2024
About:
Born in Lancaster, artist Huê Thi Hoffmaster indulges in the timeless motif of the floral still life, imagining his bouquets as “the mark of the gift-giver.” Much like their giver, the flowers possess personalities and — if he listens closely enough — Hoffmaster can draw a story out of their silence.
**Huê Thi Hoffmaster, Motions, 2023, Oil on canvas, 36 x 30 in
Related Events:
Huê Thi Hoffmaster: Your Presence/Presents Celebration
January 26, 2024, 7 pm
Downtown Location, 416 Market St. Lewisburg, PA
The Samek Art Museum invites you to hear remarks from artist Huê Thi Hoffmaster and guest curator Brooke Molinaroli as they give an overview of their exhibition and the mystery behind Huê Thi’s creative process. Enjoy light refreshments as you take in Hoffmaster’s interpretation of the timeless floral still-life motif.
Curatorial Text:
Huê Thi Hoffmaster: Your Presence/Presents
In Your Presence/Presents, the Vietnamese-American artist Huê Thi Hoffmaster indulges in the timeless motif of the floral still life, imagining his bouquets as “the mark of the gift-giver.” These flowers take up space, both physical and mental, and weight their atmosphere with a lingering presence. Much like their giver, the flowers possess personalities and — if he listens closely enough — Hoffmaster can draw a story out of their silence.
Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and educated at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Hoffmaster has spent his early career exploring the full spectrum of abstraction and representation; this suite of paintings reflects the formal breadth of his vision. Oscillating between improvisation and meticulous rendition, Hoffmaster arranges his bouquets with realistic blossoms alongside non-objective bursts of color. The arrangements alternatively materialize as portrait-like studies, as with Motions, and severely playful garden scenes like Before the Night is Over. Hoffmaster’s thickets of paint threaten to outgrow the boundaries of his canvas as he actively cultivates tension — between Eastern and Western aesthetic traditions, curiosity and cognizance, the seen and unseen.
Installation Images:
