Artist Talk: Alex W. Rader and Jeffrey Morabito

Paintings are often described as scenes within a narrative. Interestingly, whether or not the artist intends it, a painting’s narrative heavily depends on each viewer’s individual experience. When viewers bring their own perspectives to the artist’s suggested storyline, a unique connection happens between the artist, the artwork, and the viewer. This dynamic relationship adds an intriguing layer of context to flat artwork. With the exhibition Flat Theater, curated by Bowie Bo Gyung Kim, Space776 New York invites viewers to experience painting as a form of theater, engaging each viewer’s personal interpretation. This two-person exhibition features works by Alex W. Rader and Jeffrey Morabito, each showcasing their unique approaches to this compelling dialogue within art.

Alex W Rader (b. 1996) is an artist born in New York City, raised as a third culture individual in Madrid and rural Pennsylvania. She graduated with her BFA from Hunter College in NYC in 2022 and where she continues to live and work. Discovering the language of painting has been a vital component in her artistic development. Today, she uses painting as a means of expressing the ineffable anxieties around womanhood. Her practice begins with writing webs of potential visual metaphors, setting scenes both real and imagined. Then, through the scrupulous process of representational painting, her works become the recordings of the attention devoted to a problem verbalized in visual metaphor. The role of representational painting proves to be an effective tool to evoke care, devotion, and time. With this, the theme of home has entered her work, providing new combinations of objects in uneasy domestic interiors. Rader has since exhibited in shows across Manhattan and Brooklyn. She also held a Kossak Painting Fellowship under Drew Beattie, and was the recipient of the Curator’s Choice Award (2021). Lastly, she has been featured in several publications, including interviews by Art Editor Michelle Quick, and Vie Darling.

Jeffrey Morabito (b. 1980) received his MFA in Painting from The New York Studio School in 2018. He has held nine solo exhibitions internationally and participated in numerous group exhibitions, with a current focus on New York. Born in Bronxville to Hong Kongese and Italian parents, Morabito spent his early years traveling between New York and Hong Kong. In 2006, he apprenticed with a calligraphy master in Seoul to deepen his appreciation for individual brush strokes. He spent six years in Beijing, beginning with a residency at Red Gate Gallery in 2009 and teaching art at Capital Normal University. During the 2020 lockdown, Morabito launched the artist interview podcast “I Know Strange People,” delving into the unconventional aspects of the creative process.

Bowie Bo Gyung Kim (b. 1991, Seoul) is an art researcher and curator currently based in both New York and Seoul. In the exhibition Flat Theater, she delves into the concept of time-tense within static images, particularly in painting. She stimulates the viewer's perception of time flow, creating an experience akin to participation in performative art with the curation of this exhibition. Through her research on audience awareness and cognition, she aims to unpack the imaginative experiences elicited by painting, offering fresh insights into the interplay between viewer and artwork.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Space 776 Gallery, 37-39 Clinton Street, New York, United States