SIERRA MERDA SOLO EXHIBITION VENUS FROM THE BLOCK

Gallery Hours:

Sundays 12 - 4 pm

And by appointment.

Venus from the Block, the first solo exhibition by international artist Sierra Merda.

The exhibition features 8 paintings (oil on canvas, paper and panel) created in New York between 2023 and 2025.

Venus from the Block explores beauty as something earned rather than inherited. Lives shaped by surviving the damage meted out by our world result in unique individuals whose strength reaches us as beauty. This beauty is no abstraction; it is a presence. Merda’s work rejects the simple perfection of traditional Venus imagery, embracing the three-dimensionality that its shadows create. Like Rembrandt before her, she sees shadow as the absence of grace, suffering reaching for light.

About the Artist

Sierra Merda, who previously presented work under a different name, is a Lithuanian–born, London–raised painter and draftsperson currently based in New York City.

She earned her B.A. in Painting and Drawing in 2013 from the University of Northampton and, in 2025, completed her MFA in Painting (Anatomy Track) at the New York Academy of Art, where she was awarded a postgraduate Chubb Fellowship (2025– present).

Merda has participated in many group exhibitions across the UK, Europe, and the United States, with Venus from the Block marking the 50th exhibition and first solo exhibition in her twelve-year career.

Her work is rooted in punk, feminist, and underground visual cultures, alongside a sustained engagement with classical art. Merda’s practice subverts historical iconography while exploring

Established in 2014 by Lithuanian Alliance of America, (SLA Art Space) is a Lithuanian cultural institution that is dedicated to creating and offering a wide range of cultural events including live performances, film screenings, panel discussions, and gallery exhibitions.

While the SLA Art Space mission is focused on the cultivation, presentation, and preservation of Lithuanian culture, it is equally determined to operate in a multicultural and inclusive manner, housing and promoting artists and performance events that fully reflect the cultural diversity of the New York City, inviting audiences of all ages and backgrounds to engage and share culture and art.

For press inquiries or further information, please contact:

Francine Rogers

[email protected]

Sierra Merda Instagram

'Venus from the Block'. Oil paints on canvas, 90 x 72, 2023

Sierra Merda with the painting "VVitch" , acrylics and oil paints on canvas, 72 x 68, 2026

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

SLA Art Space, 307 West 30th Street, New York, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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