Second Street Gallery is pleased to present Under the Skin, a solo exhibition of paintings and works on paper by Charlottesville-based artist and UVA professor Akemi Ohira, to be held in the Dové Gallery from December 1, 2023 to January 19, 2024.

Akemi Ohira is an artist whose work teeters on the edge of the everyday perception and what lies beneath the surface. Through her unyielding quest to expose stereotypes, first impressions, preconceived notions, and daily glitches that hold us in a momentary pause, Ohira strives to transcend the commonality of our experiences and stimulate an in-depth understanding of the complexity beneath the simple expressions and forms.

Over the past several years, Ohira's fascination with facial expressions has guided her craft, leading her to an artistic excavation of the subtleties in emotions and the true narrative hidden in a single glance.

Inspiration for her work is rooted deeply in her appreciation of Asian religious and secular figurines known for their subtle and minute facial expressions. This, coupled with her fondness for the popular TV series 'Lie to Me' (2009 – 2011), has steered her focus to the understated artistry in the manifestations of human emotions and the unsaid secrets they hold.

Ohira's work is an invitation to her audience to engage beyond the superficial, to see past what they know, and perceive what is presented before them in a whole new light. Through her works, she aspires to disrupt the viewer's visual expectation by artfully deconstructing and reconstructing forms. Every title provided to her individual pieces serves as a catalyst to fuel this visual exploration.

Ohira does not pose to be the narrator of her works but rather encourages the viewer to weave their own story. She invites the audience to explore and reinterpret her art through the kaleidoscope of their own memories and experiences. Thus, viewers are left free to decide on the meaning of each piece, liberated to deny the obvious and delve into a deeper analysis of the elements before them.

Akemi Ohira's work is a visual provocation, aiming to challenge the mundane and transform it into a vibrant, thought-provoking spectacle. Within her art lies a silent request to the viewer – to dissect, question, interpret, and finally, to reassemble the pieces into something entirely personal and altogether new.

This exhibition is a Season 50 Call for Submissions pick and is generously sponsored by Brian Fox, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.