A solo exhibition by local artist Kimberly Hocking titled “Soulscapes: A prayer for the Journey” will be opening at the Artist Coop Gallery in Long Beach on Dec. 11.
The installation is the culmination of Hocking’s two-month artist residency at the gallery and explores the concepts of beauty and loss.
“I approached this residency with the idea of becoming a peaceful art warrior and the hero of my own story,” Hocking said in a statement.
Hocking described herself in a statement as a “contemplative artist,” who uses multiple mediums in her work, especially photography, sculpture and installation.
She received an M.A. from Loyola Marymount University and currently resides in Signal Hill, where she runs Greenly Art Space.
According to a statement from the artist, Hocking experiments with light, movement, and composition in her photography “to create a sense of the ethereal space between reality and imagination.”
Her sculpture and installation work often gives new life to discarded objects that she finds in the world around her.
“Soulscapes: A prayer for the Journey” deals with the sorrows and joys each individual finds during their life.
Large photos in the exhibit reflect on the simple joys of childhood, while a piece made of burnt wood and dead leaves speaks to the death of dreams and loved ones, and how to honor those who have passed.
“I believe that art has the ability to transform the struggles we face by finding beauty in the most unlikely of places,” Hocking said in a statement. “My work celebrates the imagination that nature inspires in my heart and is based on the idea that with imagination and love, all things can be transformed.”
“Soulscapes: A Prayer for the Journey” opens on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Artist Coop Gallery, located at 1330 Gladys Ave., Long Beach. Admission to the opening is free.
