Artist Alex Beard Presents African Inspired Art in Chelsea Gallery
By Lydia Liebman
Recently, revered artist and author Alex Beard premiered his latest exhibition at the George Billis Gallery. “Alex Beard: On Camel Safari” only ran one week in the Chelsea space; those that that were lucky to catch it were treated to a mix of massive oil paintings with vibrant colors, beautiful inked birds, and stunning landscapes. Ten works of art, including standout oil paintings The Camel Train and the majestic The Big Five, hung in the Main Gallery while the Small Gallery housed the “Bird of East Africa”; a stunning collection of twelve works. In addition to the art pieces, Beard presented an accompanying book that explained the pieces and his artist style.
The works featured in “On Camel Safari” were created while Beard was on camel safari for a month this past summer in Northern Kenya. When in Northern Kenya, “I walk off the grid to track elephant on foot so as to perceive the intrinsic way in nature things move and relate to each other,” he said. This is then translated into his art.
Beard is a staunch conservationist, and his artwork is a great reflection of that. Each year, Beard brings the art he’s made on safari back to the United States to the galleries such as the George Billis Gallery. The proceeds are then sent back to Africa, completing the circle.
Beard emphasized the importance of looking closely at his pieces. He said, “the art should inspire you to ask the question: ‘why is the style in the seashell the same shape as the arms of the entire galaxy?’” He said if one can find the similarities in the paintings, then they’re looking at them right.#
