“YOUR INNER SPACE”: Sculptures by Mira DeMartino and paintings by Ifat Shatzky will be featured in a joint exhibit at the Arts Council of Princeton’s Taplin Gallery October 12 through November 16. An opening reception is Saturday, October 12 from 3 to 5 p.m.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) presents “Your Inner Space,” a joint exhibit featuring paintings by Ifat Shatzky and sculptures by Mira DeMartino, on view in the Taplin Gallery October 12 through November 16. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, October 12 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Their works, created in completely different mediums, evoke similar reactions of self-reflection on deep, universal emotions. Whether it’s Shatzky’s landscapes or DeMartino’s human figures, they all relate to “inner space.” 

Working in different dimensions, the two artists both choose to leave their pieces raw, unfinished, and organic. They feel that precise definition of a form leaves the viewer passive. There is an inner space of interpretation and finishing the piece by the viewer, who experiences it exactly the way he or she needs to connect with the message. 

DeMartino has a master’s degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland, and an MBA from University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. She creates sculptures with her own AlumixArt™ Mixed Media technique, which consists mostly of aluminum. Her artwork can be found in private collections in Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Singapore, and the United States.

Born and trained in Israel, Shatzky, who has a BFA in arts and education, reached her maturity as an artist after moving to the United States in 1998.  Her medium of choice is painting with oil on gessoed wood panels. Sometimes she incorporates different media and collage techniques in her artwork, which may include wax, wire, oil pastel, charcoal, ink, and acrylic crayons. Her art is in many private collections in the United States and around the world.

“I have had the pleasure of working with both artists in past shows and events here at the ACP, and I am really looking forward to the opportunity again,” says Maria Evans, ACP artistic director. “Ifat and Mira are so talented and professional and the fact that they live here in our community is a real treasure. This show will be a highlight of our fall season here at the Robeson Center and one not to be missed.”

The Arts Council of Princeton is located in the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, 102 Witherspoon Street. For more information, visit www.artscouncilofprinceton.org or call (609) 924-8777.