Ria x Galley is proud to present, Safe by Night and Day, the first solo exhibition by Sharon Allison on view from August 5, 2022 to October 1, 2022. The show will exhibit a total of eighteen pieces, sixteen acrylic paintings and two punch needle rug pieces. 

Allison’s art is heavily inspired by outsider art and folk art like Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art, Memphis design, and Oaxacan Folk Art as well as retro video media like Gumby. The artist’s bright, primary-colored, patterned acrylic paintings and punch needle pieces evoke a sense of nostalgia and an era of clean simplicity. Her primary color palette, use of pattern, and architectural and vegetal motifs reveals the artist's exploration of her home and her surroundings. 

For Allison, the works of this exhibition are an unconscious, yet direct result of the world's self-isolation during the period of this pandemic. “My collection wouldn’t have been possible if I had not been self-isolating in the home I grew up in, my safe place. I feel as though this is a concept many people can relate to at this specific juncture in time. A period of collective forced reflection.” Her works for this exhibition invites the audience toward reflection on this shared experience of self-isolation. 

Born, raised, and based in Northern New Jersey, Allison’s work reflects her upbringing in this region. The artist is primarily self-taught. She describes her style as within the intersection of crafts and fine arts. The paintings and punch needle rug pieces of Safe by Night and Day showcase Allison’s artistry and solidifies her place within this intersection.