Estella Loomis McCandless Assistant Professor of Art Sharmistha Ray’s latest projects span global exhibitions, creative performances, and thought-provoking discussions.
Group Exhibition at Pen + Brush Gallery
From January 23 to March 22, 2025, Ray’s work will be featured in “Free, Fearless, Fantastical” at Pen + Brush Gallery, New York. Curated by Bina Sarkar Ellias, the show celebrates liberation and creativity with contributions from international artists and writers. Ray is presenting three new paintings that reflect the exhibition’s theme of resilience and imagination in response to patriarchal constraints.
Queer Histories at MASP, São Paulo
Hilma’s Ghost, Ray’s collaborative project, is part of “Queer Histories” at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP), on view through April 13, 2025. This expansive exhibition showcases over 150 works and documents exploring LGBTQIA+ narratives, with themes like love, desire, and transcendence.
Additional Highlights
Mystical Performance in NYC: On January 7, Hilma’s Ghost hosted a participatory performance at The Francis Kite Club in the East Village, NYC, featuring magickal elixirs, spells, and tarot.
Abstract Futures Tarot Launch: The third (and possibly final) edition of the Abstract Futures Tarot debuted with a special booklet
Upcoming Webinar: Hilma’s Ghost will join Jennifer Higgie for a free webinar, “Mystical Abstraction: Women, Spiritualism, and the Arts,” on January 26, 2025, from 1:00–2:15 PM ET. The event is hosted by the American Folk Art Museum and open for registration.
Podcast Feature: Ray and Hilma’s Ghost collaborator Dannielle Tegeder were the featured guests in the December episode of B+S with Friends, a podcast by Bader + Simon Gallery.
Image: Sharmistha Ray, intergalactic space unicorn: all systems go!, 43.5 x 33.5 inches, acrylic and flashe on canvas with painted wooden frame, 2024. Courtesy: the artist