Secrist|Beach in Chicago will present “Spectral Vision: A Feminist Collective Signals Magickal Futures,” a solo presentation by Hilma’s Ghost (Professor Sharmistha Ray and Dannielle Tegeder), from April 12 through May 25. The exhibition in three parts features selections of artworks made by the collective since their formation in 2020 as well as a new series of artworks.

Part one is a retrospective presentation chronicling the collective’s artistic and esoteric adventures to date, culminating in a capstone style painting fusing moments in history in addition to experiments with theorem painting, tarot and geometric abstractions.

Part two is a monumental 16-foot long Divinatory Painting titled Cosmic Altar. This monumental artwork, developed in collaboration with a psychic medium and professional witch, is a work of such significance, it inspired and won a major public commission to be realized in New York City later this year.

Part three is Mystical Intersection of Talismanic Sigil Drawings, comprised of 28 sigils made specifically for this presentation. These works express the intersection between the visualization of thoughts and the symbolic representation of desired outcomes in the realm of magic.

Concurrent with “Spectral Visions,” Secrist|Beach will also present “Cosmic Geometries: Prairie’s Edge,” curated by Hilma’s Ghost. “Cosmic Geometries” a group exhibition of intergenerational and intersectional artists either based in the Midwest and adjacent to it, that examines the spiritual and aesthetic functions of abstract painting and geometry in art. The artists deploy a range of painterly devices to create cosmic and transcendental visions that combine esoteric world traditions with the language of Modernism. Their motifs are inspired by sources as divergent as Islamic architecture, Buddhist mandalas, Hindu yantras, medieval Christian stained-glass windows, and quantum mechanics, rendering formal devices that range from optical illusions to elaborate ornamentation techniques. This exhibition is the second iteration of an exhibition the duo curated at EFA Project Space in 2022 that received a positive New York Times review. 

Finally, the gallery will also show work by Hilma’s Ghost at Expo Chicago, April 11-14.

Spectral Vision
Cosmic Geometries
Expo Chicago

Image: Hilma’s Ghost (Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray), Cosmic Altar, collaborative ritual painting with acrylic and flashe on canvas, 8’ x 16’, 2024