October 25, 1015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2235 EAST SIXTH STREET 102

AUSTIN, TX 78702

512.900.8952

Austin Artist Exhibit

Link & Pin presents local artist, Drew Riley’s show, Gender Portraits East.  Curated by Veronica Kumpf, the show opens Thursday, November 5, and is on exhibit through November 23.  Meet the artist at a reception 8-11 p.m., November 7, 2015.  Link & Pin is located at 2235 East Sixth Street, #102. 

Transgender artist, Drew Riley, chronicles gender diverse people through captivating figurative paintings alongside intimate written stories in her series, Gender Portraits. Subjects include binary and non-binary transgender people, gender questioning people, drag performers, cisgender people who present in ways outside of societal gender norms, and more. Wrapped around each moving painting is the subject’s story, giving the viewer insight into the life of the person behind the work. It is Riley’s hope that crafting art around gender diverse people, who aren’t commonly represented in traditional brush strokes, will be a powerful validating experience for gender diverse viewers, and an enlightening experience for everyone else.

The paintings themselves are painted with a combination of traditional technique and Riley’s own style. Riley loves playing with color in her work through adding or exaggerating it throughout the painting to create a vibrant, yet realistic effect. She also likes switching between palette knife and brushwork to increase texture and impressionistic strokes while still maintaining detail.

Link & Pin Gallery hours are from 2-6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday and Sunday from 11-4 p.m. During the East Austin Studio Tour, hours will be Saturday and Sunday  Nov 14-15, 21-22, 11a.m.-6p.m.