Tel Aviv-based identical twin female artists Nil & Karin Romano aka Black Orchids create exquisite, weirdly wonderful artworks as they work side by side, completing each other. Self-taught, they work primarily with acrylic and oil paint on large canvases as they fashion mysteriously mesmerizing scenes.

Currently on view at the Minshar Institute for Art in Tel Aviv is “From the Bottom of My Shapeless Soul.” Featured above is the title painting, “From the Bottom of My Shapeless Soul I’m Smiling Anyway.” Several more images showcased in this exhibition — all fashioned this past year with acrylic on canvas — follow:

I Shed Countless Pearls Over You

Living in a Bubble

And Nonetheless Music Penetrates Your Very Soul

Only After a Storm Can You Feel the Sun

And Forget All About…

Nil & Karin Romano, photographed by Lieb Blekh & Dominic Zimmerman

Curated by Ronit Yedaya, the exhibit will remain on view until Saturday, December 21 at 18 David Hachmi Street in Tel Aviv. Opening hours are: Sunday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

All photos courtesy of the artists

The hugely anticipated annual “Small Works: $100 & Under” continues at Fountain House Gallery through December 21. Showcasing the delightfully diverse aesthetics of the multigenerational Fountain House community, it features dozens of enticing works sized no larger than 6 x 6 inches.

The series of beautifully haunting portraits featured above in mini mantra boxes were fashioned by the wonderfully inventive Madeleine Hope Arthurs. Images of several more artworks on view last week at Fountain House Gallery.

Haitian-born, largely self-taught artist Solange Singer

Calligraffiti-master DubbleX

The wonderfully versatile multidisciplinary artist Mark Dendy

The hugely inventive self-taught artist Roger Jones

Savvy illustrator and photographer Marina Marchand

Located at 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street in Manhattan, Fountain House Gallery is open Tuesday 12 – 6 p.m., Wednesday 12 – 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 12 – 8 p.m. and Saturday 1 – 7 p.m.

Note: Fountain House Gallery and Studio provides an environment where artists living with mental illness can express their creative visions, exhibit their work, and challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

Photos of artworks: 1 & 5 Tara Murray, 2-4 & 6 Lois Stavsky

On view through December 14 at New York’s Americas Society is The Appearance: Art of the Asian Diaspora in Latin America & the Caribbean. Co-curated by Tie Jojima, the former associate curator and manager of Exhibitions at Americas Society in New York, along with São Paulo-based Yudi Rafael, an independent curator and researcher, it is the first NYC exhibition to focus exclusively on the works of artists of the Asian Diaspora who have enriched the visual, political and social cultures of the Americas. Presented in this distinctly engaging exhibition are works in a range of media created by 30 contemporary artists from 15 countries.

The image featured above, “Song of My Soul” was fashioned in 2016 with oil and acrylic on canvas by the 88-year-old Korean artist Kim Yun Shin who is currently based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “Song of My Soul” is one of a series of her paintings that serve as a visual ode to the natural elements in her life. Several more images on view in The Appearance: Art of the Asian Diaspora in Latin American & the Caribbean follow:

São Paulo-born and based, Sino-Japanese Brazilian multidisciplinary artist Caroline Ricca Lee, from her series “Verter (Pour),” 2022, Ceramic and textiles

The noted Surinamese painter and ceramics artist Soeki Irodikromo, “Untitled,” 1986, Oil on canvas

Indonesian Brazilian artist Dan Lie, “Memory Stick,” 2015, A range of repurposed mixed media

Guyanese American multidisciplinary artist of South Asian descent Suchitra Mattai, “Bloom,” 2022, Assorted repurposed fibers

The late Chinese Brazilian painter Chen Kong Fang evokes the feelings of the disquieting uneasiness often experienced as one navigates more than one culture, particularly when one is faced with prejudice as so many of these artists were, “Untitled,” 1993, Oil on canvas

The Appearance: Art of the Asian Diaspora in Latin America & the Caribbean can be viewed Wed – Fri: 12:00 – 6:00 pm and Sat: 12:00 – 5:00 pm through December 14 at the Americas Society, 680 Park Avenue at 68th Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

As Australian Aboriginal artists invigorated and renewed ancient traditions, many embraced abstract forms and patterns to represent elements of their culture. The image featured above, “Rockholes Near the Olgas X” was painted with acrylic on linen by the late Bill “Whiskey” Tjapaltjarri, a Pitjantjatjara artist from Central Australia who began painting on canvas at age 85. Several more images of artworks currently on view in Approaching Abstraction: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from Across Australia at the Asia Society follow:

Western Desert Pintupi painter Yinarupa Nangala, “Untitled,” 2008, Synthetic polymer paint on linen

The late Pitjantjatjara artist Carlene West, “Tjitjiti,” 2015, Synthetic polymer paint on linen

The late cutting-edge Anmatyerr artist Emily Kam Kngwarray, “Untitled (Alhalker),” 1993, Synthetic polymer paint on linen

Also by the late cutting-edge Anmatyerr artist Emily Kam Kngwarray, “Kam Yam Awelye.” 1996, Synthetic polymer paint on linen

Melbourne native Reko Rennie, “Camoufluer 6,” 2019, Acrylic, flashe and pigment on linen

Located at 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, the Asia Society is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11a.m. to 5 p.m. with free museum admission to the museum on Fridays. 

Along with the monumental exhibition, Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala, Approaching Abstraction: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from Across Australia remains on view through January 5, 2025

Photographs by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

Imagine the mind as a physical space that a visitor could tour! That is what curator Sophie Flack proposed to Fountain House artists. “Inside My Mind” presents the visions of over two dozen artists, as they invite us into their inner minds. With styles ranging from subtly realistic to wildly abstract, “Inside My Mind” provokes and delights.

The image featured above, Metatron, was fashioned with mixed media on paper by Brooklyn-based Michael Kronenberg. Several more images of artworks showcased in “Inside My Miind” follow:

The wonderfully talented Miguel Colón, “Self Portrait at 52,” Flashe on canvas

The hugely inventive Bryan Greene, “Lost in Yonkers,” Gouache on paper

Self-taught artist Nicolaus J. Myers, “Spooning Water From a Broken Vessel,” Acrylic and reflective adhesive

Queens-based multidisciplinary artist Susan Spangenberg, “Out Of My Head Doll,” Fabric, fabric paint, buttons, zipper, polyester stuffing, canvas, marker and pencil armature (hand-sewn)

The distinctly raw vision of Anthony Newton, “The Cerebral Cathedral,” Oil pigment on pre-stretched canvas

The wonderfully creative Angela Rogers, “The Mother,’ Wire, yarn, nails, rusty charms, white paint & jewelry

Located at 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street in Manhattan, Fountain House Gallery is open Tuesday – Friday from 12pm to 6pm and Saturday from 1pm to 7pm.

Note: Fountain House Gallery and Studio provides an environment where artists living with mental illness can express their creative visions, exhibit their work, and challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

Photos of artworks: 1 Tara Murray, 2-7 Lois Stavsky

Showcasing a huge range of works by a wildly diverse group of artists, “The Art of Solitude” continues through Sunday, October 6 at the Local NY. Featured above is the wonderfully talented Dominican artist Milka Montero standing next to her oil painting “Solitude.” A small sampling of images of additional artworks featured in “The Art of Solitude” — co-curated by Bonnie Astor and Lois Stavsky — follow:

Korean American illustrator and graphic designer Min Lee “Waiting,” 2024, Gouache, oil pastel, colored pencils on hot press paper

Queens-based Bangladeshi American visual artist Kaiser Kamal, “We Are All; Is That True1?” Mixed media on canvas

The hugely creative South, “Untitled,” Mixed media on canvas

Self-taught artist Billy Waldman aka Billy Crystal, “Birch Ceremony on Earth,” Acrylic on canvas

Queens-based, largely self-taught Pakistani-American artist Sharjeel Khan, “McKenna’s Amazon,” Ink on board

Located at 1302 44^th Avenue in Long Island City, The Local NY is easily accessible via the Court Square E, M, G, and 7 trains. The exhibition can be viewed from early morning until late at night.

And here you can view multimedia journalist Elle McLogan‘s delightful story on CBS News spotlighting the two Queens-based ArTech artists — Melissa Torres and Sydney Buford — included in “The Art of Solitude.”

Photos: Lois Stavsky

The image pictured above, “Here Comes Evelyn,” was fashioned with mixed media on a birchwood panel by the self-taught Oregon-based artist Anne Marie Grgich. What follows are several more images of faces in a range of styles and media seen in varied settings this past year:

The late Cleveland, Ohio native Kevin Wendall aka FA-Q, who after moving to NYC became active in the Rivington School, “Untitled.” Acrylic on repurposed cardboard, as seen last summer at Vanderplas Gallery

The late Spanish self-taught artist Antoni Tàpies, “Head and Varnish” Oil paint, varnish, coloured pencil on canvas, as seen this past spring at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid

Fountain House Gallery artist Anthony Newton, “Golden Child Series #1,” Acrylic on canvas, as seen at Fountain House Gallery

Self-taught artist Davey Sandy aka The Dread, “Untitled,” Oil stick on paper, as seen earlier this year at the Sitting Room Gallery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side

Philadephia-born self-taught artist Ron Burman, “Chewing the Fat,” Mixed media, as seen last summer at Vanderplas Gallery

Fountain House Gallery self-taught artist Roger Jones, “Watercolor,” Watercolor and ink on paper, as seen this summer at Fountain House Gallery

Photos of artworks: Lois Stavsky

Presenting a wonderfully diverse array of works in a huge range of media, “Compulsive Genius: New Work from Fountain House Studio Residents” celebrates resident Long Island City Studio artists, along with those artists who participated in Fountain House’s Governors Island program last year. Curated by Studio Director Karen Gormandy and by Fountain House Gallery Director Rachel Weisman, the exhibition continues through July 24.

The delightfully dreamy image featured above, A Dogmatic Composition, was fashioned this year by the wonderfully inventive self-taught artist Alyson Vega with acrylic ink and paint on wood block. A small selection of additional images captured on our recent visit to Fountain House Gallery follow:

Alyson Vega alongside her new artworks

Resident painter Bernadette Corcoran, “A Psychedelic Feeling,” 2023, Acrylic on wood panel

Multimedia artist Lauren Covey, “Psychoacoustic Divination: A Sonic Tarot Mind Map,” 2024,
Tarot cards, paper, tape, wood and cardboard

Painter and fashion designer Guiomar Giraldo-Baron, “The Green Doors (In Memory of Judy Meibach),” 2024, Acrylic on canvas

Multimedia self-taught artist Angela Rogers, “Spirit,” 2024, Mixed media

Fountain House studio director Karen Gormandy with the alluring artistic visions of Ambar Martinez to her left and Suzette Lehrer to her right

Located at 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street in Manhattan, Fountain House Gallery is open Tuesday – Friday from 12pm to 6pm and Saturday 1pm to 7pm.

Note: Fountain House Gallery and Studio provides an environment where artists living with mental illness can express their creative visions, exhibit their work, and challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

Photo credits: 1-3, 5 & 6 Lois Stavsky; 4 & 7 Rachel Alban 

Presenting over 60 works in a range of media on varied surfaces, “Somewhere to Roost” freely and broadly interprets the notion of home. The untitled image featured above, painted with oil on a board by the late Southern artist Clementine Hunter, depicts a funeral home. Several more images captured while visiting the intriguing exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum follow.

The late Jamaican artist and religious leader, Mallica Reynolds aka KAPO, “Roberta Flack,” 1970, Oil on canvas. At the time of this painting, Roberta Flack was the only Black person living at the Dakota, the Upper West Side building that was also home to John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

The late Alabama- born folk artist Mose Tolliver, “Untitled,” c. 1960’s Enamel on wood

The late prolific Southern artist Sam Doyle, “Untitled,” c. 1970’s, Enamel and house paint on metal door

Unknown artist, “String Quilt,” c. 1920-1940, Wool with cotton binding

The late Iowa-based farmhands Clarence Woolsey and Grace Woolsey, “Untitled,” c. 1961-1972, Pierced metal bottle caps, repurposed wood crate, paint, nails, wire and hinges

Folk artist Miguel “Mikie” Perez, “Camino Real,” 1985, Enamel on masonite panel

The late — now legendary — Alabama-born artist Thornton Dial, “Birds Got to Have Somewhere to Roost,” 2012, Wood, carpet scraps, corrugated tin, burlap, nails and enamel on wood

Curated by Brooke Wyatt and generously supported by the Henry Luce Foundation, “Somewhere to Roost” continues at the American Folk Art Museum through May 25, 2025. Located at 2 Lincoln Square (Columbus Avenue between 65th and 66th Streets), the American Folk Art Museum is open Wednesday–Sunday: 11:30 am–6:00 pm. Admission is always free.

Photos of artworks: Lois Stavsky