Jorgensen Gallery

Myth: Paintings by Kamar Thomas 

Exhibit Dates

Oct 1, 2018 - Mar 29, 2019

Jorgensen Gallery

Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts
2132 Hillside Road
On the UConn campus in storrs, CT
 

Gallery Hours

Hours for spring 2019 are:

MWF 10am - 12pm
T/Th  10am - 4pm
Prior to performances and during most intermissions.


ABOUT THE ARTIST

Kamar Thomas is a fine artist from Port Antonio, Jamaica, currently an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Connecticut. He graduated with a Master's in Fine Art at the University of Connecticut in 2016 and a BA from Wesleyan University in 2012 where he became interested in how people present themselves, the masks they wear, and the differences between who/what is presented and how people really are.


ARTIST STATEMENT

King Midas is a mythical king from way back when who only wished for one thing: gold. He did what kings do and asked the Greek gods for him that wish. They did. With his new power, he touched a knife and boom: gold. He touched a fork: solid gold. He touched everything he could and became the richest king ever. He called a feast to celebrate his new gold-touching status. This was a feast to remember complete with a long table, giant turkey leg and stuffed pig with an apple in its mouth. When Midas reached out to eat that turkey leg, as soon as he touched it: gold.

This is a problem. Gold is hard to eat, even harder to digest and tastes terrible. Midas' only daughter saw how sad he was and gave him a hug to cheer him up. As soon as he touched her: solid gold daughter. The richest king ever, couldn't eat, killed the only family he cared about and starved to death. Sad story. Or was it?

I have made some of my favorite paintings to look at the same problem King Midas faced: becoming who you want to be and paying for it. Everybody has that problem. These large portraits intend to show how much contradiction there is and yet attempt to be beautiful. I am interested in how flexible and unfixed identity is.



Co-sponsored by the H. Fred Simons African American Cultural Center, celebrating 50 years at UConn