Noelia Towers

Father Figure

15 September – 25 November, 2023
de boer, Antwerp

de boer (Antwerp) is pleased to present Father Figure, a solo exhibition by Chicago based painter Noelia Towers, her second with the gallery and the inaugural exhibition of de boer’s new exhibition space in Antwerp, Belgium. An opening reception will be held at Mechelsesteenweg 247 Friday 15 September from 7–10pm.

Tower’s newest series of highly rendered oil paintings continue to elicit a deep psychological understanding of topics such as fetish, socio and political archetypes, and trauma. The artist utilizes herself and her partner as models in most of the paintings referencing a wide oeuvre of both hyper personal histories and impersonal scenarios. Tower’s work operates not as subversive painting but as a foray into the exploration of the canvas as a form of therapy, armed with a feminine perspective and shrouded in dark and mysterious undertones.  

Throughout Towers’ exhibition the male presence can be found portrayed explicitly or implicitly, seeming to exert agency upon the female counterpart looming over like a frightening shadow. In other instances, the male figure appears as kind, caring and gentle, at times their presence is implied solely through an absence. ‘The Swallow Incident’ depicts a swallow grasped tightly in one hand and a towel with oil stains in the other. This painting is inspired from the artist’s childhood, when her father rescued a small bird. Without hesitation, Towers father grabbed the bird, cradling it in his hands and with tender care delicately removed oil from its feathers. He worked meticulously, showing a level of patience and compassion that was foreign to Towers. The oil-covered swallow has become a symbol of the love and tenderness to Towers, forever connecting her to the day that she witnessed her father's gentle touch, a reminder that he, too, was capable of caring.

Carl Jung’s concept of collective unconscious is one of many influences that Towers’ paintings reflect, specifically in reference to her use of personal histories. The idea that a shared reservoir of archetypes and symbols exist within the human psyche and transcend individual experience allows for each unique personal history to extend past herself to the emotions, relationships, and struggles that all experience. Offering not solace but something more a-kin to sodality, the confraternity or association of a Roman Catholic religious guild or brotherhood. 

ABOUT NOELIA TOWERS
Noelia Towers is a Chicago based artist born and raised in Barcelona. Towers' paintings are made in a photo-realistic style, her images created by photographing herself and references to dominance and submissive practices. Her subjects of choice display the power of intimacy, trust, and love with references to larger philosophical quandaries. Towers brush strokes are a combination of representational and light impasto, creating a quality that refers to the stark digital nature of casual contemporary snapshots. The resulting paintings are unsettling portraits that relate to the artist’s own unique perspective. Towers has exhibited her work at de boer, Los Angeles, CA; Stems Gallery, Paris; Half Gallery, NY; Nino Mier Gallery, NY; Swivel Gallery, NY; Grove, London, UK; Woman Made Gallery and Public Works Gallery in Chicago, IL.

Selected Works

Installation Views

 Artists