Gallery 495 is pleased to present Melanie Luna’s solo exhibition, As Above, So Below, which directly relates to Carl Jung’s text Law of Correspondence. Luna’s journey from flesh to space testifies the expansion of painting in her practice. Luna deconstructs and reconstructs in a cycle of interest, examining both the visible and the hidden.

“Too many of us have fallen victim to our own grandiloquence. To paint us in action or simply standing has grown to look so dull,” Luna explains. “I am attempting to provide a stage for the natural world and beyond. Perhaps I aim to uncover the hidden, humbling myself and the viewer to the things that are greater than us.”

As Above, So Below, explores the relationship between subject and space by building on canvas using a wet-on-wet application. This technique helps create the illusion of flesh. She investigates themes long studied by the students of life, comparing and contrasting man and nature. Through her work, she creates images that bear witness to the plight of the human experience, which has rapidly amplified throughout her existence. The artist paints life-sized and larger-than-life figures against high-contrast backgrounds. This exaggerates how the pieces are initially received and reveals her deep connection to the natural world.