Portals & Passages: An evolution of paintings, sculptures, and social magic
Santa Clara, CA, November 20th, 2024 – Local artist Laurus Myth debuts Portals and Passages, her first solo exhibition at the Triton Museum of Art, 1505 Warburton Ave. (January 25 – April 27, 2025.) Portals and Passages is a reflection point, weaving together Laurus’ portfolio of work across disciplines. From vivid colors, patterns, and layered paintings evolving into sculptural forms, Myth leans into art to tell stories of connection and relationship. Myth’s visual language is influenced by nature, technology, and intuition as they use symbols to decode their experience. Portals and Passages transforms Triton’s Warburton Gallery with works that draw viewers through moments of connection. This expansive body of work bridges dualities: technology-nature, movement-stillness, internal-external, and day-night.
“Myth’s art asks us to look inwards, to contemplate our humanity and what brings us together. The universal symbols in their art show how we have been linked throughout generations and will continue to be. We hope that our visitors will openly engage with her art, consider its purpose and significance, and reflect on how it relates to them.” – Vanessa Callenta, Curator at Triton Museum of Art.
Laurus Myth is an Asian-American interdisciplinary artist raised in Silicon Valley. A born innovator, Myth follows a creative and intuitive path as she fabricates and curates intentional spaces. Drawn to sacred architecture and mental landscapes, her work is colorful, symbolic, and deeply immersive. Myth’s experiential practices birthed several installations she calls “Social Magic.” Visually drawing– these playful and often temporary installations invite us to connect with our narratives and become part of a larger story. The artist turns the museum’s gallery into a spatial story with codes and keys leading us to places unseen. Portals and Passages distill the last decade of Social Magic into new queries, forms, paintings, and sculptures.
“These works are translations from the subconscious, filled with symbols, pathways, and layers waiting to be discovered. Initiating a moment of awe starts with the visual —and invites tactile, audible, & conversational engagement. Curiosity inspires new perspectives & new thinking.” – Laurus Myth
Event Info:
- Exhibit open January 25, 2025 – April 27, 2025
- January 25, 2024
- Opening Night With the Artists
- Opening Night With the Artists
- January 31st, 2025, 4-9 pm
- Night with the Artist: Laurus Myth
- Eventbrite Registration
Media / Web / Social
Artist Bio
- Laurus Myth is an Asian-American interdisciplinary artist raised in Silicon Valley. Her practice formed through a BFA in Painting from UCSC, an AS in Graphic Design from Mission College, and an MFA in New Genres from San Francisco Art Institute. Drawn to sacred architecture and mental landscapes, her work is colorful, symbolic, and deeply immersive. Recent successes include the 2023 Emerging Artist Grant from Youth Speaks and the California Arts Council, the 2024 Winter Residency at the Penland School of Craft, and an Individual Artist Grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission. In collaboration with this SFAC Grant, Laurus will bring their community-focused “Social Magic” public art experience to the streets of San Francisco in Spring 2025.
- Portals and Passages explores the unseen codes of places, using doors and windows as metaphysical portals. Architectural forms and pathways symbolize life’s journey, influenced by nature, technology, and intuition. Through diaphanous layers, circles intersect and repeat, forming the “seed,” a symbol of inception and completion. This visual language decodes my experiences, weaving them into a narrative fabric.
- Myth’s art delves into themes of femininity and creation, unraveling the nuances of motherhood and the womb. These themes create a universal connection, inviting viewers into a shared emotional space. Each piece begins with playful, naive underpainting, evolving through layers that balance primal instincts with modern experiences. This process contributes to the dialogue between tradition and contemporary art.
- Ultimately, her work invites exploration of unseen emotional landscapes, blending the logical and the intuitive, the known and the unknown, creating a space for discovery and introspection.
- For more info about the artist, visit their website: www.artbylaurus.com (Bio)
Exhibit
- Portals and Passages offers a rare opportunity to experience a body of work that seamlessly blends soul, stillness, and vivid stories. The exhibit reveals five unique series of paintings in conversation with mixed-media sculptures that serve as portals. As the paintings expose the unseen energy throughout internal and external spaces, the artist curates the gallery space to engage viewers. Integrating the architecture of the Triton Museum Portals and Passages will carry you through moments of connection.
Venue:
- Triton Museum of Art
- 1505 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050
- Tuesday – Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Portals and Passages at Triton Museum of Art
- tritonmuseum.org/events
- Why the Triton Museum of Art?
- As a South Bay Native, the Triton Museum of Art has been an integral part of Laurus’ development as a young artist. Laurus’ connection to the Triton goes back to her time at Mission College, taking classes with former curator George Rivera. Attending gallery galas as a young adult inspired Myth to become a part of their community. This is where Laurus began their relationship with Vanessa Callenta, the current curator of Triton. This invitation to exhibit is viewed as a great honor and nod to her development as an artist.
- Quotes on Laurus’ art from Triton curator Vanessa Callenta
- Myth’s art presents an insightful way of connecting people through its universality – there are elements in her art that any individual can relate to. These universal symbols show how we as people have been connected throughout generations and will continue to be.
- Myth’s art has us look inwards, it asks us to contemplate our humanity and what it is that brings us together. We hope that our visitors will openly engage with her art and give consideration to its purpose and significance while reflecting on how it relates to them.
- We are looking forward to seeing how our visitors engage and interact with Myth’s artwork and seeing what they take away from the exhibition – How does it make them feel? What doors does her art open for them?
- Myth’s art presents an insightful way of connecting people through its universality – there are elements in her art that any individual can relate to. These universal symbols show how we as people have been connected throughout generations and will continue to be.
- As a South Bay Native, the Triton Museum of Art has been an integral part of Laurus’ development as a young artist. Laurus’ connection to the Triton goes back to her time at Mission College, taking classes with former curator George Rivera. Attending gallery galas as a young adult inspired Myth to become a part of their community. This is where Laurus began their relationship with Vanessa Callenta, the current curator of Triton. This invitation to exhibit is viewed as a great honor and nod to her development as an artist.
- The Triton Museum of Art is a vital community resource that provides accessible exhibition and education programs, which promote a broad range of contemporary California art. Through their multi-faceted programs, they strive to bring together the culturally diverse population of the Greater Bay Area to foster a better understanding of art and its role in building a strong community.
- Triton Museum of Art
1505 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050
Tuesday – Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Admission: Free
Event Info:
- Exhibit open January 25, 2025 – April 27, 2025
- January 25, 2024
- Opening Night With the Artists
- Opening Night With the Artists
- January 31st, 2025, 4-9 pm
- An Evening with Artist Laurus Myth
- Eventbrite Registration
- Artist talks and Sound Experiences to be Announced