Five pieces each by five artists add up to ‘Five x Five’ in Southern’s latest art exhibit

The task seemed simple enough.

Each of the five professors in the Southern University Visual Arts Department was to choose five works by a single artist.

The works would then be shown in an exhibit Randell Henry titled “Five x Five” — five artists showing five works each in the Southern University Visual Arts Gallery.

Henry is a professor in the arts department, as well the gallery’s curator who tasked the professors — himself included — with this mission. He knew each of the chosen creators approached art differently.

And this is what interested Henry most, because Southern’s gallery exhibits are not only a showcase for visitors’ enjoyment but, more importantly, a learning experience for students.

“I wanted the students to see that art can come in many forms,” Henry said. “It can even be an installation with pieces that can be moved around.”

He refers to Thras Kalaitzidis’ installation of supersized everyday objects made of foam. Actually, they’re more reminiscent of Salvador Dali than ordinary things.

The blades of a giant pair of scissors slide upward against the wall, while the point of a thumb tack seemingly melts downward toward the gallery floor.

“These are meant to be moved around,” Henry said. “I’ve seen little kids come into the galley and sit on them and play with them. And it’s OK. It’s art, but this art is meant to be touched and moved.”

Kalaitzidis is a Baton Rouge-based artist who received both his doctorate and master’s degrees from LSU. His work was chosen for the exhibit by Southern University Art Professor Carlie Solomons, who, like the other professors in her department, learned the task of shoring up “Five x Five” took lots of time and thought.

First, there was the task of choosing an artist.

“Each of the professors knew an artist right off that they wanted to feature in the show,” Henry said. “But they could only show five works by that artist, and that took some time.”

Other artists whose works are featured are Trinity Butcher, chosen by Henry; Davana Robedee, chosen by Samantha Combs; Tajreen Akter, chosen by Jabed Rashel; and Eliseo Casiano, chosen by John Alleyne.

Butcher recently earned her master’s degree from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. While there, she painted a portrait of the city’s first Black mayor, Ronnie Williams, and his family.

The portrait hangs in the show, but it’s not an everyday picture depicting a family in its Sunday best. Instead, Butcher likened a mayor’s to that of a superhero, so the family appears as the animated characters of Pixar’s “The Incredibles.”

Meanwhile, Eliseo Cassiano chose five paintings from his series of portraits that use vibrant color and light to depict radiant beings.

Cassiano earned his master’s degree from LSU, where he also taught before going to Cal Poly Humbolt University in Arcata, California, where he now is an assistant professor.

Cassiano’s style contrasts that of Atker, who describes herself as an observational painter. Atker originally is from Bangladesh and taught at LSU before moving on to Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, where she is an assistant professor.

Whereas Cassiano’s paintings depict surreal beings, Atker paintings show routine and ordinary life. Yet somehow the ordinary becomes extraordinary through her use of color.

“If you look around, these paintings complement each other,” Henry said. “I was going to hang each artist’s work in a group, but then I realized it wouldn’t work, because all of these paintings really do go together. I knew it would only work if I mixed them up.”

And in that mix are Robedee’s indigo-dyed silk installations. Each is a monochromatic abstract that, she says in her artist’s statement, is a direct metaphor representing the “line between thoughts and matter, dreams and wake, and consciousness and unconsciousness.”

“Davana grows her own indigo, which she uses to dye the silk,” Henry said.

Robedee earned her bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond and her master’s degree from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. She now is program director of the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, New York.

The show runs through April 12. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and admission is free. The gallery also can be opened on weekends by request by calling Henry at (225) 771-4109 or emailing randell.henry@sus.edu.