“Coveted Connections”: Paintings By Lara Dann

Arch Enemy Arts presents COVETED CONNECTIONS, a solo exhibition by Lara Dann. Ten enigmatic paintings submerged in soft hues touch on themes about life, death, and transformation. Lara Dann works in thin washes of acrylic paint to transcend portraiture, layering floral filigrees that shadow her figures, blend them into atmospheres of color, and dissolve the boundary between inner and outer worlds.

“COVETED CONNECTIONS is about longing for a connection that I cannot or have not had…Artistic and personal growth and transformation have been top of mind for me this year, and putting my feelings into the figures of this work solidifies them for me. There are a spectrum of expressions on topics ranging from serenity, beauty, pain, life, death, and narcissism all manifesting into something tangible for me…I am always learning through self discovery and experimentation with my materials, but perhaps the thing I am learning most right now is how to lean further into my own vision and my own internal mythology.” – Lara Dann

Lara Dann’s figures appear strong and evocative, if not contemplative and serene, and are always poised to suggest an inward journey. In COVETED CONNECTIONS, Dann’s signature use of intricate floral overlays create a haunting veil, like bruises of lace that shadow her subjects, a threshold between two worlds. Vulnerable and resilient, Dann’s portraits traverse internal landscapes, and trace the artist’s journey of memory, pain, dreams, and fantasy.

Lara Dann is based in South Carolina but has lived and worked all over the United States. She studied commercial design in upstate NY, and is self-taught as a painter. Lara Dann began exhibiting with Arch Enemy Arts in 2021, and COVETED CONNECTIONS is her first solo feature with the gallery. The show is on view in Philadelphia now through 11/30/24.

More info: archenemyarts.com