28 NOVEMBER 2018 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
Photos courtesy of Maria Liebana
Art
‘TRES MARIAS’
SHOWS THAT
‘IT’S OK
TO BE
IMPERFECT’
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
Sculptures of lopsided three tiered cakes the
color of a Lisa Frank dream with sunken
in tops are part of a new art exhibit that
opened in Long Island City on Nov. 1.
Queens artist Maria Liebana’s first solo
exhibit, ‘¿Tres Marias: Donde se Fue mi Felicidad?’
or ‘ Three Marys: Where did my happiness go?’ is
open to the public from 6 to 9 p.m at Local Project
Art Space located at 11-27 44th Road.
A relatively new artist, Liebana’s past work
has focused on examining conventional societal
standards of beauty and worth. This time
Liebana has chosen to be personal and show
how those conventions impact her happiness
and self-worth. The title of the exhibit comes
from name of the three stars that make up the
Constallatin Orion’s Belt in Spanish. Liebana
is half-Colombian and half-Peruvian and a first
generation American.
“It’s ok to be imperfect,” said Liebana. “But I
contradict myself and wish and want to be perfect.”
All of her sculptures are
kitschy in color and style
with layers of mass-produced
plastic materials on top of
them. Her pieces—slightly
resembling lumpy elementary
school ceramic projects—have
a nostalgic charm to them.
Ironic since Liebana is also a
K-3 art teacher at Avenues: The
World School in Manhattan. In
the exhibit there are three large
scale pieces, a series of cakes
and a series of self-portraits.
“People see them and think they are happy but
they come from a dark place,” said Liebana. Some
of the self-portrait sculptures depict Liebana in not
so flattering poses. “Me being lazy is not a beautiful
sight,” she said. At least three of them are of
Liebana lying down, staring at her phone, looking
at image after image of things, people and places
more beautiful and more desired than herself. The
exhibit explores the contradiction of being an empty
consumer in a patriarchal society.
“I don’t know if I am depressed but I am always
feeling like something is missing,” said Liebana.
On Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. there was an artist talk
about the exhibit at Local Project Art Space.
Adda is opened from Monday to Saturdays
for lunch and dinner starting on Sept. 12. Lunch
is served from noon to 6 p.m. and dinner is
served from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information,
check them out on addanyc.com or @addanyc
on Facebook and Instagram.
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