Naomi Berkery
Exhibition - Expressions in Every Form (2025)
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About Naomi BerkeryMy work navigates a delicate balance between "Fine Art" and "Graffiti," characterized by my influential illustrative style, which is rich in layers. My artwork is a deeply personal celebration of authenticity and visual expression. It represents an emotional journey towards self-discovery and acceptance—an invitation for my audience to experience my deepest thoughts through their own perspectives, allowing them to connect with their own experiences. I explore contrast and extremes, examining the disconnect between the self we present to the world and the softer side we often conceal. I manipulate the intangible and rework it physically, making it tangible in real space through materials, texture, and imagery. Like myself, many of my works defy easy categorization. My concepts are fully formed yet continuously evolving. I use colors that are often bold and vibrant—playful at times, yet overwhelming, or conversely, muted and calm. My linework reflects an open, free, and accepting mental space, expressing a desire to be heard without fear of misunderstanding. My artwork primarily features emotive portraiture, drawing influence from the fusion of urban and natural elements. It delves into themes of growth, emotions, relationships, trauma, eternal struggles, spirituality, lore, and the journey of self-love. Each piece represents a moment, a conversation, something left unsaid, a thought, a feeling, a reaction, a fantasy, a recollection, or a snippet of my inner dialogue. This fusion has resulted in a body of work that is profound, anxious, excited, gaudy, emotive, and excessive—unapologetically my own. Bio: Naomi attended Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, NY, where she earned her MFA in Art and Design Education with a concentration in Art Therapy. She spent nearly 25 years in New York City, living, creating, exhibiting, and selling artwork throughout the five boroughs and the Tri-State Area. Since 2003, Naomi has been teaching visual art to special needs students in grades 4 through 12 in New York City. Currently, she works with over 300 students who are diagnosed with severe learning disabilities, including ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NVLD), and Executive Functioning challenges. She is a certified Art Therapist and serves as the head of her department at her school. In 2019, Naomi returned to her "home" in Newburgh, NY, where her family has lived and worked for generations. She resides with her husband and their rescue pitbull in the town. Upon her return, she quickly reintegrated herself into the vibrant art community in the Hudson Valley, particularly in Newburgh. Naomi works out of her studio at Safe Harbors on the Hudson in collaboration with The Ann Street Gallery in Newburgh, NY, and exhibits her work in local businesses and galleries, as well as in New York City. She is an active member of several artist groups and communities within the Hudson Valley, participates annually in Newburgh Open Studios and Newburgh Illuminated, and is a permanent resident artist at Ilon Gallery in Harlem, NYC, and Arbor Gallery in Carmel, NY. Featured Piece Exhibiting at Bank Art Gallery |