ARTISTS
Abend Gallery
Kelly Birkenruth: The Beauty of Sustenance
Abend Gallery is pleased to present The Beauty of Sustenance, a solo exhibition of new still life paintings by Kelly Birkenruth. The series returns to the familiar fruits and vegetables that pass through our hands every day and asks what it means to truly see them. Pears, heirloom tomatoes, carrots, and squash sit as vibrant, unapologetic presences, painted with the attention they deserve.
The colorful backgrounds are not incidental. They elevate and hold each subject in a space of reverence. These foods sustain us in the most literal sense, yet their beauty is easy to miss in the routine of daily life. Birkenruth paints them alive and almost celebratory, as if each one holds its own energy.
Rooted in the methods of the Old Masters and carried by Birkenruth's handling of light, the paintings are an invitation to look again, more closely, and to recognize the beauty and abundance that exist within the ordinary. The Beauty of Sustenance is on view September 19, 2026 – October 10, 2026.
Artist on show: