Koinonia
Moumi, collage by Quincy Owens
Having a place where you can completely be yourself or be open and vulnerable is truly a valuable thing for people. Places like these give a sense of belonging, give a feeling of comfort. The friends or connections we make in these spots cultivate a community.
Koinonia (κοινωνία) is a Greek word that means an imitate participation in fellowship. Quincy Owens' latest work in the City Gallery opening this coming Friday pursues his experience of koinonia through sculpture and collage.
Owens grew up in Rushville, IN and began making art as a young boy, in creeks making layers of clay and rocks with varying colors. His childhood days of working with his hands in nature influenced his direction in college as he studied sculpture.
As an artist he also paints. His paintings are an exploration of geometric shapes and fluid colors, as he calls it, order and chaos. They typically speak to universal human experiences. The sculpture and collage of koinonia is without exception.
The exhibition at the City Gallery tells the story of human connection. The sculptures and collages, though specific to Owens, are a story of people in close fellowship. For Owens, they represent his relationships cultivated as a studio artist at the Harrison Center for the Arts. Collaborating with other artists at the Harrison Center has given him an art community. Additionally, pieces tell about his participation in a Fountain Square church, sharing life and intimacy. It's place-based meaning and art.
The word "koinonia" has roots in the early Christian church and especially in the Last Supper with Christ and his apostles. "Unlike paintings, sculptures automatically force participation with a viewer as they share the physical space," he says. Much like the apostles sharing dinner and passing food in an actual place, the sculptures force a similar interaction in a gallery - viewers walk around each other to see all of the art piece. It's connecting through place.
The collages, Owens describes, "are multiple parts coming together to provide common unity: community." These (much like his sculptures) are visual representations of relationships of the past year formed in places around the city, and because collages allow for more details, he adds in more color and layers for a deeper meaning of koinonia.
Quincy Owens' latest work is an invitation to viewers to find which places viewers have intimate places of fellowship, to discover koinonia for themselves. Come January 4th to the City Gallery from 6pm to 9pm for an Indianapolis art experience and see Owens' latest art exploration. Animal House, the larger show of the Harrison Center, will also be showcasing new work from Tasha Lewis, Brandon Schaaf, Stacey Holloway, Aaron Nicholson, Lesley Baker, Rachel Bleil, Andrew Perry Davis and Robert Horvath.