An Exhibit Not to Be Missed!

Here in the Bay Area, we're so fortunate to have such a range of amazing museums: the de Young, the Legion of Honor, the Asian Art Museum, and of course the Museum of Modern Art, which Trip and I have been members of for some time now. But there are also some great places to view art right here in San Jose.

Some time last year, Trip and I decided to explore our local museums, and stumbled upon the fabulous Anno Domini, as well as a fabulous artist exhibiting -- Bruno 9Li from Sao Paolo, Brazil. Since the exhibit, Mysterium Tremendum, Bruno 9Li has experienced some great exposure here in San Jose, with a mural along the side of Anno Domini (which used to be Camera One) and a cover of The Wave magazine.

Well he's back with his second solo exhibit, META. It is a reflection on its Greek origin relating to the concept of "beyond." What lies beyond the perceptible reality that we share in our day to day lives? What follows our existence here on Earth? Bruno continues his process of drawing as a means of contemplative action while these ideas flow through him and into the art. He pulls his inspiration from the themes of spiritism, metaphysics, ovnis (UFOs) and exotic, aquatic plants and animals.

His work is hard to describe. It's graphically bold, colorful, and extremely intricate. It definitely has a street-art influence, but I wouldn't categorize him in such a way. From his website: He often speaks of "all being one," and is deeply aware of the unity of people, animals and nature itself. 9Li creates works of art that share this vision with his audience through epic encounters of natural and supernatural beings. These encounters, depending on the viewer, can be seen as mythic morality tales of the past, or a keen foretelling of the future.

Not only is his breathtaking work on display, but it is all surrounded by a beautiful site-specific installation that adds to the overall exhibit, bringing together all the pieces to this one magnificent vision.

There are still a couple of works available for purchase, but I was really surprised at how fast many of his pieces have sold. So if you are interested, you should act fast. Of course, you should also have $2700 of disposable income (Me, not so much. Sad.)

META
Solo Exhibit by Bruno 9li
Exhibit dates: 1st August thru 20th September, 2008.

Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design
366 So. First Street
San Jose, CA 95113
408.271.5155

Gallery & Store Hours:
Tuesday through Friday, noon - 7 p.m.
Saturday, noon - 5 p.m.