Pranav Sood

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Pranav Sood

Pranav Sood

A master of fine arts graduate of UW-Madison, Pranav Sood's paintings use bright colors, bold lines and geometric patterns to depict fantastical figures in imagined landscapes. Often joyfully psychedelic, Sood's work is instantly identifiable. Now residing in Brooklyn, New York, Sood will talk about his work on Facebook Live in conjunction with the exhibit I am Absolutely Absolute, on display at Abel Contemporary Gallery through Sept. 4 (along with works by Keith Kazak, Marlene Miller and a painting group show).

media release: July 22 - September 4, 2022, ACG presents Pranav Sood – I am Absolutely Absolute, Painting Invitational: Group Show, Reflection: Heads and Masks of Marlene Miller, In no. 5: Keith Kaziak: The Paradox of Things,

Opening Reception Friday, July 22nd, 5pm-8pm open to the public

Shows open online Saturday, July 23rd at 10 AM CDT

Artist Talks:

Pranav Sood- Thursday, August 4th 5pm CDT Virtual 

Keith Kaziak – Saturday, August 20^th, 2pm In-person

Pranav Sood – I am Absolutely Absolute: Born in Punjab, India and currently residing in Brooklyn, New York, Pranav Sood creates bold, large scale acrylic paintings inspired by equal parts western Pop Art and Op-art, Byzantine mosaics, and traditional Indian miniature painting. Each painting details a chapter of a hero’s journey toward personal and spiritual completion though abstracted narratives. Profoundly optimistic in their persistence in the face of travails and tragedies, Sood’s protagonists grapple with perpetual existential struggles. Through painstakingly rendered pattern and line, Sood develops a complex iconography to explore romantic and familial relationships, notions of identity and self, and spiritual and philosophical trials with humor, innuendo, and metaphor, emphasizing the need for devotion and determination. 

Painting Invitational: Group Show: Including the work of Kelli Hoppmann, Dennis Nechvatal, Jean Roberts-Guequierre, Barry Roal Carlsen, Lori Schappe-Youens, Adam Stoner, and Jonathan Wilde this exhibit demonstrates the many ways artists tell stories both personal and universal. With influences ranging from medieval artworks to a local farm field, all of these artists have a beautiful and compelling story to tell.  

Reflection: Heads and Masks of Marlene Miller: Marlene Miller’s work explores the human condition through figurative ceramic sculpture, giving expression to internal realities, both personal and universal. In its raw state, clay responds to the maker's hand with unrivaled sensitivity and expressive power— fingerprints, gouges, and tool marks remain, energizing the surface of figures that emerge. Based in Washington, Illinois, ceramic sculptor, she received her B.F.A. in ceramics and figurative painting from Bradley University in 1976 and her M.F.A. in ceramics from Syracuse University in 1978. Her work has been included in over one hundred national exhibitions and numerous international ceramics exhibitions.

In no. 5: Keith Kaziak: The Paradox of Things: The Paradox of Things mines ephemera and vernacular of the human experience to emphasize and explore the thingness of objects and materials. Ostensibly mundane items— from Oreos to Wonder Bread, cinder blocks and cardboard boxes—are rendered unfamiliar through re-contextualization and de-contextualization. The mundane becomes both menacing and magical as each uncanny instance reshapes the object and estranges our perceptions through an unfamiliar lens. Kaziak conjures object and material associations rich in consumer and visual culture references that recall a surrealistic tableau and 21st century vanitas-esque landscape, revealing our precarious nature and relationship towards the world. Through this process, Kaziak’s sculptures often contrast with farcical innuendo, relating to conversations concerning consumption, the environment, and labor. Kaziak holds an MFA the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BFA from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.