Allied Arts hosted its reception for the Porsha Luca exhibit on Jan. 5 inviting the community into a world of fantasy and sci-fi.
Porsha Luca is a local artist with experience in oil and acrylic painting, digital art, tattoos, and more. Her art is heavily inspired by her interests, specifically relating to the genres of science fiction and fantasy. Many of her pieces depict creatures of folklore or have visuals of space.
“This is my first exhibition and I wanted to tap into the child-like imagination to portray a variety of pieces within the land of sci-fi and fantasy,” said Luca.
Within the exhibit, one series of paintings depicts a young girl and her teddy bear entering a portal and traveling through various pieces in the gallery as they explore things with “wonder” and begin to “grow and change” together. By the end of her journey, the teddy bear has become too large for the girl to carry with her, and she continues the journey without him.
“Many of my pieces are up for interpretation,” said Luca.
“Viewers may see a different type of journey between the girl and her teddy bear based on their own experiences. The focus, however, will always be centered around her imagination and how she and her teddy bear change during their journey until she must pursue the end of her quest alone.”
Other pieces within the gallery depict fairies, dragons, planets, stars, and more.
The majority of the pieces are made with oil or acrylic paint, and some are a mixture of both.
“I completed preparation for this exhibit in two months,” said Luca. “I wanted to bring a sense of wonder, curiosity, and nostalgia to the exhibit. I believe I accomplished that.”
At the reception, several members of the Allied Arts board visited and expressed how “impressed” and “enchanted” they were by Luca’s storytelling and unique expression of different creatures and environments.
“The exhibit came out well and it feels exciting to do something new,” said Luca. “I hope to find more pathways to share my art like this.”
The Porsha Luca Exhibit will be on display Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Marlor House on 201 N.Wayne St. until Jan. 25. Pieces on display are available for purchase and more of Luca’s art can be seen on her TikTok page @prolific_p.