STATEMENT
My paintings give evidence of my passionate approach to finding visual correlates to strongly felt experiences. Painterly textures create interplay of visceral energy, fueling my compositions with action and movement. Yet I aim for a rhythmic flow, equilibrium between tumult and composure.
The act of painting is a sensual experience for me, and produces surfaces that prominently display the actions of my hand. I use brushes and palette knives which include thick and thin strokes, layering hues and scraping some away to reveal underlying color.
My process includes both drawing upon spontaneous intuition and deliberate reworking. It is filled with a passionate energy and a volatile movement, which has a life of its own. These compositions incorporate space as a counterpoint to my dynamic gestures. They serve a function akin to that of rests between chords.
Beyond their painterly voluptuousness, my intention is to capture the mystery and spirituality of my abstractions. They reflect my desire to discover and communicate both visual and life experience. I strive to convey a direct and pure response in a work that is at once stimulating and contemplative.
BIOGRAPHY
Sheila Hecht is an abstract expressionist painter, guided by her feelings and beliefs, with a recent focus on the environment as a basic human right. Paint itself is the motivating factor for her passionate techniques; interplay of thick impasto, incised marks and strokes, scraping, dripping, and layering, all creating a unifying tension among various elements. This visual impact culminates with a dynamic energy, an abstraction of life itself.
Born and raised in New York City, Hecht earned a Bachelors and Master’s degree from Queens College and always had an uncompromising commitment to explore and develop her own unique creative process.
Hecht has had multiple solo exhibits and participated in many group shows throughout the nation. Most recently, she exhibited in a group show titled “Women on the Edge of Time” with the NY Society of Women Artists at the Taller Boricua Gallery. The theme of her work, which was presented in a video, focused on the environment and the future of our planet that is at risk.
Hecht has been awarded notable Artist Residencies around the world including Fundacion Valparaiso, Mojacar, Spain and the Julia and David White Foundation in San Jose, Costa Rica.
She has exhibited at the Nassau County Museum of Art, The Hammond, Masur, Belskie and Andrew Art Museums as well as The Fine Art Gallery of Long Island. Some of her group shows include: The Albright Knox Gallery, Iona College, Pfizer Art Gallery, Lincoln Center and The George Billis Gallery. Hecht has had multiple solo exhibitions, including the Noho Gallery in Chelsea, NY.
She was the founder and Creative Director of Ten Grace Gallery, in Great Neck, NY. Her work continues to be exhibited and collected by individuals, corporations and foundations, locally and internationally. Hecht maintains her Studio in Long Island City, NY.