Fruits of Labor

Venvi Art Gallery is pleased to present “Fruits of Labor” by Bella Falbo. For her first solo show with Venvi Art Gallery, Falbo is exploring the complexities of vulnerability and relationships, using fruit as a metaphor. Her hyper-realistic and vibrant compositions conjure a range of emotions and inspire viewers to reflect upon their own relationships with themselves and others.

Through her use of rich colors and simple yet striking compositions, she pulls viewers into the scenes and holds them there with the emotionality each piece provokes. From isolation and despair to passion and tenderness, Falbo explores the emotions that come with being human. Pomegranates, oranges, kiwis, and strawberries fill the canvases with juicy flesh and delicate peels painted with highly saturated colors to secure the viewer's gaze.

“Fruits of Labor” aims to explore the vulnerability and growth experienced in your relationships with yourself and those around you. Falbo began this body of work while struggling with social anxiety, and she remembers spending a lot of time being hyper-aware and analytical of her interactions and relationships. Though her artistic practice began as an exploration of anxiety, as her career and her relationships continued, it evolved into an ongoing examination of the vital importance of vulnerability in all relationships. While the pieces serve as a vehicle for the artist to process and understand her emotions and experiences, she hopes the works provide a space where viewers can do the same.

Falbo is inspired by contemporary surrealist and hyperrealist artists such as Jesse Mockrin, Alonsa Guevara and Monica Cook. She also finds inspiration from classical artists like the Dutch Golden Age painter Willem Kalf and the Spanish Baroque artist, Juan Sánchez Cotán. In addition to finding inspiration in her own life and relationships, she is frequently moved by other art forms such as literature and music. From these she pulls specific moods, descriptions or stories and translates them into her own visual retelling.

Originally from Naples, Florida, Bella moved to Tallahassee in 2017 to pursue her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Florida State University. She did so and graduated from the university in 2021 with top honors. After graduating she began working at Venvi Art Gallery, working part time as an artist assistant for Professor Lillian Garcia Roig, and developing her own practice. She recently attended a residency at the New York Academy of Art and has received awards such as the Excellence in Visual Arts Award from FSU’s Honors Scholars and Fellows House and the Ann Kirn Scholarship. During her time at FSU she also volunteered as Co-Director of the student run Phyllis Straus Gallery. She has been in many group shows in the Tallahassee area as well as shows in South Carolina and New York.

“Fruits of Labor” will be open from June 3rd to July 28th with the opening reception on June 3rd from 5-8pm. Venvi Gallery is located at 2901 East Park Avenue Tallahassee, FL 32301. For more information about the show please visit www.venviartgallery.com