Bushwick Gallery announces Surface Tension, a one-night solo exhibition by Brooklyn-based painter and conceptual artist Kelly Ahern. Selected for the gallery's Solo Statement program Doesn't Play Well with Others, Ahern takes full command of the space in a non-commercial presentation designed to support bold, singular artistic voices.
April 17, 2026 | 6:00-8:00 PM
Bushwick Gallery | 22 Fayette Street, Brooklyn, NY
Working across oil, acrylic, and mixed media, Ahern's practice operates at the intersection of intention and material response. Her paintings resist fixed resolution, instead emerging through accumulation, revision, and sustained interaction with surface. Figures appear and dissolve, bodies fragment, and color moves atmospherically—creating works that feel negotiated rather than declared.
Surface Tension brings together a body of large-scale works developed over the past four years. Installed as a chronological progression, the exhibition traces a visible shift in Ahern's approach—from early explorations of expressive color and form, through darker, more disfigured compositions, to recent works that turn inward, examining the self as both subject and site. Ahern further disrupts traditional presentation by exhibiting unstretched canvases, releasing the tension of the frame and foregrounding the physical and conceptual conditions that shape the work.
Rather than offering a fixed narrative, the exhibition invites viewers into a field of emotional and material instability—where meaning is not assigned, but formed through proximity, duration, and attention.
"Solo Statement is about giving an artist the space to fully articulate their vision without interruption," said Gina Keatley, founder of Bushwick Gallery. "Kelly's work doesn't dilute itself to fit a shared context. It builds its own environment. That's exactly what this program is designed to support. At the same time, it's important to note that while we champion non-commercial platforms like this, Bushwick Gallery continues to maintain a strong calendar of commercial exhibitions. Both are essential. One creates space for risk and development, the other sustains artists and the market that supports them."
The Solo Statement program is part of Bushwick Gallery's ongoing commitment to accessibility and artistic development. These non-commercial initiatives prioritize presentation, experimentation, and visibility over sales, offering artists the opportunity to realize ambitious concepts without financial pressure.
For one evening, Surface Tension transforms the gallery into a singular, immersive statement—one artist, one space, fully realized.
Light bites and beverages will be served.
About Kelly Ahern
Kelly Ahern is a Brooklyn-based painter and conceptual artist whose work explores the female form through themes of emotional tension, identity, and material process. She holds a BA in Communication and an MA in Visual Communication from the University of Rhode Island and has exhibited in group shows across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
About Bushwick Gallery
Bushwick Gallery is a contemporary art space in Brooklyn dedicated to supporting emerging and established artists through curated exhibitions, residencies, and experimental programming. The gallery operates with a dual model, presenting both commercial exhibitions and non-commercial initiatives that prioritize artistic growth and accessibility.
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