Art Reception - Drawings Through Time by Leon Hicks

Venvi Art Gallery is pleased to present Leon Hicks’ solo exhibition Drawings Through Time from March 1st to April 28th. Aside from his current series of graphite drawings American Boy, select drawings from his series My Home Town, Iconic Capers, and his previously untitled sketches will be on display.

Drawings Through Time showcases numerous drawings and sketches from Mr. Hicks’ decades-long career. These works include his latest series of six graphite drawings titled American Boy, nine works from his Iconic Caper series, and seven works from his series My Home Town. Alongside those series, Drawings Through Time also features five of Mr. Hicks’ previously untitled sketches: three titled Nude and two titled Pencil Drawing.

American Boy is Mr. Hicks’ most recent series of graphite drawings. He created this series of drawings in 2023 and has since made 3 more. Given Mr. Hicks’ extensive career and contributions to the arts, he decided to return to his roots, or metaphorical conception with this series of drawings. Mr. Hicks believes he is born American, before anything else. My Home Town, another series featured in Drawings Through Time, is a series of graphite drawings depicting Gainesville, Florida, Mr. Hicks’ hometown. This series, influenced by cubist art, pays homage to Greco-Roman architecture, symbolizes the stature and solidarity of the U.S.

Iconic Capers, created in 2006, is a series of monoprints created with Mr. Hicks’ copyrighted monoprint technique. This involves using oil pastels, mylar sheets, Elmer’s glue, and Thai Unryu paper. The mylar sheets act as transfer sheets for the final print. Nude and Pencil Drawing are Mr. Hicks’ previously untitled graphite sketches. Nude is titled as such due to its depiction of the human figure, while Pencil Drawing is named for its medium and lack of a defined subject unlike Nude.

Mr. Hicks’ works have been displayed in various solo and group exhibitions nationwide. Many corporations, universities, and museums have also exhibited his works. These include The University of Florida, The 7UP Company, The Oakland Art Museum, Atlanta University, Southwestern Bell Corporation, Charleston Art Gallery, Tuskegee Institute, Brandywine Graphic Workshop, Albrecht Art Museum and the Library of Congress. Back in February 2022, he exhibited locally in Tallahassee’s City Hall with his show titled Indelible Marks. According to James Burke, St. Louis Art Museum’s director, “every major museum in the country ought to have a Hicks engraving in its collection as the St. Louis Museum does”.

Drawings Through Time will be on display until April 28th, with an art reception being held on April 5th from 5-8pm. Venvi Art Gallery is located at 2901 East Park Avenue Tallahassee, FL 32301. For more information about Drawings Through Time and Leon Hicks’ works, visit www.venviartgallery.com.