New exhibit to open Jan. 31 at Appleton

“Abandoned,” 2021, Chinese brush painting on Double Xuan using Eastern watercolors and Japanese “Sumi” ink, 24 x 30 in., on loan from the artist. [Photo courtesy Appleton Museum of Art]

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, will unveil “Portraits in Passing: Contemporary Chinese Brush Painting by A.E. Kozeliski” on Jan. 31. The exhibit will be on view through June 21.

The subjects in “Portraits in Passing” are the people of the street — those encountered in daily life yet often overlooked: the wanderers, the unhoused and the forgotten. Through Tallahassee-based artist A.E. Kozeliski’s brush, these fleeting figures become thought-provoking reflections of contemporary society. Rather than traditional portraits, they capture a moment in time, revealing glimpses of humanity that might otherwise go unnoticed, according to the news release.

Rooted in the ancient traditions of Chinese brush painting, Kozeliski’s process draws on the discipline’s four foundational strokes, techniques that require mastery of brush pressure, water-ink balance and handmade paper selection. Painting in the Mogufa (“boneless”) style, she captures not physical likeness but the energy, or qi, of her subjects. Composed without backgrounds, these minimal yet expressive portraits allow a simple line or gesture to suggest place, emotion and humanity, the release explained.

“I have embraced an ancient art form,” Kozeliski shared. “And through the depiction of contemporary subject matter, I have made it my own while respecting its traditions.”

Opening in the Balcony Gallery for Florida Artists on the museum’s second floor, each work invites viewers to engage and find their own stories within the faces and gestures portrayed. As subtle details reveal themselves, the once unseen become visible, gaining presence and dignity through the artist’s hand, the release noted.

At 1 p.m. April 4, Kozeliski will give a talk about the works in the exhibit and give a live demonstration. Her presentation will be part of the Free First Saturday activities that day, during which admission to the museum is free.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. The museum is a campus of the College of Central Florida and is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.

For more information, call (352) 291-4455 or visit appletonmuseum.org.