Brace exhibit opens in Cd'A

Victoria Brace, a native of Russia, attended the Moscow College of Art. She has lived in the United States for 15 years, and moved to Spokane in the late 1990s to work as a computer-graphics artist. She retired from that field in 2008 and began focusing solely on making paintings in her studio.

Brace's work, described as "hauntingly beautiful," will be on display at The Art Spirit Gallery in downtown Coeur d'Alene today through Nov. 30. An opening reception will take place today during ArtWalk from 5-8 p.m. at the gallery, 415 Sherman Ave.

Brace's most recent paintings are of the human figure, a genre which Brace handles with unique methods. With the exception of a few self-portraits, Brace does not work directly from a model. She studies the faces and figures of people she meets, creating a mental inventory of visual information. When the work begins on a new painting, it is motivated by an internal point of reference. An intangible feeling prompts the beginning of the work and functions as a benchmark during the painting process. Brace rarely presents a portrait of a specific person, but rather communicates the essence of a character.

At the core of Brace's studio practice is a belief in the artist's role as a visual storyteller. The play of shapes, colors and light all work together to build a narrative. The stories that are suggested in Brace's paintings are open to interpretation. The viewer is not the passive receiver of information, but rather is asked to engage in a direct conversation with subject matter and content.

Brace will give an informal talk and demonstration Saturday at 1 p.m. at the gallery.