Caroline Roosevelt
Contributing Writer

With its magnificent upgrades and available spaces, the new Kennett Library has established itself as a new locale for inspired art exhibitions. Portrait photographer turned curator, Jie Deng unveiled an exhibition on April 3 at the library called “The Artist” that combines the work of six artists, each of whom added a portrait of them taken by Deng to their respective submissions.

Located at the library’s gallery space, the exhibit features original art by Rebecca Adler, Katee Boyle, Jill Beach, Samara Weaver, C.C. Czerwinski and Lauren E. Peters and will run through April 30.

Visitors may recognize some of the artists from Jie’s first foray into curating, “Hue of Memories,” which she unveiled at Centerville’s Shish Interiors, back in November of 2024. Delaware born and now based on New York City, Czerwinski is a new addition to this exhibition and brings an audio and film component to the show.

I popped into the opening night reception for “The Artist” and immediately stumbled upon Adler, who was closing a sale on one of her brightly colored figurative paintings. Her work is an ongoing series from her “Embrace” collection that portrays women embracing themselves in various poses that express self-love and female strength. 

As I walked along the far wall leading the viewer from the lobby of the library to the side entrance of the auditorium, I enjoyed the gradation of color from vibrant to more muted. Deng explained that this was the intention of the order of exhibits, leading the viewer from the rainbow of color in Adler’s work to the more muted pieces which abound in Beech’s work. 

In between, Weavers’ elegant 3-D mixed media paper sculptures in rich purples and blues pour out beyond the frame, inviting the viewer into her space. Lauren E. Peters’ bright and playful self-portraits incorporate the theatrical, as each piece focuses on a faceless pose of the artist featured in a different brightly colored wig. The portraits play nicely with the portrait photograph Deng produced of her, displaying the artist in her workspace, complimented by a mirror and multiple self-portraits included in the background.

 “I took Lauren’s portrait in her studio, and I saw that she was working on a mural,” Deng said. “I said, ‘Oh, you’re doing a self-portrait. Maybe we should try it this way.’ Lauren provided different characters for each piece, and they all became new works for the show.”

Katee Boyle, whose dichotomic interpretation of feminine identity often pours itself into life size pieces, has produced delicate gossamer miniature resin doll clothing hanging from thin wire hangers. The resin provides a translucent element that allows each piece to glow.

Deng’s portrait of Boyle looks like it could have easily graced the pages of Vogue. Between the two artists, they dangled books from branches of a large tree in the yard around Scarlett Forge (the artist’s studio) as Boyle, striking a statuesque pose, stands in front of and underneath them.

Czerwinski provided a full multimedia story which felt like a visual memoir into her time in France. Her abstract muted paintings are accompanied by a short film and audio of the artist recounting her childhood experiences and first forays into art as a child. The film, produced to replicate the grainy, nostalgic home videos found in the basement, lead us on a visual landscape journey and the audio ends with a universal memory - of dogs barking in the distance - as though one is standing in a field not far from her childhood.

Finally, Beach’s portrait by Deng is flanked by two pieces that showcase the start and end point of her artistic range. The first piece is a heavy metal mask, while the second piece is a thin white sculpture reminiscent of honeycomb.

With artists describing their work to curious onlookers, and appreciators of the show coming up to Deng to compliment her on her vision, opening night at “The Artists” served to generate the buzz that will hum all through this exhibit’s life at the Kennett Library. Of course, a coveted red dot had already been slapped on one of the labels of Adler’s pieces, and if the energy from the opening night is any indication of its success, I’m sure more red dots for other artists will follow.

With two successful exhibitions under her belt as a contributor and head curator, Deng is planning to collaborate with John Baker, head of the West Chester Arts Association, on an upcoming exhibition. For now, though, I encourage you to take in the beautiful journey that is Jie Deng’s current vision – achieved in collaboration with six other artists.