{"id":2247046,"date":"2026-11-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2247046"},"modified":"2026-11-09T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T21:00:00","slug":"amy-liu-explores-light-and-dark-through-glitz-mystique-and-opera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2247046","title":{"rendered":"Amy Liu Explores Light and Dark through Glitz, Mystique, and Opera"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1933\" height=\"2605\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"An oil painting of a woman with wavy blond hair in front of red fabric, with an embellished, jeweled mask with giant pearls in front of her eyes.\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cIl Bacio di Venere\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and Harper\u2019s, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-3d243ebe wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Amy Liu Explores Light and Dark through Glitz, Mystique, and Opera<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-11-09T12:12:57-06:00\">November 9, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"colossal-share-buttons\">\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--facebook\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F11%2Famy-liu-pearled-chiaroscuro-paintings%2F&amp;title=Amy%20Liu%20Explores%20Light%20and%20Dark%20through%20Glitz%2C%20Mystique%2C%20and%20Opera\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Share<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--pinterest\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F11%2Famy-liu-pearled-chiaroscuro-paintings%2F&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F11%2Fliu-2-960x1294.jpg&amp;description=Amy%20Liu%20Explores%20Light%20and%20Dark%20through%20Glitz%2C%20Mystique%2C%20and%20Opera\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share to Pinterest\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Pin<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--email\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email this article\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--copy\">\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Copy article link\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link colossal-share-button__copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/11\/amy-liu-pearled-chiaroscuro-paintings\/\" data-label-default=\"Copy\" data-label-copied=\"Copied!\" data-aria-default=\"Copy article link\" data-aria-copied=\"Link copied to clipboard\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-live=\"polite\">Copy<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--bookmark\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"479195\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not unlike the way a pearl grows inside a mollusk, wherein an irritant or parasite is gradually coated in a mineral called nacre, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amyliustudio.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Amy Liu<\/a>\u2019s paintings comprise layers of oil pigment over underpaintings. This preparation technique dates to the early Renaissance, its first use attributed to Jan van Eyck, who added a monochrome glaze to the surface of panels to establish tonal values before building up the picture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her solo exhibition <em>Pearled Chiaroscuro<\/em> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harpersgallery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Harper\u2019s<\/a>, Liu taps into the Renaissance in more ways than one. She highlights the convention of deep contrasts and bright highlights known as <em>chiaroscuro, <\/em>Italian for \u201clight-dark.\u201d It\u2019s an aesthetic we see most famously in the works of Caravaggio, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/leonardo-da-vinci\">Leonardo da Vinci<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artemisia_Gentileschi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Artemisia Gentileschi<\/a>, and others, where rich shadows recede behind figures that are dramatically lit and sometimes appear to glow from within.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-479195\" title=\"\u201cColei che Danza col Vento\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches (unframed)\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cColei che Danza col Vento\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches (unframed)\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cColei che Danza col Vento\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches (unframed)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1918\" height=\"2514\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-6.jpg\" alt=\"An oil painting of a woman in profile, wearing an embellished gown, with pearl around her neck, in her hair, and on her eyes.\" class=\"wp-image-479201\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cColei che Danza col Vento\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches (unframed)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Liu focuses on women wearing embellished gowns and draped in elaborate jewelry, with an emphasis on pearls. She also invokes the spirit of a night at opera, drawing on her own background as a trained soprano. Rather than highlighting the identities of the figures, whether performers or spectators, the artist focuses on their elaborate and luxurious garments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIl Bacio di Venere,\u201d for example, which translates to \u201cThe Kiss of Venus,\u201d features an elaborate face covering with giant pearls and rubies, creating an impractical yet eerie, almost alien look. And in \u201cColei che Danza col Vento\u201d (\u201cShe Who Dances with the Wind\u201d) a cluster of the organic gemstones densely covers the eyes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By concealing the women\u2019s identities and viewing them through their sartorial choices, Liu explores how high fashion is a channel of not only status but one\u2019s sense of self, where in turn, the garments literally and figuratively mask the person wearing them. \u201cFigures are abstracted and their identities deliberately concealed, as if supporting the ornamentation rather than the other way around,\u201d the gallery says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Pearled Chiaroscuro<\/em> continues through November 19 at Harper\u2019s Apartment on the Upper East Side, New York City. See more on Liu\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/amyliustudio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-479195\" title=\"\u201cPerle al Chiaro di Luna\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cPerle al Chiaro di Luna\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cPerle al Chiaro di Luna\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1912\" height=\"2566\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-4.jpg\" alt=\"An oil painting of a woman with her back turned and a low-cut, embellished dress. The picture is cropped to her cheek and lower back, emphasizing a pearl and gemstone back necklace and a nearby burning candle.\" class=\"wp-image-479199\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cPerle al Chiaro di Luna\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-479195\" title=\"Detail of \u201cPerle al Chiaro di Luna\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cPerle al Chiaro di Luna\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cPerle al Chiaro di Luna\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1355\" height=\"1184\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-9.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-479204\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cPerle al Chiaro di Luna\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-479195\" title=\"\u201cCuore di Giada\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cCuore di Giada\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cCuore di Giada\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1931\" height=\"2570\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-1.jpg\" alt=\"An oil painting of a close-up of a woman&apos;s ear with a heavily embellished piece of pearl jewelry around her ear.\" class=\"wp-image-479196\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cCuore di Giada\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-479195\" title=\"\u201cSignora al Teatro dell\u2019Opera\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches (unframed)\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cSignora al Teatro dell\u2019Opera\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches (unframed)\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cSignora al Teatro dell\u2019Opera\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches (unframed)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1911\" height=\"2490\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-7.jpg\" alt=\"An oil painting of a woman with an embellished gown and pearl jewelry, cropped at the eyes and emphasizing her neck and chest.\" class=\"wp-image-479202\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cSignora al Teatro dell\u2019Opera\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches (unframed)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-479195\" title=\"\u201cIn Ascolto della Notte Stellata\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cIn Ascolto della Notte Stellata\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cIn Ascolto della Notte Stellata\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1916\" height=\"2547\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-5.jpg\" alt=\"An oil painting of an ear amid a bright blue fabric, surrounded by pearl jewelry.\" class=\"wp-image-479200\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cIn Ascolto della Notte Stellata\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-479195\" title=\"Detail of \u201cIl Bacio di Venere\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cIl Bacio di Venere\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cIl Bacio di Venere\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1609\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/liu-3.jpg\" alt=\"A detail of an oil painting of a woman with wavy blond hair in front of red fabric, with an embellished, jeweled mask with giant pearls in front of her eyes.\" class=\"wp-image-479198\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cIl Bacio di Venere\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" 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All images courtesy of the artist and Harper\u2019s, shared with permission Amy Liu Explores Light and Dark through Glitz, Mystique, and Opera November 9, 2026 Art Kate Mothes Share Pin Email Copy Bookmark Not unlike the way a pearl grows inside a mollusk, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2247046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2247046"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247046\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2247046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2247046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2247046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}