PHOTO BY BART RUZIK • ARTWORK - ‘TEMPTATION SERIES’ BY REAP

REAP (Ron EA Powell) mixes a variety of textures, techniques and styles in his haunting yet strangely tranquil paintings. The sensuous faces of his subjects are often framed by painterly brushwork and expressionist flourishes, but whatever amalgam of techniques he uses, Ron's concern is always the emotional impact of his portraits. At times pensive, contemplative or unabashedly fervent, Ron's subjects reveal themselves to us while remaining enigmatic.

This quality of mystery is suggested primarily through Ron's visual strategy of hiding the specifics of his subjects' eyes in shadow. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then these mask-like faces, which seem alien yet also familiar, act as our mirrors and become receptive to our emotional responses. These are people who have gained dignity by surviving life's traumas, and display a hard-won serenity. If we are honest with ourselves, we can see our own triumphs and tragedies here, as Ron EA Powell's portraits reveal an aesthetic philosophy committed to evoking honestly raw psychological states.

Ron EA Powell (REAP13) was born in Newark, New Jersey. His parents came from a family of farmers in Jamaica and gave him the initials from the proverb, As ye sow so shall ye reap. These initials represent his heritage, art, and strides in life. Powell majored in Fine Arts at NJCU. Powell has also studied figure drawing at The Art Student League of New York and now currently works at Tiffany & Co., as a Graphic Designer.