Solar activity and the survival relationships between the sun, plants and other living organisms was the inspiration behind Eating Sunshine, the new museum show by artist Julie Evans on view at Boca Raton Museum of Art in Boca Raton, Florida, until Oct. 20.

Root Ribbon © Julie Evans

The new exhibition features 48 works made up of 24 ceramic sculptures displayed with 24 paintings, works on paper and assemblages on mylar. Vibrant and thought-provoking, the exhibit’s pieces are both two- and three-dimensional, and include the glazed ceramic Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing (2023), Naturelab (2018) and Root Ribbon (2019). In a fascinating juxtaposition between artistic instinct and larger events, Eating Sunshine coincides with a bout of solar activity now being experienced by planet Earth.

“While geared towards efficiency and survival, these interrelated systems of nature here on Earth and on our Sun share extraordinary power, logic, elegance, and beauty that is far beyond what we can see or understand,” said Evans.

Always There © Julie Evans

Evans, a New York City native, is regarded as a vital force who operated within the Chelsea art movement during the 1990s, one of a group of dedicated creators who were instrumental in transforming a dark industrial corner of the city into a luminous destination for the arts.

“Her works are imbued with penetrating colors and bold forms. Like nature, her art is both macro and micro, expansive and abstract, bursting with life in intricate detail,” said Kathleen Goncharov, senior curator, Boca Raton Museum of Art. “Evans’ intent is for the viewer to engage slowly and observe the incredible variety of forms, shapes, colors, and exquisite details found in her paintings and sculptures.”

Evans’ works are included in more than 300 private and public collections; among them the United States Art in Embassies Program, Rubin Museum of Art, and the collections of Microsoft and JP MorganChase.