ref-u-gee: Audrey Frank Anastasi

Valentine Museum of Art is pleased to announce two events celebrating the release of the limited-edition monograph, "ref-u-gee," accompanying the acquisition of the commissioned series of works painted by artist Audrey Frank Anastasi.

To accommodate the extensive series of 180 original paintings, there will be simultaneous exhibitions in two locations. The museum is focused on featuring artwork that addresses impactful contemporary issues. Ms. Anastasi's work was selected for the powerful themes of human suffering and forced migration.

“This series is a testament to the resilience and courage of those who have been forced to flee their homes,” said Michael Valentine, executive director of Valentine Museum of Art. “We are honored to be able to share Anastasi’s work with our community and to spark important conversations about empathy, compassion, and the shared human experience.” In his introductory essay, Valentine goes on to say, “Audrey Anastasi's 'ref-u-gee' series serves as a humanitarian flag, an international symbol with transformative powers.” The refugees she paints “are survivors of rough seas, tent cities, starvation, and treacherous weather.”

Art critic Phyllis Braff praises the work as “… a project that calls attention to a large issue—one that crosses borders and touches people throughout the world.”

The paintings, created with materials and techniques that evoke strong emotional responses, invite the viewer to confront the complex and urgent humanitarian issues of displacement. Employing an unconventional approach—using her non-dominant left hand and oversized brushes—the artist sidesteps perfectionism in favor of a raw, more visceral connection with the subject matter. In describing her process, Anastasi says: “The paint is loosely laid down and worked abstractly until recognizable subjects emerge. The foundation substrate material on which the artwork is rendered is a facsimile of a passport, with preprinted text referring to documentation and travel preparations. Ironically, the images depict people who may be fleeing without proper papers—people who officially 'belong' nowhere."

Anastasi dedicates this work to “all who have been touched by or lost to injustice.”

The "ref-u-gee" monograph is a 440-page volume, with more than 180 full-color images. The 250-copy, individually signed and numbered limited-edition, measuring 12” x 14”, is a hardbound, cloth-covered book presented with a cloth-bound custom slipcase and gold foil stamping. It was printed by SiZ Industria Grafica in Verona, Italy.

The volume includes a number of essays and an interview with Ms. Anastasi by art critic Phyllis Braff.