The Journey

Lillian Kefalos

Through Oct. 19

Studio Z Gallery

1415 E. Carson St.

(412)… The Journey

Lillian Kefalos

Through Oct. 19

Studio Z Gallery

1415 E. Carson St.

(412) 381-6400

Lillian Kefalos has been making art for half a century and shows no signs of slowing down.

“I have to keep busy,” she said. And she does – Kefalos began drawing when her children were young and has since tried just about everything, from ceramics to painting; from clothing to costume jewelry. Her current show, “The Journey,” at Studio Z on the South Side, celebrates her paintings, which are brightly colored abstract works.

Kefalos stumbled upon her method while scribbling to clean a pen. “I saw a movement in there … in the scribbling appeared my figure,” she said. What began as scribblings later emerged as a complex world of art, and Kefalos fills in the revealed figures with exuberant colors. The interestingly-titled works just happen. “It is very spontaneous … it’s something that comes from within me, it isn’t predetermined,” Kefalos said.

“There are multiple paintings within each painting, embedded imagery created layer by layer,” Kefalos said.

Within the layers, somewhere amid the random splashes of color, exist discernable shapes and images. Some of her paintings look as if someone spilled a box of Lucky Charms on them. Strewn about on the Plexiglas are stars, hearts, roses and musical notes all sparkly and bright. “These figures are celebrating the moment, expressing joy,” Kefalos said. They are “dancing,” savoring their cereal-like existence.

After completing these paintings, Kefalos spent weeks framing them.

“It isn’t like canvas … you have to frame these,” Kefalos said. However, the effort has been rewarding for her, and she seems truly pleased with the show. “This body of work I believe in, I don’t care who doesn’t like it.” Kefalos expects that many viewers won’t know what to make of her abstract, colorful work. “In art,” she said, “you have to wait for the right eyes.” And the right eyes certainly have much to feast upon at the exhibit.

All of Kefalos’ art is born of passion and energy. “I do art because I choose to spend my days doing art for my pleasure. I hope that in some small way I have given you some pleasure too,” she said.

Although Kefalos has been creating art, deriving this pleasure for more than 50 years, she has retained a child’s enthusiasm with a new jar of glitter; her paintings sparkle and dance. They are playful rainbows of familiar objects that have been pulled from context, with titles that evoke contemplation and a presentation that is nearly dizzying.