Charleston Reporter

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department has announced concurrent solo exhibitions at Park Circle Gallery. The exhibitions will feature photo-based multimedia works by Kirsten Hoving and mixed media works by JD Clark, incorporating Polaroid photographs by Mahmood Fazal. These exhibits will be on display from September 4-28, 2024, with a free public reception on Friday, September 6, from 5:00-7:00 pm.

Kirsten Hoving's exhibit, "Fabricated Visions," presents evocative photographs on silk or plastic combined with secondary photographs or paper collage. Her work often involves mounting fabric over a digital underprint to create dynamic images that move with air currents or viewer movements. Some pieces feature clear plastic stabilized on a transparent substrate over another photograph or collage to produce a three-dimensional effect. Hoving's subjects are everyday scenes presented in ways that elevate them to poetic visions. “My materials and processes support the metaphors in my work,” she explains.

Hoving is an experienced photographer and multimedia artist who balances fact and fiction in her art. She has exhibited locally and internationally for sixteen years and published several books, including "Svala’s Saga." With a PhD in Art History from Columbia University, she has had a long career as a professor and scholar of modern art.

JD Clark's exhibition, "From Corporate to Creative," features collaborative works combining Polaroids by Mahmood Fazal with sketches by Clark. Each piece captures scenes from American life through the eyes of someone experiencing it viscerally. “It starts with a Polaroid,” says Clark. The charcoal sketch begins on location where the photograph was taken and may be completed in the studio with additional media.

Clark transitioned from a corporate executive to street artist after retiring in 2013. He began selling his art directly to customers at Charleston’s City Market in 2018. His work has been featured at various local art shows and continues to be displayed at notable venues like the Old Exchange Building.

Mahmood Fazal is an accomplished photographer who began his journey inspired by his uncle's hobbyist photography during his upbringing in Kuwait. Over the years, he has worked across different photography genres including weddings, commercial photography, artistic photography, and photo illustration.

Park Circle Gallery is located at 4820 Jenkins Avenue in North Charleston. Admission is free with available street parking nearby. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Friday from 11:00 am-6:00 pm and Saturday from Noon-4:00 pm.

For more information about Park Circle Gallery call 843-637-3565 or email [email protected]. Additional details about other Cultural Arts programs can be found on the City’s website.