(CHICAGO) January 24, 2011- kasia kay art projects gallery is pleased to present “The Secret Life of Ballerinas”: new works backstage at the ballet. Kevin Berlin’s first solo exhibition with the gallery will feature several large scale oil on canvas and an installation of 66 small works on paper. "Life backstage at the ballet is like Shakespeare Theatre; you laugh, you cry, you go through the full range of human emotions. You are stabbed in the back, betrayed, you fall in love." - Kevin Berlin. "I confess, I fell in love not with one of the dancers; but with them all.” - Kevin Berlin. Kevin Berlin is internationally recognized for his work as a painter, sculptor, and performance artist. For over 10 years, artist Kevin Berlin has been painting the secret life of ballerinas. In his large scale black and white with hints of color paintings, the artist captures the youth and glamour, and reveals the hidden motivations of the dancers. Focusing on moments backstage and behind the scenes, Berlin has worked with some of the most famous dancers and theaters in the world including Kirov Ballet, St. Petersburg, Russia. The Kirov's 230 year old Mariinsky Theatre was home to such artists as Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. In 2003 Kevin Berlin was invited to work backstage with the legendary theatre. For nearly a year, the artist attended rehearsals and performances where he worked from life painting and drawing over 40 dancers. Kevin Berlin, also a performance artist and sculptor. He has created monumental portraits in bronze and cast glass posed for by Anastasia Volochkova, Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, and Maestro Valery Gergiev. Berlin's works are found in the collections of Kim Basinger, Luciano Pavarotti, David Letterman, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Quincy Jones, and General Motors Corp. The artist, a Yale Alumnus, has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Shanghai Daily, The Miami Herald, USA Today, MTV, Tokyo Television, BBC Radio and over 40 television stations across the United States. He was honored by President Reagan at The White House as a Young Arts Presidential Scholar in 1983. Kevin Berlin's recent major solo exhibitions include shows in Shanghai, China, Kiev, Ukraine, and in New York City, USA. Berlin will be one of the featured artists by the gallery at Art Chicago 2011 Booth number 12-614. For more information please contact the gallery info@kasiakaygallery.com or 312.944-0408.
Kevin Berlin: The Secret Life of Ballerinas April 15 – May 21, 2011 Opening reception for the artist: Friday, April 15th, 6-8PM. Kevin Berlin and special guest ballet dancers will be present. Kevin Berlin: The Secret Life of Ballerinas April 28 - May 2, 2011 Opening reception for Art Chicago: Thursday, April 28th, Booth number 12-614. Art Chicago: Open daily through April 31.
