The Miami Art Blog by Heike Dempster

The NacGroup announces the solo show “Zurism!” by Brooklyn-based artist Zura. This will be the artist’s first solo show in Florida.

“Zurism!” focuses on Zura’s unique style of painting which stands in contrast to the serious sculptures for which he has been known throughout his career.

Vincent Harrison and Karla Livingston of Nac Gallery began introducing Zura to the Florida market in late 2012 and due to overwhelmingly positive responses have decided to curate a solo show for the artist showcasing his latest works.

The naïve renderings in “Zurism!,” are created with acrylic on canvas and a palette knife. They are explorations of abstract imagery, faces and figures. Each character is the outcome of a lengthy drawing process involving multiple canvases. Some of Zura’s works carry political connotations relating to the recent turmoil in his native Georgia.

Zura Bushurishvili is a classically trained sculptor and his large installations can be found around estates in Connecticut and the Hamptons. He was born in Tbilisi, the capital city of the Republic of Georgia where he studied at the State Academy of Fine Art.

Known internationally for his large metal sculptures Zura started to explore painting again as an additional medium. At Art Expo in 2010 he showed his paintings publicly for the first time and sold out the entire exhibition.

Says Zura, “When I’m deep in the painting process I am happy, and all troubles fade into nothing. I feel only the way canvas and a palette knife turn into the other part of my being. I consider the piece finished only when I have fully expressed my feelings and feel sure it will invoke an audience’s opinion, regardless of it’s negative or positive connotations. Everything I do, I do for the sake of beauty, love and harmony. They always appear in my paintings and I am happy to let them.”

NacGroup is a global entity that consists of a group of like minded individuals with a shared passion and purpose, who have rejected today's accepted conventional wisdom when it comes to how a gallery should operate. NacGroup offers consulting services, brokering and collection as well as estate representation. Nac Gallery, a division of NacGroup, provides a vehicle for emerging and mid-level career artists to reach their respective audiences in a targeted and effective way. Nac Gallery is a fine art gallery located in the North Beach Arts District of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“Zurism!” runs from April 19^th through May 15th at Nac Gallery, 3325 NE 32^nd Street, Fort Lauderdale 33308

VIP Opening: Friday, April 19, 2013. 7-11 pm

Public Opening: Saturday, April 20, 2013, 7-11 pm

For more information on “,” the artist, or upcoming events such as monthly auctions at the gallery visit www.nacgallery.com or call 805.272.5831 or 239.321.9240