My eye has been gravitating toward the use of unrefined, industrial materials in a polished way, so it was rather serendipitous when an artist introduced me to the work of Alexa Williams. Tucked into a not so small nook in Red Hook Brooklyn's TI Studios (where die hard artists rent bright and spacious studio space throughout an entire floor of a storage facility) is where I found Alexa drilling through dusty silkscreens and pouring concrete until her hear's content.

After spending many years creating modern landscapes, Alexa Williams made a shift into abstraction where she's presently exploring grittier materials like steel, concrete, contractor's chalk and graphite. With a soft touch and a refined hand, Alexa's caught our eye with this newest Concrete (Urban) series -

Cones, 2015, 36 x 24 Inches. Paint and graphite on concrete.

The Firebird 2016, 32 x 70 Inches. Graphite, chalk and vinyl paint on concrete.

When asked where Alexa pulls her inspiration from, she simply states:

"My surroundings. I walk around unconsciously scanning for formalistic eloquence on every surface; in every corner and I love finding it in often overlooked places. I feel like then is when it gets really exciting, like uncovering secret and scandalous moments. And that’s what I want in my work."

Diving, 2015. 18 x 24 Inches. Paint and chalk on concrete.

"Where society places value on construction as a male trait, I make cast concrete paintings with organic shapes in pink paint or orange chalk that evoke something chaotic and sensual, qualities that are generally considered feminine. Durability and tenderness co-exist on the concrete slab and that confluence is something I argue is inherent in us all. By blending the gender spectrum I am hoping to illuminate a strength that evolves from the fusing of these virtues."

Alexa graduated from The San Francisco Art Institute in 2001, painted by the sea in Spain and now, back in Red Hook Brooklyn, Alexa's use of industrial materials reflects what she finds amongst her urban surroundings whilst exposing a tenderness in such a durable world.

See Alexa's full range of work here: Concrete (Urban) series.

Email me for a visit to Alexa's Red Hook Brooklyn studio: erin@fiercelycurious.com.

I can't wait to show you these beauties up close and personal...

xxErin