acrylic on canvas, drawing; 48×36″

“Consisting of 15 paintings and 1 drawing, my series ‘OH! Home’ portrays many local businesses that are located near my now hometown of Hamilton, OH. While I began this series in 2018, the brunt of the work has been completed since February of 2020. Because of this, the work has taken on new meaning as each painting is representative not only of a place I love but of a small business that has invariably been threatened by the economic consequences wrought by Covid-19.
All these places – Bill’s Donuts, Dino’s Coffee, Hyde’s Diner, John Hall Body Shop, etc. are not only connected by their proximity and the threat to their existence posed by Covid-19 but also by the use of wood paneling in their interiors which initially drew me to them. When I was younger, I was opposed to the use of wood paneling as a design choice because I found it provincial and cliche. However, as I aged, I came to appreciate the feelings wood paneling elicits, especially its connection to the idea of hominess. This change in attitude from hostility to admiration is what initially inspired my series and the celebration of changing one’s mind is integral to the meaning of the work.”

ARTIST BIO: Gabrielle Roach was born in 1990 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was raised in Terre Haute, Indiana by her father and mother, Judge and Mrs. John Roach. Gabi received her BFA in painting and printmaking from Indiana State University in 2014 and was awarded her Master’s in Fine Arts in 2017. She has been included in various solo and group exhibitions including The Future of Art, Tate London and 2018 Young Painters. Gabi currently works as the Arts and Programming Manager for Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum in Hamilton, OH.