Chorus

During this time of extended isolation, Luisa Rabbia has approached Homemade as an opportunity to remind us of what truly brings and keeps us together. She began by creating a series of small works on paper and canvas that feature compositions of abstracted and intertwined human figures which, together, reveal intimate experiences of physical touch. Towards the end of the project, Rabbia set out to create a large-scale painting that suits the cosmic nature of the themes she explores.
Her final work, Chorus, profoundly investigates human connection. By meditating on the belly button—a body part shared by all humans and a continual reminder of our connection to past and future generations—Rabbia looks beyond superficial means of being in touch and instead probes the more natural ways in which we are all interconnected. She incorporates her hand in the work—leaving its traces through fingerprints that mark the wet paint—and strips away at the coats that comprise the canvas’ surface—a process that mirrors our need to metaphorically remove the layers that obscure our deepest forms of relation. In its depiction of overlapped figures that radiate luminous yellows from the areas in which they intersect, Chrous illustrates how a group of distinct voices can create harmonious song through unity.