Seeing San Francisco, Curated by PJ Gubatina Policarpio
Presented by Root Division, Booth A29
Inspired by Italo Calvino’s iconic work Invisible Cities, first published in 1972, Root Division is proud to present a selection of artworks that reflect San Francisco (and the greater Bay Area) not merely as a collection of homes and buildings but as a network of interconnected relationships, memories, desires, and fears; a mirage that is both real and imagined. Calvino’s text suggests that we love a city because it resonates with our inner world, even if that resonance is abstract, hazy, or melancholic. This group presentation serves as a collective love letter to San Francisco.
Root Division is a visual arts non-profit located in San Francisco’s Mid-Market and SOMA District. Our mission is to empower artists, promote community service, inspire youth, and enrich the Bay Area through engagement in the visual arts. Designed as an accelerator for Bay Area emerging artists, we offer below market rate studio spaces in exchange for community service. Through their time in the program, Studio Artists receive valuable resources to sustain and elevate their art practice including professional and creative development opportunities, exhibition platforms, and connections to Root Division’s network of artists, curators, collectors, and cultural workers. Studio Artists come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, each bringing a unique perspective to the organization.
Learn more about Root Division: www.rootdivision.org / @rootdivision.
ARTISTS
Ariel Rivera is an artist, writer, and painting instructor based in San Francisco. Her practice has grown out of a deep fascination with landscapes and ancient symbolism, exploring how the earth reflects our inner human journey.
Devyn Passaretti is a multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer based in San Francisco, California. Her work explores the theme of interconnectedness, drawing inspiration from nature, community, and personal relationships.
Elaine Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American interdisciplinary artist exploring identity, displacement, and the search for home as a perpetual foreigner. She is drawn to the passage of time and light and utilizes ephemeral materials to convey memory and yearning.
Shrey Purohit is a San Francisco oil painter working in the American realist tradition, finding beauty in the everyday. His cinematic landscapes invite the viewer to slow down and discover the sublime woven through urban life.