Grandma Luce looks radiant.
Her yellow flower print dress shines bright, just like her matching yellow shoes. Her portrait is surrounded by orange mango leaves and a border of deep red hibiscus flowers. She sits in front of a brown halo and smiles gently. She’s the first artwork you see at her grandson’s show.
At “Sunshine,” a solo exhibition of local artist Mark Fleuridor’s work, the warmth is palpable.
The show opened late September at YoungArts Gallery and is on view through Miami Art Week until Dec. 10. YoungArts, a nonprofit that supports and promotes promising young artists of all disciplines, usually presents a group exhibition show each fall. This year, though, the organization decided to highlight one artist in its two-story gallery space as visitors flock to Miami for Art Week. Fleuridor, a 26-year-old mixed media artist whose works are as impressive as his resume, fit the bill.
Born and raised in Miami, Fleuridor draws inspiration from his family and his Haitian-American upbringing. In 2015, he became a YoungArts award winner and was recognized as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Since then, his work has matured as he developed new techniques, said Lauren Snelling, the YoungArts artistic director.
“Dedicating the YoungArts gallery to a solo artist is a conscious shift we have made to better serve emerging artists,” Snelling said in a statement. “We could not be happier that Mark took this bold step with us.”
“Sunshine,” co-curated by YoungArts associate curator Luisa Múnera and artist Derrick Adams, is Fleuridor’s first solo exhibition in Miami. The show serves as a mini retrospective of how his work has evolved over the years from quilt, screen prints and portraiture to abstract expressions. Though his technique has changed, his focus on family and memory remains.
“I also make art not about family, but right now that’s all I’ve been thinking about recently as I’m getting older and reflecting [on] memories,” Fleuridor said at the gallery. “It’s sort of therapeutic for me to create artworks, think about the past and get a lot of resolution through thinking and making.”
Fleuridor, who grew up with a large mango tree, uses the fruit and its leaves as a recurring motif in his work. For him, the mango tree is a symbol of life and memories.
“A place to leave, a place to return” is abstract work about home that resembles mangoes and twisting leaves. Inside one of the fruits is a hidden photo of Fleuridor’s mother.
On either side of the abstract work are two figurative portraits of family members, his father and his aunt with his cousin. Most of the portraits in the exhibition share the same name: “Enveloped by the Sun.”
“Sunshine was the best representation of what all my works are about, which is life and love,” Fleuridor said.
While walking through the space, Fleuridor pointed out how his techniques have changed in recent years. His quilted portraits of family members and scenes from his childhood hang on the second floor of the gallery. Downstairs, he traded fabric for paper by making collages inspired by the look and feel of quilts.
That shift is evident in “Take Care,” a paper collage piece Fleuridor made this year that resembles a quilt. In the center is a large, red pot of flowers. Hidden inside the plants is a photo Fleuridor took of his mother and sister holding hands.
He said the artwork was inspired by his mother encouraging her children to bring flowers to their teachers as gifts.
“A lot of people in my family, specifically my mom and my sister, have been taking care of other people most of their life,” he said. “In this artwork, I’m wishing care onto them.”
Fleuridor, who used to go on field trips to Art Basel in high school, said the solo exhibition at YoungArts is a “dream come true.”
Múnera, the co-curator, said a solo exhibition during Miami Art Week is a significant moment in an artist’s career as they develop their voice. She added that she was happy to have a local artist in the spotlight as curators, museum patrons and collectors from around the world travel to Miami.
“This is an opportunity for an emerging artist to really make a stamp in the art world,” she said.
When asked about why Fleuridor was chosen for the solo exhibition, Múnera reflected on how his artwork resonated with her. As a Colombian, she said Fleuridor’s appreciation and depiction of his loved ones and culture reminded her of her own family and upbringing.
The show is aptly named. Walking into Fleuridor’s exhibition — with its bright, inviting colors and familiar themes — does feel like stepping into the sunshine.
Hopefully, Fleuridor said, visitors are reminded of their own memories, too.
Sunshine featuring works by Mark Fleuridor
Where: YoungArts Gallery, 2100 Biscayne Blvd, Miami
When: Monday–Friday 2–6 p.m., Thursday 2–8 p.m., or by appointment by emailing lmunera@youngarts.org through Dec. 10
Info: Free entry. youngarts.org/calendar/sunshine-featuring-works-by-mark-fleuridor/
This story was produced with financial support from The Pérez Family Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
This story was originally published October 27, 2022 4:31 PM.