Artist Eyob Mergia shares The Inner Voice at Las Vegas' theatre7 in January

Jan. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- Eyob Mergia says art is a spiritual guide that helps him better understand the world around him. The Inner Voice, which opens January 20 in Las Vegas' downtown arts district and runs through Jan. 24, is an exploration of that understanding.

"This exhibition reflects my past and my more recent experiences, including what I have seen and felt in Las Vegas," said Mergia, who was born in east Africa, in the Ethiopian town of Debre Berhan, but has made Las Vegas his home the past year.
 
The exhibit at the Darryl Martin Art Gallery of theatre7 (1406 South 3rd Street, Las Vegas, NV 89104) and the next door studio Graficandus will feature a variety of pieces from oil paintings to mixed media and drawings. The collection gives a glimpse of the artist’s existence on both the conscious and the subconscious levels.
 
"Eyob’s artwork speaks with a unique and trenchant inner voice," theatre7 curator Vanessa Juarez said. "It's a kaleidoscope of subjects and an endless variety and combination of colors that creates an environment that is simultaneously vivid and mysterious, yet one in which you will feel at home."
 
Constantly experimenting, Mergia says the art on display at his show will represent each experimental stage of his career, giving audiences a chance to explore the essence of his artwork. 
 
"I enjoy creating pieces that draw from all different periods and styles," Mergia said. "One of my principal motivations is to continue developing and learning to express myself in a variety of artistic forms and languages."
 
Mergia graduated from the Ethiopian Fine Arts Institute in Addis Ababa in 1997, before moving to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he studied advanced painting and drawing at Augustana College.
 
In 2009, the artist's design for the Seven Days of Creation was made into thousands of translucent glass tiles in Italy and installed on the outside of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, in eight 22-foot-tall panels.

As part of Mergia's research and preparation for the project, he conceived a very large charcoal drawing, which he calls one of his most important pieces. The 29-by-8.5-foot work of art ended up being the center piece for Mergia's exhibit Genesis in Sioux Falls. It will be apart of The Inner Voice as well.
 
"My goal is to create artwork that brings new levels of understanding, using art as a language to explore ideas in science, mathematics, and in spiritual dimensions," Mergia said.  "I'm always trying to show my identity through my art, and to continue to discover my heritage, my world, and myself. But above all, art is always joy and peace." 
 
The Inner Voice opens January 20 at 6 p.m. For more information contact Juarez at (702) 509-4183 or via email, vanessainnevada@gmail.com.

Located near the "Downtown Las Vegas" sign, theatre7 opened its doors in March. The artlover's and indie film fan's paradise is owned by filmmaker Derek Stonebarger, programmed by filmmaker Chad Clinton Freeman, screens independent films, doubles as an art gallery and has hosted live stages performances. Each First Friday, the next being January 6, theatre7 displays artwork with Martin painting live. The venue is also the center of First Friday Down Third Street with its Outdoor Cinema and car show.

For more information on theatre7, visit http://www.theatre7lv.com/ or call 702-568-9663.

# # #

Located near the "Downtown Las Vegas" sign, theatre7 is an artlover's and indie film fan's paradise. Owned, programmed and operated by filmmakers, theatre7 screens independent films, doubles as an art gallery and host live entertainment.