Luminosity Opens at the Charles City Arts Center

On Thursday, June 4, Julie and Emily spent the day installing Luminosity, our newest gallery exhibit. By Friday evening, we were excited to welcome artist Kong Ho and community members to the Charles City Arts Center for the opening reception!

Originally from Hong Kong, Kong is a bicultural teaching artist, muralist, and painter who currently serves as Art Department Chair and Associate Professor of Art at NIACC in Mason City. His work combines Eastern and Western artistic influences with intricate patterns, floral imagery, and marine forms. Kong and his wife, ceramic artist Martie Geiger-Ho, spent lots of time chatting with guests during the reception.

Kong's paintings truly seem to glow! Curious, I asked Kong if he mixed something into the paint to create that luminous, shimmering quality. I was surprised to learn the glow comes entirely from his glazing technique. He builds each painting with layer upon layer of thin transparent acrylic paint. The technique works a bit like stained glass - light passes through those thin layers of paint and bounces back to the viewer, creating the shimmering effect.

Kong also avoids using black paint. Instead, he uses only complementary colors to create shadows and contrast.

Visitors spent time exploring the gallery before gathering for Kong's artist talk at 6 p.m. During the talk, Kong shared some of the experiences that shaped this series, including an artist residency in Michigan. Time spent surrounded by natural landscapes inspired many of the themes that appear throughout the exhibit: nature, reflection, balance, and the eternal cycle of change.

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Flowers play an important role in Kong's work, with each bloom chosen intentionally for its symbolism. Nautilus shells, flowing patterns, and references to the natural world appear throughout the exhibit, creating connections between growth, transformation, and continuity. Many of the paintings also incorporate the Divine (or Golden) Ratio, a mathematical relationship found throughout nature.

Every painting is stunning. Pictures don't do them justice - you have to see them in person to view that glowing effect!

Splendor of Eternity, by Kong Ho (my personal favorite!)

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the reception. If you missed opening night, there's still plenty of time to experience Luminosity. The exhibit remains on display through July 18.

What is your favorite piece in the exhibit? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!