On View July 11 2024 – September 4 2024
Journeys
This exhibition recreates the signs, symbols and early language
created by our earliest ancestors and left behind on their migration out
of Africa and around the earth. These ancient marks are incorporated
into colorful sculptures, painting and ceramic works and pay respect to
our ancestral human creativity. There are also a series of paintings in
response to the artist’s own relocation around America and the world.
About the Artist
Cynthia Butler Rasche was born in Dayton, Ohio and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. She is currently based in Dublin, Ohio. Her artistic inspiration has always been nature, primitive architecture, and ancient artifacts. She was introduced to research on human genetic code which traced early human evolution and migration. This connected to her interest in rock art signs and symbols and early languages.
The migration of the earliest humans out of Africa and their movement around the earth inspired the creation of a large mural composed of 15 sections of relief sculpture that take the form of rock fragments. As viewers move along the wall they can see some of the carved and painted imagery left on rocks or in caves by the migrating people beginning in Africa and ending with their arrival in western Europe. Although the imagery on the Cynthia’s artworks works is drawn from ancient markings, the artwork is colorful and very contemporary. The rock fragment mural and other works use fiber reinforced masonry built up in a thin shell over an armature. This process mimics stone, has a weighty presence and allows the building of fairly large scale work that is light enough to be moved. She also works in a more traditional manner with paint on canvas or hardboard. She has always worked in clay throughout her career.
She attended the Columbus College of Art and Design. She studied with Robert Coleman, Lowell Tolstedt, Dennis Drummond and others. After her sophomore year she took a gap year abroad to Saudi Arabia where she taught art at the Riyadh International School. After graduation from C.C.A.D. with a B.F.A. she worked in graphic design and then moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. There she studied under Gene Koss at Tulane University and earned her M.F.A. in Glass. While at Tulane, she was awarded the Eleanor Kohlmeyer Award for Studio Art. After that moves followed to Dubai, U.A.E., Ponca City, Oklahoma, Oslo, Norway, Singapore, Houston,Texas and finally Dublin, Ohio. While in Singapore she studied remotely to earn a certificate in Digital Design from Sessions College for Professional Design. She taught in the Fine Art Department and Digital Media Dept. at Northern Oklahoma College and glassblowing and ceramics at several community art centers in Oklahoma and Dubai, UAE. While in Singapore she studied remotely to earn a certificate in Digital Design from Sessions College for Professional Design.
Cynthia has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions and in commercial art galleries in Ohio, Louisiana, Dubai, Sharjah, Oklahoma and Texas. She has won awards for her work and has had work included in invitational and traveling shows. Her sculpture was commissioned by Turner and Associates Architects in Tulsa, OK and is held in private collections. She is currently a member of the Ohio Art League, and the Dublin Area Art League and Central Ohio Clay Arts and Ohio Designer Craftsmen.