New Art Exhibit Pays Homage to 'The Mask' and Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Our Mental Health and Anxiety

As the world endures the COVID-19 pandemic, a talented New York artist is paying homage to the stress, strain, mental anguish and the enduring symbol of our time - the mask.

Overwhelmed, yet inspired by the events of the past year, artist and entrepreneur Nelly Nastase has created a series of colorful, energetic and poignant paintings that are now on display at an exhibit opening today with a special showing today between 6 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET and running through Dec. 23 at the Iken Gallery, 1500 2nd Ave, New York, NY, 10075. The VIBRANT 2020 Art Work "reflects the changes that we had to go through due to the Global pandemic."

In this exhibit, Nastase, an artist working in both abstract and pop art, uniquely combines both into a single art form. She has a composition of paintings, "With or Without The Mask," where President Donald Trump and President-elect Joseph Biden are featured together. Her other works also recognize George Floyd and a series of abstracts, capturing our collective mindsets and significant events of 2020.

"In my vision, the mask is the absolute star of this year," says Nastase. "It got all the international attention, affecting everything from health, to science, to fashion. It also found itself involved in the presidential election with President Trump and the future President Biden."

The exhibit will make its international debut at the19th annual DG Magazine 2020 Media Awards in Cairo Egypt on Dec. 18. The exclusive audience will have an opportunity to be among the first to see this collection.

Nastase work also can be purchased online and a portion of the sales will go to the September's Mission, founded by Monica Iken, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy out of the events surrounding 9/11. Iken's husband, Michael, a bond broker on the 84th floor of the South Tower, died on that tragic day. Iken also created the Iken Science Academy.

For more details about the exhibit and to interview Nelly Nastase, contact Neil Foote, Ascendant Branding Group, neilfoote@ascendantgroupbranding.com, 214-448-3765.

About Nelly Nastase

Nelly Nastase is a Romanian-American artist working in both abstraction and pop art and at times uniquely combines both into a single art form. Nelly started drawing as a little girl on the sidewalks of Romania with chalk that she would find or buy, drawing shapes, not knowing she was innately expressing color and form that would continue throughout her life. Nelly also studied art in Vienna under Daniel Friedmann-Fuchs, a well-known painter from a family of famous artists. Today, inspired by New York City and the events around the world, her paintings express her perspective of these difficult times.

Source: Nelly Nastase