Encounters with Light in the Age of Perception

Artist Natalie Bella describes this work as a vision of heaven: walking through flower fields in the morning, breathing fresh mountain air, and watching golden light paint the sky. A figure moves through wild poppies and delicate blooms, drawn forward by something just beyond view. In the distance, the mountains fade into soft focus while the path beneath her feet glows with warmth.

Bella built the piece in layers, beginning with ink washes to establish the emotional foundation, followed by acrylics to create depth, and finishing with oils to achieve a soft, otherworldly light—the kind that invites the viewer to pause, reflect, and simply breathe.

About the Exhibition

Statement

Encounters with Light in the Age of Perception explores light as language, atmosphere, and storyteller. Bringing together contemporary artists, this exhibition examines how light shapes perception, reveals meaning, and transforms the way we experience and understand light.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
33 Contemporary Gallery Presents Encounters with Light in the Age of Perception
International Online Exhibition Featuring 72 Artists from Around the World

33 Contemporary Gallery is pleased to present Encounters with Light in the Age of Perception, a curated international online exhibition featuring the work of 72 contemporary artists from across the globe. Curated by Sergio Gomez, the exhibition will be on view online from June 1–30, 2026.

Bringing together a diverse range of artistic voices and mediums, the exhibition explores light not simply as illumination, but as a language—one that reveals, transforms, conceals, and shapes perception itself. Through painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and digital works, participating artists investigate how light influences emotion, memory, atmosphere, narrative, and the human experience of seeing.

“In an era shaped by constant imagery and shifting realities, light becomes more than a visual element,” says curator Sergio Gomez. “It becomes a condition of perception itself—guiding how meaning is formed and how we experience the world around us.”

The exhibition features artists from multiple countries and cultural backgrounds, creating a dynamic global conversation around perception, presence, and visual storytelling. Together, the works form a collective inquiry into how light can be interpreted, experienced, and reimagined through contemporary art.

All exhibited artworks will be available for acquisition by collectors worldwide through the gallery’s Artsy page, expanding visibility for participating artists while connecting their work with an international audience of collectors and art enthusiasts.

As part of the exhibition programming, 33 Contemporary Gallery will also host a live online reception and curator talk on Friday, June 5, 2026, where selected works and the curatorial vision behind the exhibition will be discussed.

Exhibition Information

Exhibition Title: Encounters with Light in the Age of Perception
Curator: Sergio Gomez
Exhibition Dates: June 1–30, 2026
Format: Online Exhibition
Presented by: 33 Contemporary Gallery

Virtual Opening with Curator Sergio Gomez

Natalie Bella gives us this beautiful impression of light in her work Closer to Forever. I see it almost like a dreamlike space, this figure like a ghost walking into it – quite gorgeous. You could look at this painting for a long time and get lost in this luscious garden of beauty.

– Sergio Gomez, Curator, 33 Contemporary Gallery