Aia Bower Showcases ‘Returning’ Paintings at MV Chamber in May – First Tuesday Artwalk May 2

Mill Valley native Aia Bower has moved nearly 40 times in her life – including a 10-year stint in Italy and Paris. Upon her recent return to the 94941, the artist has a few defining, appropriate themes that are dominating her work these days: home, the nest and returning.

“The comfort in being back in my home town has fueled me to explore what home really means,” Bower says. “My work has allowed me to re-frame what ‘home’ really means. A lifetime of being uprooted, even when voluntary, and letting go of security blankets — friends, family, home, one’s culture and everything familiar — has had a profound effect on my work. The ephemeral and fragile nature of living things and the importance of finding grace in each day I’m given are part of the metaphorical engagements that weave through the work.”

That work, under the title of “returning,” exhibits at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (85 Throckmorton Ave.), throughout May, with a wine reception set for the Mill Valley Arts Commission’s First Tuesday Artwalk on May 2, 6-8pm. Mill Valley’s monthly celebration of local art features a host of venues, including the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Seager Gray Gallery, the Mill Valley Public Library, Dolls and Dandy Nail Lounge, Terrestra, the Depot Bookstore & Café, City Hall, Famous4, the Mill Valley Community Center and the Throckmorton Theatre. (GO HERE for a full list of artists and venues).

Bower follows in the footsteps of her grandfather, a notable Japanese Abstract Expressionist. She garnered a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and French Language from Mills College in Oakland, and studied Art History and French Civilization in Paris at La Sorbonne Paris IV in Paris. She’s currently doing fine arts post graduate work at College of Marin under esteemed artist Chester Arnold.  

“My experiences and the beauty around me are my sources of inspiration,” Bower says. “Glistening light, delicate colors and the feelings that those convey are characteristic themes in my work. I take immense pleasure in creating images that express how ephemeral life can be and lead the viewer to unexpected sensations.”  
 
The 411: Aia Bower showcases her ‘returning’ paintings ​at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (85 Throckmorton Ave.), throughout May, with a wine reception set for the Mill Valley Arts Commission’s First Tuesday Artwalk on May 2, 6-8pm.