Transmutation

Transmutation, a solo exhibition by Leo Cohen, presents a series of oil paintings that dwell in the space between bodily and marine morphologies. The works depict glowing aquatic forms, constructed with neon underpaintings that cast colored light on to the viewer and surrounding walls. Translucent overlays of bodies create ambiguous, abstracted beings, resulting in the elevation of the other. 

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This imagery is informed by the biology of the parrotfish, a species that has the ability to transition from female to male due to a process called protogynous hermaphroditism. Transmutation draws parallels between the biological fluidity found in marine ecosystems and the complexities of human experiences that fall outside of the binary. By placing these forms in conversation, the paintings examine transformation, not as a rupture, but as a natural process of becoming.