A New Sacred

Carolyn Oberst & Eden Seifu

March 14th - May 3rd, 2025

Storage
52 Walker Street
4th Floor
Tribeca, New York 10013

Storage is pleased to present A New Sacred, a two-person exhibition featuring the work of Carolyn Oberst (b. 1946) and Eden Seifu (b. 1996). Continuing the gallery’s focus on intergenerational dialogues, this iteration highlights two women who have reimagined the possibilities of Christian imagery, iconography, and notions of power. The show is on view from March 14 through May 3, 2025.

Since the 2nd century, artists have perpetually reinvented ways to display biblical imagery. The works in this exhibition are not a translation of text to image, but one in which universally-known hallmarks of Christianity are employed by artists to craft contemporary tableaus – more akin to the 19th century Symbolists’ visual metaphors. From different perspectives and with different intent, these two self-taught painters have harnessed this tradition to make work that is entrenched with political history. 

Dismayed by environmental degradation, Carolyn Oberst created the pieces in The Crosses We Bear from 1990 to 1994. Ethnically Jewish and secular, Oberst has said of the series, “I felt that separate from the religious association, the cross shape would connote both a sign of pain and suffering as well as a call to action.” Deforestation, oil spills, and endangered flora and fauna are rendered in careful detail. Burning the Tree of Life calls to mind the blazing bush that God used to speak to Moses, though the hills licked with flames in the background point to an uncontained wildfire. In Endangered Birds, Oberst imagines a flock of different tropical avians gathered harmoniously in the branches of a tree. “When looking for which species to depict, I tried to find examples that were so common looking one would not suspect they were endangered.” 

Eden Seifu’s singular aesthetic gathers and blends visual identities: from El Greco’s loose, elongated limbs to the characters of commedia dell'arte. Consistent throughout her practice is a sense of the sublime and sacred, often accompanied by Ethiopian Christian religious markers. A young angel is the focus of Two-Headed Cherub. Surrounded by sinewy wings, one face looks outward in awe while the other is filled with tears, like the iconic comedy and tragedy masks metonymous of the performing arts. In The Angel of Pilgrimage, the figure stands calmly in a swirling, abstract space. The surrounding evokes clouds with its airy brushstrokes but, instead of pure white, the artist has crafted a splendor of pastels. These two pieces recall the straightforward plane of pre-Giotto religious iconography, while other works like Acrobat warp the viewpoint in a way that echoes the covers of science fiction and fantasy pulp novels. Like the development of perspective during the Florentine Renaissance, her magpie approach to visual culture well represents the hyperspeed of our time.      

• Events

  Opening Reception
  Friday, March 14th from 6-8pm

  Storage Tribeca
  52 Walker St, 4th Fl, New York, NY 10013

  Additional Programming To Be Announced
  March & April, 2025

• Carolyn Oberst

  Carolyn Oberst (b. 1946, Philadelphia) is a visual artist whose colorful work is influenced by the different, yet interconnected worlds around her. Oberst’s multimedia practice is infused by  the observed, contemporary world, as well as her internal world of intuitions and memory. Her work has been exhibited in recent solo exhibitions curated by Hannah Traore of Hannah Traore Gallery and Janusz Jaworski of Chashama. She has been included in group shows at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, NY Artists Circle, and Limner Gallery, among others. Oberst has been featured in publications such as Cultured, Artnet, Art Summit, and New York Magazine.

• Eden Seifu

  Eden Seifu (b. 1996, Boston) lives and works in Seattle. She has been the subject of one-person exhibitions at Cooper Cole, Toronto; Deli Gallery, New York; and Half Gallery, Los Angeles and her work has been included in group shows at 8th House Projects, Mexico City; Arsenal Contemporary, Toronto; Center on Contemporary Art, Seattle; Frye Art Museum, Seattle; Qingdao Art Museum, China, among others. She is a recent recipient of the Palazzo Monti Artist Residency in Brescia, Italy. Seifu’s works are in public collections at the Frye Art Museum, Washington and the Fairfield Museum, Connecticut. 

• About Storage

  Storage is an artist-run gallery founded by Onyedika Chuke on the ideals of community, discovery, and connoisseurship. With locations in Tribeca and with a viewing room on the Bowery, Storage acts as an archive of makers that work in a range of materials and come from a wide demographic background. Half of the roster is dedicated to reinvigorating the careers of artists of historical prominence, while the other half focuses on nurturing rising artists. With a strong focus on art by women and people of color, Chuke guides Storage’s nontraditional approach to community building, commerce, and mutual aid.

Press Release (Cycle XIII)

Rick Lowe, Leasho Johnson, Jeff Way, Hugo McCloud, Michael Igwe, & Carolyn Oberst

November 9th - March 8, 2025

Storage
52 Walker Street
4th Floor
Tribeca, New York 10013

Storage is pleased to present Press Release (Cycle XIII), a group exhibition featuring the works of Rick Lowe (b. 1961), Leasho Johnson (b. 1984), Jeff Way (b. 1942), Hugo McCloud (b. 1980), Michael Igwe (b. 1994), and Carolyn Oberst (b. 1946). Blending abstraction and figuration, this exhibition brings together a diverse assemblage of voices that collectively explore the multifaceted nature of identity, culture, and social observation. Press Release (Cycle XIII) will be on view from November 9th, 2024 through February 2025 at Storage.

The works in Press Release (Cycle XIII) engage with personal and shared experiences, offering a rich tapestry of perspectives that reflect the complexities of contemporary identity. Each artist employs a unique take on narrative, social critique, and material exploration. 

Rick Lowe’s interdisciplinary practice maps the connections between culture and community, revealing how these elements influence and inform one another. In tandem, Hugo McCloud’s focus on materiality challenges viewers to consider the intersections of class, race, and identity through the lens of the environment and economy, emphasizing how our surroundings shape our experiences.

Michael Igwe’s storytelling, deeply rooted in folklore, offers a framework through which to explore personal and communal identities. In contrast, Leasho Johnson’s sharp commentary on post-colonial culture prompts critical reflections on the visible and invisible aspects of identity formation.

Carolyn Oberst balances lived experiences with imagined worlds, encouraging reflection on the boundaries between reality and perception. Meanwhile, Jeff Way’s exploration of shamanism and meditation introduces a spiritual perspective, inviting contemplation on the relationship between the personal and the collective.

Together the artists of Press Release (Cycle XIII) create a rich conversation that not only underscores the diversity of contemporary identity but also invites viewers to engage with the inevitable questions arising from their interconnected narratives. The shared contexts of these varied backgrounds reveal universal themes that transcend geographical boundaries, emphasizing the mutual human experiences that connect us all.

• Events

  Opening Reception
  Saturday, November 9th from 6-8pm

  Storage Tribeca
  52 Walker St, 4th Fl, New York, NY 10013

• Rick Lowe

  Rick Lowe (b. 1961) is a visual artist and community activist, known for his collaborative projects rooted in social justice. His practice combines painting, drawing, and installation with initiatives that engage communities in dialogue about equity and urban transformation. Lowe is the founder of Project Row Houses, a long-running cultural initiative in Houston’s Third Ward, which has served as a model for community-driven art projects nationwide. Lowe’s work has been exhibited in major institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. He was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2014 and continues to teach at the University of Houston.

• Leasho Johnson

  Leasho Johnson (b.1984) is a visual artist working primarily in painting, installation and sculpture. He was born in Montego-Bay but raised in Sheffield, a small town on the outskirts of Negril Jamaica. His work reflects his experiences growing up as a Black, queer man within Jamaican Dancehall street culture. Johnson's art explores the intersection of identity, post-colonial narratives, and the black queer body, often blending painting and drawing to challenge stereotypes and cultural perceptions. His characters navigate the edges of visibility, aiming to disrupt historical and political expectations. Johnson’s work has been exhibited internationally, and he continues to expand his exploration of black mythologies and the autonomy of the black body in contemporary art.

• Jeff Way

  Jeff Way (b. 1942) has lived and worked in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City since 1969. After his arrival in New York, Way was featured in the Whitney Museum of American Art at their 1973 Biennial curated by Marcia Tucker, and again the following year in a solo exhibition. Since then, Way’s work has been included in various exhibitions at the Contemporary Arts Museum (Houston, TX), the New Museum of Contemporary Art (New York, NY), the Institute of Contemporary Art (Philadelphia, PA), as well as other museums and galleries. Way’s works have been added to the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum through a gift by Larry Aldrich, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Cincinnati Art Museum.

• Hugo McCloud

  Hugo McCloud (b. 1980) is a self-taught artist whose practice blends industrial materials like plastic and roofing materials with traditional painting techniques. Through his work, McCloud addresses issues of labor, geopolitics, and the environment, transforming everyday materials into powerful visual statements. His recent work explores class and environmental impact, using thousands of plastic bags to create large-scale compositions. McCloud's work has been exhibited in solo exhibitions at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and Fondazione 107, and his work is held in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. He lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

• Michael Igwe

  Michael Igwe (b. 1994, Lagos, Nigeria) works with painting. His work explores the fluidity of the human form and inner life. Drawing on his personal experiences and Nigerian heritage, Igwe’s paintings are a meditation on selfhood, often referencing the nonlinear storytelling tradition of "Iko-Nke Annang." His process emphasizes experimentation and primal gestures, allowing each piece to serve as a reflection on form, subjectivity, and transcendence. Igwe’s work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across Africa, Europe, and the United States. He holds a BFA from the University of Benin and is currently pursuing an MFA at Columbia University School of the Arts. Igwe has been awarded several grants and fellowships, including The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant and a fellowship at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

• Carolyn Oberst

  Carolyn Oberst (b. 1946) is a visual artist whose colorful work is influenced by the different, yet interconnected worlds around her. Whether it is the current, contemporary world, the world she creates for herself in her studio, or her internal world of dreams, intuitions, and memory, these aspects infuse her work. Oberst is an interdisciplinary artist, working across painting, drawing, mixed media, wood relief, and video animation. Currently, Oberst’s focus has returned to the directness of oil paint on canvas. Drawing is an important part of her process, as it provides the foundation from which her image making always begins.

• About Storage

  Storage is an artist-run gallery founded by Onyedika Chuke on the ideals of community, discovery, and connoisseurship. With locations in Tribeca and with a viewing room on the Bowery, Storage acts as an archive of makers that work in a range of materials and come from a wide demographic background. Half of the roster is dedicated to reinvigorating the careers of artists of historical prominence, while the other half focuses on nurturing rising artists. With a strong focus on art by women and people of color, Chuke guides Storage’s nontraditional approach to community building, commerce, and mutual aid. Furthermore, Storage hosts Application Readiness Technique (ART), a mentorship program for young artists and arts professionals.

Press Release (Cycle VI)

Jeff Way & Carolyn Oberst

September 27th - October 18th, 2023

Storage
52 Walker Street
4th Floor
Tribeca, New York 10013

On this occasion, we celebrate the ambitious, communal, and build-it-yourself nature of the founding of Storage with Press Release (Cycle VI), a presentation by Jeff Way (b. 1942) and Carolyn Oberst (b. 1946), two Tribeca-based artists who share a similar ethos.

In Press Release (Cycle VI), archival and recent works by Jeff Way and Carolyn Oberst are curated to examine modalities of labor and transcendence within the historical canon of painting. The exhibition also explores 50+ years of camaraderie between Oberst and Way, who have cohabited in their Walker St loft since the 1970s, but have found disparate modes of artistic exploration.  Similar in the practices of Oberst and Way are references to a blue-collar ideology of making, as they both experiment with the notion of the ‘frame’. Oberst restores discarded frames before painting in and on them, while Way utilizes the explosive gesture of a chalk line tool, often found in carpenters’ work boxes. 

Press Release (Cycle VI) demonstrates Storage’s commitment to centering archival and contemporary works by intergenerational artists pushing the boundaries of artistic traditions. As we celebrate one year since our gallery's opening at 52 Walker St. in September 2022, Storage has held an ongoing, inaugural survey exhibition called Press Release with an organic rotation of artworks. 

• Events

  Opening Reception
  6-8pm
  Friday, September 27th

  Artists Talk
  6-8pm
  Wednesday, October 11th

  Tribeca-based artists Jeff Way (b. 1942) and Carolyn Oberst (b. 1946) led by Charlotte Meyer, Director of the Rema Hort Mann Foundation will be discussing the history of Downtown New York art scene 1960’s-2000’s. Notions of space making, economics, and intellectual movements would be explored as we celebrate our 1-Year Anniversary in Tribeca.

• Jeff Way

  Jeff Way (b. 1942) has lived and worked in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City since 1969. After his arrival in New York, Way was featured in the Whitney Museum of American Art at their 1973 Biennial curated by Marcia Tucker, and again the following year in a solo exhibition. Since then, Way’s work has been included in various exhibitions at the Contemporary Arts Museum (Houston, TX), the New Museum of Contemporary Art (New York, NY), the Institute of Contemporary Art (Philadelphia, PA), as well as other museums and galleries. Way’s works have been added to the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum through a gift by Larry Aldrich, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Cincinnati Art Museum.

  Way began his Chalk Line Painting series in the late 1960s to explore the use of the grid through pigment and acrylic medium. These paintings are constructed using raw pigment snapped onto the canvas in single lines that layer together to form dimensional shapes. He returns to his use of the grid in his most recent series of paintings, Eccentric Squares. Composed again with his distinctive lines, Way uses intersecting color to create a sequence of bold, de-centered squares. The paintings present an immediate dichotomy between the flatness of the surface and the depth of colors and forms on the constructed grid.

• Carolyn Oberst

  Carolyn Oberst (b. 1946) is a visual artist whose colorful work is influenced by the different, yet interconnected worlds around her. Whether it is the current, contemporary world, the world she creates for herself in her studio, or her internal world of dreams, intuitions, and memory, these aspects infuse her work. Oberst is an interdisciplinary artist, working across painting, drawing, mixed media, wood relief, and video animation. Currently, Oberst’s focus has returned to the directness of oil paint on canvas. Drawing is an important part of her process, as it provides the foundation from which her image making always begins.

Press Release (Cycle III)

Angela Dufresne, Baxter Koziol, Adam Lupton, Pol Morton, Brandon Morris, Carolyn Oberst, Louisa Owen, & Jeff Way

April 21st - June 22nd, 2023

Storage
52 Walker Street
4th Floor
Tribeca, New York 10013

Storage’s inaugural survey exhibition began in September 2022 & continues with Press Release (Cycle III), a reception for an incoming group of artists: Angela Dufresne, Baxter Koziol, Adam Lupton, Pol Morton, Brandon Morris, Carolyn Oberst, Louisa Owen, & Jeff Way. The exhibition exists as an ongoing essay where works are used to reposition and examine notions of pressure & release. For Press Release (Cycle III), we challenge perceptions of the body and space through painting, sculpture & performance.

Some works presented explore historically normative notions of physical space. Other works play on aspects of queer space through edits on museological tropes. The artists investigate the beauty, fragility, and resilience of the body, considering the space within and around it. They make mundane spaces alienating by accommodating the body's architecture and they rework exterior space, extending the traditions of the trompe-l'œil garden and abstracting our surrounding landscape within the gallery.

• Events

  Opening Reception
  6-8pm
  Friday, April 21st