2 cols.

Nancy Hagin, “Pewter & Tin,” 2006, acrylic on canvas, 30 by 36 inches.

FOR 5-18 must run, note dates

FISCHBACH GALLERY HAGIN &FUKUSHIMA w/1 cut

ak/gs set 5-8 #699196

NEW YORK CITY — The Fischbach Gallery is hosting “Escape — Steps in the Light,” an exhibition of recent watercolors by Michiyo Fukushima, opening May 24 and continuing through June 23. A concurrent exhibition, “Translation,” includes recent watercolors and paintings by Nancy Hagin.

 In “Escape,” Fukushima blends soft and lush pastel colors with angular edges of fire escapes seen throughout New York City. Each piece uniquely combines the geometric order of her precisionist technique with her direct and analytical observation of the natural and architectural forms visible in these fire escapes.

Born in 1972 in India, Fukushima graduated form Tokyo Institute of Polytechnics, image technology in Japan. She studied watercolor, print making and illustration at the National Academy of Fine Arts and figure drawing the School of Visual Arts.

In “Translations,” Hagin beautifully juxtaposes the crispness of exposed sunlight light with the vibrant colors of various “found objects” and textured fabrics displayed in her still lifes. Hagin’s work has increasingly become about the discovery of “found” situation to paint, and her storage shelves for still life objects have become a ready source of inspiration.

Hagin received her MFA from Yale University in 1964. Each year, she spends the autumn and winter months in New York City, painting in acrylic and teaching at the Fashion Institute of Technology. In the summer, she works in a barn near the town of Hudson, N.Y., painting in watercolor.

The Fischbach Gallery is between 24th and 25th Streets at 210 Eleventh Avenue. For information, 212-366-1783 or www.fischbachgallery.com.