Valencia’s East Campus unveiled its newest art exhibit at the Anita S. Wooten gallery on Thursday: Theresa Lucey’s The Exposure – a series of paintings that give a sense of tension and confusion through the nude human body.

“I paint in response to living and [to] better understand myself and others. Self-portraiture is how I navigate my experiences,” Lucey said.

This is Lucey’s first time exhibiting her work at Valencia East Campus, but she is no stranger to the local art scene – she holds a BFA and MFA from the University of Central Florida and has displayed numerous pieces locally at venues such as CityArts, UCF, Guava Tree, and Avalon Gallery. Some of Lucey’s earlier work from her MFA art exhibition as a UCF student was also on display.

“I am fascinated by the difference between nudity and nakedness and the relationship between physical comfort and psychological discomfort,” Lucey said of her inspiration. “I am inspired by life, experiencing life. Trying to traverse the world as an individual. The existential importance of figurative work. And it’s the ability to preserve what I believe is being eroded out of the art world.” 

Professor Caryle Sina Frank, the new director of Anita S. Wooten Gallery and curator of Theresa Lucey’s exhibition, was hired by the previous intern Director Camilo Velasquez to help craft and mold the success of the opening gallery. Originally from Chicago, IL, Frank came to Valencia college in August 2019. Although she had never heard nor seen Lucey’s work, she quickly became a huge fan of it. 

“It’s challenging work,” Frank said. “It’s tough. Very beautiful, in a classical technical painting way.”

The gallery will remain open until March 6 and is free and open to the public during the regular gallery hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The title of this story was updated to correct a spelling error. The name of the gallery was incorrectly spelled as Wooden on Friday, it has been updated to the correct spelling, Wooten.