5 Art Events for Your Weekend: April 20-23

Simeen Farhat – Blood Shot Is Blood Loved
Cris Worley Fine Arts
1845 E. Levee St.
Ongoing through May 6

Blood is one of those things that you need for survival. Pakistan native Simeen Farhat has taken this intrinsic component to living to the next level with Blood Shot Is Blood Loved. As she writes, “I leave my traces. I can be either hot or cold. People both love and hate me – I scare them off; but they need me, too. My name is Blood.” In her exhibit at Cris Worley Fine Arts, Farhat’s fashioned a replica of a large-scale drop of blood as it hits the ground, its spatter appearing to be a dramatic burst of energy. The liquid metaphor is an ongoing motif for Farhat, as evidenced by past works "Teardrop in Disperse," "A Bubble Bursts" and "A Red Drop of Blood" (all from 2015).

Shoby Modjarrad – 1 Day, Series II
Jen Mauldin Gallery
408 N. Bishop Ave., Suite 103
Artist talk 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday

A background in architecture and devout environmentalism has Shoby Modjarrad poised to deliver with her developing series 1 Day, Series II. The exhibition calls attention to the waste discarded by one individual over the course of, you guessed it, one day. Particularly concerning to Modjarrad is our dependence on plastic and the negative effects it has on the ecosystem. “I’ve realized that the price of convenience is lots and lots of plastic,” she says, “which exist in everyday products, from shipping containers, kid’s toys and kitchen appliances to car parts – the earth is getting full.”

Mirror: A Mass of Identities
Brick Haus Collective
215 S. Woodrow Lane, Denton
Closing reception 6-8 p.m. Friday

Mirror is a group exhibition of works by University of North Texas MFA candidates. Here, they home in on the human form, with manifestations that are, as always, contingent on the artists’ interpretations of them. Expect the range of bodily references to run the gamut: from representational to abstract, demure to downright tawdry.
Featured artists include Amy He, Brandon Williams, Brianna Rebosio, Briley Sexton, Cleste Grace, Christin Clemons, Cody Kisselburgh, Grdy McConnell, Hannah Arron, Jessica Gengenbach, Jordan Black, Jun Choi , Kevin Maldonado, Krista Alba, Rachel Houghton, Sam Cowan, Samarpan Maharajan, Sarah Barnett, Thomas "Woody" Wood, Xiao Liu and Yuri Matsushita.

Kelsey Anne Heimerman – The American Dream
Janette Kennedy Gallery
1409 S. Lamar St.
Opening reception 7-10 p.m. Saturday

Janette Kennedy Gallery is hosting an artist reception for Kelsey Anne Heimerman’s The American Dream. The exhibit consists 25 distorted, figurative oil paintings, the scale sizes of which vary wildly. The project took more than two years to complete. Here, Heimerman addresses the themes of inequality, feminism and social interaction peppered by good old everyday life. More info at kelseyanneheimerman.com.

Deb Sokolow – Conspiracies, Minimalism, and the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
The Reading Room
3715 Parry Ave.
Reading 2-5 p.m. Saturday

Chicago-based artist Deb Sokolow draws LOL-worthy art books exploring politics and history and feminism and current events, all sprinkled with her wry brand of storytelling. Her books feel dark, almost forensic in style, while maintaining the sharp wit and zaniness inherent in Sokolow’s works. Readers include xtine Borrough, Sabrina Starnaman, Sara Ellis Cardona, Shelby David Meier and others.