A Conversation with Co-Curator Om Bleicher, "Regenesis - Phase Two", bG Gallery, by James Scarborough
March 19, 2025
bG Gallery's "Regenesis – Phase Two" presents a powerful narrative of resilience through female artistic voices. The exhibition, which coincides with Women's History Month, chronicles transformation rather than merely showcasing art. The collected works show a progression from devastation to renewal without sentimentality.
The diverse media on display - paintings, sculptures and mixed media - serve as different languages expressing similar themes. Each artist brings her personal experience of adversity to the work, translating emotion into tangible form. The result is both intensely private and universally accessible.
The exhibition's focus on rebirth and rebuilding is bold yet understated. These are not merely aesthetic concerns but practical realities for many women artists whose creative practices have weathered personal and collective setbacks. Donating proceeds to single mothers affected by the Los Angeles fires strengthens the show's regenerative theme.
The exhibition rises above commemoration by insisting on art's transformative potential. The works don't simply document hardship - they reshape it. "Regenesis – Phase Two" offers not just a platform for female artists but a meditation on how creativity itself can function as a form of resilience in uncertain times.
The exhibition features the work of Ali Enache, David Davis, Kathrine Flynn, Gay Summer Rick, Linda Smith, Wrona Gall, Danielle Eubank, Gilad Ben-Artzi, Irina Daylene, Aimée Rolin Hoover, and Holly Boruck.
(An email conversation with “Regenesis” artist Danielle Eubank can be found here.)
Below follows an email conversation with Om Bleicher.
JS: How did you develop the concept for "Regenesis – Phase Two"?
OB: In the aftermath of the fires, we needed some healing energy in the gallery fast. (Co-Curator) Sung-Hee and I channeled things from our artist roster and invited new artists. It was done fast, in the heat of the moment.
JS: What does "Phase Two" signify in your curatorial vision?
OB: For Phase Two, Sung-Hee meditated a little more and, it being Women’s History Month, she channeled that energy into the show, expanding the female artists selections into larger bodies of work and adding new artists.
JS: What qualities in the artists' work made them right for an exhibition about loss and recovery?
OB: Artists whose works are inspirational, healing, and optimistic; stemming from an adversity rather than escaping from it.
JS: How did you arrange the various media to create a cohesive viewing experience?
OB: Sung-Hee and Mickie grouped the works by artist into a great dynamic flowing show with contrast of raw and sculptural works with free flowing emotive works, such as those of Ali Enache.
JS: You've chosen to donate proceeds to single mothers affected by the Los Angeles fires. How does this charitable focus connect to the exhibition's artistic themes?
OB: This is a show for recovery and rebuilding after the fires, with a focus on feminine energy. We wanted to support particular struggles that single mothers would face in the recovery efforts.
JS: How might staging this show during Women's History Month affect its reception and impact?
OB: We hope it adds to the dialogue in a positive way.
JS: How do different media express the artists' personal stories of hardship and healing?
OB: Each of the artists’ media is fairly distinct in the show. Fo Gays work, her use of layered pallet knife oil builds up a healing vibration; Ali’s soft washes of color evoke serenity; Kathryn balances discarded car parts with serene photography; and Danielle's (Eubank) depictions of water are soothing and energizing, to name a few.
JS: The exhibition explores "loss, recovery, and the transformative power of art." How do you judge its success when dealing with such emotional themes?
OB: The response of viewers to the show. If they find it uplifting or moving then we’ve done our job.
JS: What dialogues occur among the artists' works, and did you plan these connections?
OB: Sung-Hee with help from Mickie planned a great dialog where there is as much dialogue between contrasting work as there is flow. Generally, they grouped artists together; but sometimes there are breaks in this two works by one artist in the midst of a group of another which is unusual but works well like a cross fade in music.
JS: How have audiences responded, and have any of their reactions surprised you?
OB: It has been very positive and uplifting. So far no surprises, but I’m sure there will be.
The exhibition runs until March 30th. The bG Gallery is located at 2525 Michigan Avenue #A2, Santa Monica, California 90404. For more information, click here.