Aubergine Cafe hosted the final exhibition of Bowie and friends by Sunnyside artist Dubhghaill.art on Sunday, Feb. 8, letting guests enjoy an afternoon exploring the original canvas works and the chance to collect artwork from the exhibition, which will have its last day on Feb. 16.
The event, located at 49-22 Skillman Ave. Sunnyside closed out the two-month-long exhibit featuring 13 original works by self-taught artist Gareth Doyle, who hails from Dublin and drew on his background in music and his love for iconic artists like David Bowie and Debbie Harry for his latest work.
“I grew up as a musician, and my dad was a traditional Irish musician, so I’ve always had this love for music,” said Doyle. “I played drums in bands, and in my later years, Bowie became an inspiration. I loved everything about Bowie, he’s always been a muse, and I diversified around that to do other music icons along the way.”
Growing up, Doyle had a natural talent for drawing and used it as a creative outlet throughout his life. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he used the downtime to immerse himself in his creative gift, expanding from working on $2 canvases from nearby art stores to a gallery profile, with more and more people reaching out with an interest in his work. After his first exhibition, he was introduced to Raluca Anchidin, the gallery curator, with whom he shared his vision to fuse music and art, bringing the Bowie and friends exhibit to life at Aubergine Cafe in Sunnyside, which often features the work of local artists throughout the year, including participating in the Sunnyside Art Walk.
“We thought this would be a nice idea, and really all I do is provide a space,” said Gary O’Neill, who owns Aubergine Café. “Raluca takes care of the artists, and they’re all local to the neighborhood, so it’s been great.”
Bowie and friends features vibrant digital and traditional portraits inspired by David Bowie, Debbie Harry, Kurt Cobain, and John Lydon. Each portrait is accompanied by quotes reflecting Bowie’s enduring influence.
“If I want to paint somebody, I try to find an image that I like that brings out the shadows and brings out the art working in that kind of process,” said Doyle. “I almost let the canvas do the work; a lot of artists don’t like drawing directly on canvas because it’s so rough, but when I look close up, you see dots and the shadows, and you have an idea of where they go, but it’s almost like letting the pen do the work.”
The final exhibition took place from 2-4 p.m., including complimentary pins and stickers and a closing-night raffle for a limited lenticular Bowie poster. The one-of-a-kind artwork was on sale, along with the option to buy a print, making the work accessible to everyone regardless of their budget.
“I try to make the artwork as affordable as possible,” said Doyle. “I love people buying and having it. This is more around [Bowie’s] 10-year anniversary when he passed away on Jan. 10, so it’s a celebration of that.”
To learn more about dubhghaill.art follow him at @dubhghaill.art or explore more Sunnyside art exhibits follow @raluca_anchidin.
