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Contemporary art gallery Atelier, 104 E. Center St., Warsaw, will present Reliquaries by Emma Grace Hapner from Sept. 17 through Oct. 30.
Atelier will present Reliquaries, an evocative and enthralling exhibition by figurative painter Emma Grace Hapner. Born and raised in Greentown, Hapner received her BFA in Painting from Ball State University before moving to New York City to hone her skills at the New York Academy of Art. Hapner’s work explores contemporary womanhood by reworking and reclaiming classical imagery, often inserting herself as the central subject of her paintings, according to a provided news release.
Following four solo exhibitions in New York City and the East Coast, Hapner is returning to her home state of Indiana to share her artistic practice.
Executed in her signature palette of pinks, Reliquaries features 10 dynamic paintings and seven miniature paintings from her “lover’s eyes” series, according to a provided news release.
According to Hapner, “The color pink is a symbol of unapologetic femininity. I paint my figures in pink worlds and look to motifs from classical antiquity to celebrate traditional painting from my perspective: a woman seeking to understand the intricacies of womanhood.”
Reliquaries is the third exhibition in Atelier’s all-female program for 2026.
According to Atelier owner and Director Sea Grandon, “Emma’s work captivated me from the moment I first saw it. Her paintings have all the things that I look for as a gallerist and collector: undeniable beauty, rich historical and intellectual underpinnings, and impressive virtuosity. I was immediately interested in collaborating with her; learning that she was originally from a small town in Indiana only deepened the meaning of a potential exhibition at Atelier.
“The program at the gallery this year is completely devoted to presenting and advancing the work of female artists,” said Grandon. “Emma’s work and perspective are uniquely her own. By sharing these iterations of herself, both real and imagined, the paintings invite each of us to consider our complete autonomy over the expression of our image, interiority, and femininity. I hope that every girl and woman who visits this exhibition is inspired to embrace her own unique authenticity and power.”
Reliquaries opens Sept. 17 and runs through Oct. 30, with an opening reception Sept. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. Atelier’s hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
