Axel’s first exhibit in new location features Ferrisburgh artist through September

May 25, 2023  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

'Indian Yellow' by Denis Versweyveld is an oil painting of objects on table. Courtesy photo

'Flask' by Denis Versweyveld is sculpture in plaster, lath, pine and milk paint. Courtesy photo

Work by Ferrisburgh artist Denis Versweyveld is Axel’s Gallery and Frame Shop’s first exhibit in its new Stowe Street gallery space, opening on May 31 to run all summer. 

Titled “Still Life,” the collection includes sculptures, paintings and drawings. “This first artist exhibition within Axel’s new gallery space is sure to set the tone for the quality and standard of work one will come to expect to see,” said gallery owner Whitney Aldrich in introducing the show. 

Axel’s recently moved across the street from its longtime location into storefront space at 10 Stowe St.

An award-winning sculptor, painter and draftsman, Versweyveld has lived in Vermont for over 50 years and his art has been exhibited throughout the country. His creations are characterized by iconic everyday household objects that are skillfully crafted. Each form, executed in plaster, lath, and cast concrete, is pared down to its essence and signs of this process, such as fine etching lines, remain in the finished surfaces.

'Uncommon' by Denis Versweyveld is an oil and graphite drawing of objects on two pedestals. Courtesy photo

Writing in Sculpture Magazine, Vermont sculptor, poet, teacher and critic B. Amore had this to say of his work: “Versweyveld’s drawings are like softly modeled sculptures that seem to appear and recede in the same moment. There is a sense of luminosity beneath the intricate, cross-hatched, graphite lines. The objects become intimate signifiers, helping to establish both a psychological and physical space. Each of Versweyveld’s works offers a sense of journey beyond the outer form. Each one is like an aesthetic meditation, its import revealed in stages, the closer one looks.”

Versweyveld will be at the gallery for a reception on Saturday, June 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. to talk about his process and work. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will run through September 30.

Axel’s is open Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information online at AxelsGallery.com.