Made It Just in Time: Flickering Cocoon
I missed my stop, got lost, and panicked a little—but I made it! And Cecilia Beaven’s show was totally worth the scramble.
Yesterday, I made it (just barely!) to Flickering Cocoon, a solo exhibition by Cecilia Beaven at the Hyde Park Art Center. June 1st was the final day, and I’d been meaning to go—so I rushed over before it was too late. I’m SO glad I did!
I wasn’t sure about going at first. Hyde Park is pretty far from where I live, and it’s not an area I usually go to. Even on the day of, I missed my train stop and couldn’t find the right bus, and totally panicked for a minute. But I didn’t give up, and I eventually found my way there. Thank goodness I did!
The first thing that greeted me was a big, colorful painting of a crocodile—and it completely stole my heart. The colors! The playfulness!
Honestly, I immediately felt like I was meeting an artist I shared a secret wavelength with. Her work has this deep sense of equality and love—for people, animals, plants, everything. It also feels like a celebration of the body and a big warm embrace of all forms of life. (Apparently she practices yoga too, which makes sense—some of the poses pop up in her work!) The color choices were especially joyful and inspiring, and I learned so much just by looking.
There were also watercolor works, woven pieces, assemblages, and even a massive mural. I was honestly in awe of the range of her work—and the joyful, colorful energy that connected it all. So, yes. Worth the journey. So worth it.