Understory
The South Gallery
September 30 -December 8, 2026
Reception and conversation with Miggs Burroughs and photographer Olivier Kpognon, October 14, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information.
(Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation with Miggs Burroughs and photographer Olivier Kpognon at 7 pm.)
I seek to explore the essence of a subject and distill it into a dynamic visual poem, challenging the safety of realism to let my imagination drive the creative process. Through the act of visual storytelling, I discover unexpected associations and emotions. Solutions and surprises appear, non-truths are eliminated, and the piece undergoes a refinement guided entirely by instinct.
For me, the process of painting fuels a deep curiosity, which I believe is the gateway to empathy. In today’s digital, heads-down culture, we all too often disregard the natural world we share with the plant and animal kingdoms. Through my work, I deconstruct traditional concepts of human superiority, staging an artistic view that honors the perspective of other cultures, environments, and living beings.
Weston, Connecticut-based artist Dionne Pia holds a BFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design and studied in Rome via the European Honors Program. Shifting from a representational approach, her current mixed-media paintings invite viewers to experience the story within the frame. Pia distills one-word subjects into dynamic visual poems, using saturated color and bold imagery to fuse historic and contemporary culture. Her work explores themes of grief, loss, protection, hope, and humor. Pia’s artwork has been included in numerous juried and invitational exhibitions across Connecticut and New York, and is represented in private collections throughout the United States.
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For more about the Library's art exhibits, visit the Art at the Library page.
