Thursday, July 15th a one-person exhibition titled Common Ground 2010, by Neil Tetkowski will be featured at the new hpgrp gallery New York at 529 West 20th St. 2nd floor in Chelsea. The reception will be from 6:00 – 8:00 PM.

The concept of the Common Ground World Project is as relevant today as it was in the 1990’s when the idea was first conceived by Neil Tetkowski. At the heart of this creative undertaking is a simple yet fascinating idea:  collect clay and sand from all United Nations countries, formulate a single “world clay” and create a sculpture celebrating the interconnection of all human beings. Metaphors and symbolism abound as people from every nation participated in this environmental project. At the United Nations, the Commission on Sustainable Development originally endorsed the project to illustrate the interdependence of our planetary ecosystem. In 1998 and 1999 clay samples were collected from every country. The following year the installation of 188 earth samples was on display while the artist constructed the clay mandala sculpture at the United Nations Visitor’s Lobby. For three weeks, participants from every nation were involved in this creation event. In 2002, in its completed form, the World Mandala sculpture was exhibited at the United Nations Visitor’s Lobby.

Today with increasing assaults on our natural environment, it is appropriate to reflect on this artist’s provoking work. For the first time Installation188 and the World Mandala will be on view together. Additionally, Neil Tetkowski has created a new installation titled Oil & Water especially for this solo exhibition at the new hpgrp gallery New York.

Born in 1955, Neil Tetkowski’s early years were spent in Siena, Italy where he went to grammar school for several years. Both parents were in the arts providing an early foundation for what would become a lifetime passion for creativity, education and a fascination with diverse cultures of the world. Before his tenth birthday he had visited museums and cultural landmarks in more than twenty countries.

Neil Tetkowski’s material of choice comes directly from the Earth. Most often he uses clay, which he believes is the perfect medium to express his relationship to the natural environment. Since 1980, Tetkowski has exhibited his artwork in galleries and museums. He has a special interest in Japanese culture and has had three solo exhibitions in Tokyo. Tetkowski’s work has been exhibited at the International Art Biennale, in Beijing, China. Additionally, the artist has received numerous grants and fellowships including a Ford Foundation grant. His artwork is widely published and placed in permanent collections of 40 museums including the Victoria and Albert in London, the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American Art, in Washington, D.C. and the Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo.

Neil Tetkowski holds degrees from Alfred University and from Illinois State University. He has been a professor at Denison University in Ohio, the State University College at Buffalo and at Parsons School of Design in New York City. Neil Tetkowski lives in Manhattan and is the Director of University Galleries at Kean University in Union, New Jersey.

www.tetkowski.com