Iria Leino

A gallery in Manhattan is to exhibit a selection of the abstract works of Iria Leino, a pioneer in New York in the ’60s and a mystery to many in the art world.

Leino’s handling, however restrained, admits manifold inflections. The minimal traits are either loosely dispersed or densely crosshatched; they stand out clearly in a serial row or blend almost indiscernibly into the field. Anchoring the infinity of color to the finitude of the hand, they ground contemplation in a distinctly embodied practice. 

Two years after her passing, the late artist emerges from the shadows with a major gallery show in Chelsea that has the art world mesmerised.

In the 1960s, Leino left the modeling world to become a painter—and then chose obscurity. An exhibition of her work brings her back into the spotlight.