Axis Gallery presents “Repetition Rhythm Ritual,” a group exhibition featuring ten new member artists investigating the cyclical aspects in their practices. The exhibition will include works by Delgreta Brown, Sokthea Chan, Raffa! Chávez, Adam Cochran, Cara Gregor, Kenneth Jordan, Fiona K. Lau, Elise Mahan, Taner Pasamehmetoglu, and Sharon Tsao.

Repetition, Rhythm, Ritual is a chosen theme among the new members that expands what these subjects can mean. Kandinsky once said, “The spiritual life, to which art belongs and of which the mightiest elements, is a complicated but definite and easily definable movement forwards and upwards. This movement is the movement of experience. It may take different forms, but it holds at the bottom to the same inner thought and purpose.”  In repetition we find rhythm. In repeated rhythms we find ritual. This process can take many forms and holds meaning that can move ideas and concepts forward. The ten new member artists of Axis have asked themselves: how else can these ideas be portrayed through the lens of the maker? To answer these questions, each artist, using a wide range of creative practices, critically investigates the ideas of repetition, rhythm, and ritual to convey approaches that potentially have not been explored before.

The exhibition challenges viewers to look deeper to find these themes which can be found in the least expected places. Through the rings of trees, abstracted forms, unseen blurs of hand gestures, and illumination of light, members of Axis bring forward compelling compositions and subjects with choices of color, markmaking, materiality, and collage. As you walk into the exhibit, the works in the show call viewers to ask themselves: “Where can we find repetition? Where can we find rhythm? And where can we find ritual?” This encourages them to find their own meaning and propulsion forward, bringing new excitement for both artist and viewer as they continue to ask more questions within the practice of artmaking.

The exhibition opens on Friday, October 3rd and runs through October 26th, 2025. The public is invited to attend the opening reception Second Saturday, October 11th at 5-8pm. Axis Gallery is located at 625 S street in Sacramento, CA.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Delgreta Brown is a Multidisciplinary Artist who works at the intersections of Visual and Literary Art, Arts Advocacy, Mental Health Initiatives and Cultural Policy. Her work in the Creative Arts spans over two decades of experience including: performance poetry as a Spoken Word Artist under the moniker “Amariginal.” The name of her fine art business is derived from that name asAMARIGINAL ART. For the past 17 years, she has focused on her career as a Contemporary and Afrofuturism Visual Artist.

The Sacramento-based artist says her work expresses themes of love, hope, music, prosperity,

exploration, navigation, technology and spirituality. Delgreta has an affinity for using mixed

medium elements combined with cultural aesthetics. Her artwork translates into ethereal

portraits, vibrant abstract works or mystical landscapes. Additionally, she creates luminous

large-scale public works of art as murals or installations. Her recent solo exhibitions include,

“Onyx & The Butterfly” and “Dreams and Abstract Vibes From The Rift.” The unique exhibitions

offered a physical gallery exhibit and/or gallery experience in virtual reality (VR) online

Platforms.

The self-taught Visual Artist is a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) where she

earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Her undergraduate degree would later serve as

the foundation for her interests in Art Therapy and Crisis Counseling.

Delgreta served as an Artist Judge for the 2025 High School Self-Portrait Competition with

Chalk It Up; Artist Mentor in the 2021 Catalyst Emerging Artist Program through the E. Claire

Raley Studios for the Performing Arts (CLARA); and Artist Mentor with the 2018 Tearing Walls

Apart immersive public art initiative for high-school students in Northern California. Additionally, she served as Youth Artist for the Sacramento County Children and Families Commission (1999-2000). Delgreta is the recipient of several arts and business grants. She is the Founder of Amariginal Art where she actively pursues her art and entrepreneurial career.

Website: about.me/delgreta.brown

IG & FB: @amariginal_art

Sokthea Chan was born in Sacramento, California in 1990. Since a child, Sokthea would find enjoyment in making art through painting and drawing as it led him to choosing it as his career path later in life. He attended Sacramento State and earned his Bachelor’s degree in 2014 followed by his teaching credential in 2016. After teaching for 9 years, Sokthea returned to his studies to work towards his Master of Fine Arts degree at CSUS completed in 2025.

My work speaks about memory, time, discovery of the unknown, and the state of being . My curiosity drives me as I find many inspirations from things I see in daily life and from my childhood such as clouds, flowers, creatures in flight, formation of rocks and cultural textiles. I believe living is only temporary and being able to share my discoveries brings me sheer joy of the many mysteries of the world.

Raffa! is an artist born and raised in California with a background in Mexican/Chicano art, theater, poetry, writing, literature, environmental justice, and community empowerment. The inspiration for his work comes from an autobiographical and cultural perspective, free exploration, urban and environmental consciousness. Raffa’s works intertwine discussions, dissecting the subconscious, challenging the viewer to consider a different way to create a better world. He is inspired by nature and the need to save it. However, to save it we must save ourselves from ourselves. Addressing these challenges in busy, brightly colored acrylic, collage, mixed media pieces, Raffa endeavors to find new depictions to create and tell his story.

Raffa currently serves on the board of directors for Verge Center for the Arts and for Folklorico Latino de Woodland Dance Guild.

Adam Cochran is a figurative painter mainly working in oils and flashe. His work is inspired by Kodachrome photos, reading, the Bay Area Figurative movement, old high school yearbooks, memory, politics, disjunction, and aging. He is interested in the physicality and process of painting, as well as its function as a lens for truth. His two most recent series of work have involved personal family images as a means to explore complicated relationships, and fire sprinkler systems that dot the exterior walls of New York City skyscrapers.

Originally from San Diego, California, Adam received his BFA from California College of the Arts in 2014 and his MFA from UC Davis in 2019. His work is held in private collections across the country. Adam currently lives and works in Sacramento, and is a new Axis Gallery Member there.

Website: www.adamcochranstudio.com

Instagram: @_adam_cochran

Hi! I’m Cara Gregor, the artist behind Cara Emilia. I work from my home studio in Sacramento, CA.  My studio is my happy place, a cozy space where I create, teach, and share my love for art.

I am an intuitive painter and creator, meaning that I create art through a series of instinctive choices instead of a set plan. I typically create two-dimensional works in acrylic paints and mixed media. I love the freedom of working with acrylic paints and creating with the intention of cultivating joy. Using bright colors and organic forms lead me to create bold and vibrant pieces that reflect the beauty of flow, the energy of nature, the magic of letting go, and trusting in the process.

At the heart of what I do is the belief that creativity is for everyone. I want to inspire others—especially those who think they’re “not artistic enough”—to explore their creative side and experience the joy that comes with making something. Through my paintings, workshops, and intuitive classes, I hope to help people trust their instincts, embrace their unique voice, and find the magic in the creative process.

Learn more about my work and upcoming workshops at caraemilia.com or on Instagram @caraemiliaart.

Kenneth Jordan

My path as an artist was shaped early on by a creative family and a deep appreciation for storytelling through visual expression. Growing up surrounded by costume designers, cartoonists, animators, and painters, I was especially inspired by my uncle, Marc Estes, whose work on Disney classics like Bambi, Snow White, and Cinderella sparked my love for art’s narrative power. From those early days, I came to see art not just as personal expression but as a way to tell stories, share joy, and reflect on culture.

Today, I’m drawn to creating large scale paintings that immediately capture attention. Bold pieces influenced by the rhythm of jazz’s layered textures, and the vibrant traditions of cultures around the world. I don’t limit myself to a single style; instead, I let form, color, and energy guide the work. Each painting is a mix of emotion, movement, and curiosity meant to invite you in and speak without needing to say a word.

Website: https://www.kennethjordanart.com

Instagram: @k.jordanart

Fiona K. Lau is a Canadian-American painter born in British Hong Kong. Her work has been exhibited across the United States in Seattle, Atlanta, New York, and Philadelphia, as well as internationally in Japan. Lau's paintings are featured in the public collections of Kent, WA, and Chamblee, GA. She has been awarded artist residencies at AiR Yamanashi in Kofu, Japan; OCAD University in Toronto, Canada; and in the US at Vermont Studio Center, Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists' Residency, and Verge Center for the Arts. Lau is currently based in Sacramento, CA, where she is the recipient of the 2025 Creative Growth Fellowship awarded by the City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture.

Website: fionaklau.com

Instagram: @fionaklau

Elise Mahan was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lived in Northern California most of her life. She received her BA in Art History and studio art at San Francisco State University. Her passion for art and teaching led her to Sacramento State University where she obtained her MFA in Studio Art, May 2025.

My work involves doing rubbings at site specific places around Sacramento and along the American River, that I take and expand upon in my studio with a variety of media. I seek out marks and forms that exist in nature and translate these unique textures with graphite, oil stick, and pastel on linen. Cut tree stumps and burnt logs, downed trees, rock and bark textures all guide me in accumulating marks and shapes. Color, form, and mark making become a visual language as I expand them into large scale drawings which are an inquiry into the landscape, and a reference to life cycles, memory, and ecosystems throughout time.

Taner Paşamehmetoğlu is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Sacramento, California, whose work blends storytelling, environmental urgency, and reflection on his cultural hybridity. He primarily works with oil and acrylic paint while also incorporating digital photography and upcycled mixed media to explore themes of consumerism and sustainability. His process frequently involves upcycled materials and natural forces like rain and extreme heat, blurring the line between artist and environment.

In 2024, Paşamehmetoğlu completed an artist residency with the City of Sacramento’s Office of Climate Action and Sustainability, culminating in a collaborative community mural now part of the City’s Art in Public Places Collection and on display at Joe Mims, Jr. Hagginwood Community Center. His work has been exhibited throughout California, and his painting The American Dream was recently included in curriculum for Advanced Painting: Reconsidering the Portrait and Figure, a course taught at UC Berkeley.

His creative roots trace back to his upbringing as a second-generation American raised by parents from Türkiye, who are also artists. His practice further evolved through photojournalism, a long-running photography residency with Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake, and a career in creative advertising.

Paşamehmetoğlu works out of his home studio in Sacramento and is a member artist at Axis Gallery and Atrium 916.

Website: tanerpasamehmetoglu.com

Sharon Tsao 曹星原

I am a social art historian, artist, and video producer, working at the intersection of visual art, historical inquiry, and the moving image. In recent years, I have reduced my lecture in classrooms and given more time to engage in studio practice.

My canvas-based work explores the emotional residue of history and the weight of contemporary social concerns. While grounded in social and cultural critique, my practice seeks visual languages that move beyond words and conventional palettes. Whether on canvas or screen, I aim to create images that ask not only what we remember, but how we carry it — and more importantly, how we might give it a voice of our own.

My paintings have been exhibited and collected in China, Europe, and North America, and have received recognition and awards.

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