Opening Soon
January 31 – March 16
Opening Reception: January 31st, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Illuminating the Mind’s Eye Through Darkness
During a life-threatening battle with Endocarditis in 2021, while heavily sedated in intensive care after open-heart surgery, I experienced extraordinary ‘Closed-eye visualizations.’ These temporary pseudo-hallucinations transformed my thoughts into crystallized, illuminated images against intense darkness. For two remarkable days, I could direct these visions, flying through imagined landscapes filled with vibrant color and motion. What remained imprinted in my mind were pulsating shapes in vivid color that brought unexpected calm during a critical time. These memories flowed from mind to paper in the months that followed, resulting in “Night Sight” – a series of works in waxed and chalk-pastel pencils and acrylic paint on Canson paper. — Shar Coulson
Celebrating Heart Month 2025: NIGHT SIGHT and “History of the Heart,” a display on the history of Cardiology and Heart Surgery from the IMSS collection. This exhibition is also supported by the Rush Heart Center for Women.
“NIGHT SIGHT: Illuminating the Mind’s Eye Through Darkness” presents 22 paintings, on display for the first time, by Chicago-based artist Shar Coulson, created in the aftermath of a life-threatening battle with endocarditis. Drawing upon extraordinary “closed-eye visualizations” experienced while heavily sedated in intensive care, Coulson translates pulsating forms and vivid colors onto paper and linen, revealing art’s profound capacity to heal. Merging her background in classical figurative realism with an abstract sensibility, these works stand as both a personal chronicle of recovery and a testament to creativity as medicine for body, mind, and spirit.
The Healing Power of Creativity
Through moments of both struggle and revelation, art became my medicine. What began as mysterious visions evolved into a sacred dance between pain and possibility, ultimately giving me the courage to embrace a new chapter. I share these works hoping others might discover their own creative path to healing. — Shar Coulson
About the Artist
Shar Coulson’s paintings explore the idea of perception versus reality. Each exploration reflects her heightened ability to see recognizable organic forms hinting at animals, figures, and plant-like references in otherwise abstract patterns. The lush paint application plays with solid contrast and a spectrum of tonal shifts, resulting in a harmonious balance of expressive energy and lush tranquility. She was formally trained in classical figurative realism, yet finds her passion runs most profound in the world of abstraction. A successful designer and executive creative director career also deeply informed her sensibility. Shar exhibits both nationally and internationally. She lives and works in the Near West Side Market District of Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Shar Coulson
sharcoulson.com
IG: shar_coulson
