Author: Elise Thornton

Every few years, a phrase from the art world gets worn smooth from overuse “capturing the human spirit,” “revealing inner beauty.” Sylvianne Blum Cassereau’s work is a useful reminder of what those tired phrases were originally trying to describe, before repetition drained them of meaning. Her pastel portraits do not announce themselves with grand statements. They simply pay attention, patiently and consistently, to individual people and in doing so, manage to say something the worn phrases no longer can. An Artist Rooted in Encounter Based in Mexico City, Blum Cassereau has built a body of work centered entirely on the…