Above: Double-headed by Carla Youbi, oil on linen, 20x24”, part of Gardens of Enchantment.
In an era defined by velocity and fragmentation, a quiet rebirth is unfolding in the studios of contemporary artists—one that looks not forward, but deeply within and back, toward tradition, ritual, and transcendence.
This is the realm of symbolism: a visual language older than text and more resonant than rhetoric. It’s no accident that artists are returning—not to replicate—but to reinterpret these ancient codes, weaving them into profoundly new images. At Era Contemporary, our newest exhibition, Gardens of Enchantment, is a testament to this revival: a curated collection of imagistic reimaginings where the natural world becomes oracle, sanctuary, and myth.
Opening online July 1—and in person at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair (July 10–13)—this exhibition unites over 20 visionary contemporary artists whose works elevate the garden beyond mere representation. Here, florals become emblems of rebirth and remembrance. Landscapes transform into interior worlds. And each image feels like a doorway into an idea that speaks at once ancient and urgent.
Included voices in this reinterpreted garden include:
Emma Hapner, whose luminous pink scenes seem to capture an intensity of feminine spirit
Carla Youbi, whose silvery botanicals hum with psychic energy
Kristy Gordon, painting landscapes peopled with characters that resonate like collective memory
Lauren Woods, whose fairy tale inspired dreamworlds pull us inwards
These artists draw from the Symbolist tradition, the Pre‑Raphaelites, and Romantic mysticism—but their vision remains strikingly contemporary, giving ecological depth and emotional finesse to a timeless aesthetic.
Standing before one of these pieces is not simply seeing—it is entering. A portal to reverie; a garden of feeling.
Explore the works in the show and get tickets to the Hamptons Fine Art Fair by clicking here.
“The true use of art is, first, to cultivate the artist’s own spiritual nature.” — George Inness
Composed by Aurelia Vescari, for Era Contemporary
Gardens of Enchantment: Online July 1–Sept 1 | Hamptons Fine Art Fair July 10–13