This summer, HEDGE is pleased to present Managing The Darkness, a two person exhibition featuring artists Hilary Gent and Ed Raffel. 

Illuminating the gallery space from every perspective, this exhibition juxtaposes Ed Raffel’s light boxes, tessellations, and found object sculptures with the latest oil and latex paintings by Hilary Gent. Together, these works delve into the conceptual interplay of light as it permeates through dark, opaque substances. 

Gent translates her personal connection to the meditative nature and dimensionality of water, particularly Lake Erie, through layers of poured latex paint. Her recent paintings capture intense reflections of light on water—often vivid colors reflected during sunrise or sunset—representing "glimmers of hope amidst life’s storms" and light interrupting darkness with its power. This fluidity is contrasted by the static, high-concept constructions of Raffel, a self-taught sculptor whose information-based pieces reveal the structure and beauty in common objects, often in patterns involving self-symmetry. Raffel’s works, created from materials like roof flashing angles and non-reversing mirrors, eschew art school formalism. His light boxes investigate how light passes through acrylic sheets, while his non-reversing mirror diad pieces correct image reversal, creating an observer-dependent reality for the viewer.

In spite of the world's perceived chaos and the weight of darkness, both Gent and Raffel seize the chance to confront the shadows of the current era with radiant light, painted and reflected.

Join us for a Preview Reception on Wednesday, June 17, 5:00- 7:00pm or the Opening Reception on Friday, June 19, 5:00- 8:00pm. The exhibition will be on view through July 25, 2026.