The Drawing Room Presents 'Plated: A Food Diary’ by Jack Ceglic

From April 5 to May 13, The Drawing Room in East Hampton will present “Plated: A Food Diary, 2020-2024,” recent oil on paper drawings by Jack Ceglic. Recognized for his extensive exploration of portraiture in oil, crayon and other mediums, the artist’s current work spotlights the subject of food — a fundamental through-line in his life and work.

As a child in Brooklyn, Ceglic observed the presentation of groceries and dairy products in his parents’ neighborhood store. During this period, his grandmother’s cooking was also a formative influence and cultural touchstone. Decades later, after graduating from Parsons School of Design, he co-founded Dean and DeLuca where he redefined the aesthetics of food display in a retail setting.

While based in East Hampton during the early months of the pandemic, Ceglic turned his attention from portraiture to still life, rendering lush, oil stick drawings of the daily meals he prepared at home. In the ongoing series, each larger-than-life composition reflects the artist’s keen sensory experience of selecting his ingredients, cooking them and plating the food, all with an eye for color, texture, and form. From visceral depictions of poultry and monkfish, to sensual renderings of watermelon and avocado sections, the variations within Ceglic’s diaristic series echo the passage of time, shifting moods and appetites, and the change of seasons.

The works will be unframed, suspended from clips on the gallery walls, in an installation that emphasizes the immediacy and tactility that governed the artist’s process. In the adjacent gallery, viewers will encounter a series of more abstract compositions inspired by white and dark chocolate and a layered birthday cake. Jack Ceglic divides his time between New York City and East Hampton.

The Drawing Room is at 55 Main Street, 2nd Floor, East Hampton. For more information, visit drawingroom-gallery.com.