An ecstatic, maximalist ode to identity, motherhood, and the mythology of Venus
Maria Yolanda Liebana, The Farce of Venus’s Efflorescence (detail), 2024. Acrylic and mixed media collage on wood panel. Courtesy of the artist and Kravets Wehby.
Timed to Frieze Week, Kravets Wehby Gallery in New York unveils ‘The Venus Crusades’, a solo exhibition by Maria Yolanda Liebana, on view from April 24 to May 23, 2025. Known for her vibrant visual language that blends fantasy, nostalgia, and maximalist aesthetics, Liebana’s second solo outing at the gallery marks a powerful evolution in her practice—infused with myth, maternal reflection, and the shimmering promise of escapism.
At the heart of ‘The Venus Crusades’ lies a dialogue between divine archetypes and disco euphoria. Liebana draws on the classical figure of Venus, reimagining the goddess not as an idealised muse but as a radical symbol of self-expression. In a vivid departure from traditional Christian ideals of femininity, these works celebrate the body, the dance floor, and the desire for more—more colour, voice, and presence.
The exhibition powerfully conveys themes of motherhood, resonating with deep emotional intensity. Since becoming a mother in 2023, Liebana has reoriented her practice to grapple with the often-silenced tensions of identity and FOMO—fear of missing out—particularly as they intersect with caretaking and creativity. Gluttony becomes an aesthetic and emotional strategy in her hands: indulgent textures, layered compositions, and symbolic references to pop divas and saints suggest that longing can be generative.
Borges’ concept of The Aleph—a point containing all other points—offers a conceptual framework for the show. Within these intricate mixed media collages, identity is not singular but infinite: a kaleidoscopic convergence of roles, references, and desires. Venus is not just a goddess; she’s a mother, a diva, a memory, and a mirror. Private gardens and pulsating dance floors become portals where these versions of self coexist.
Born and raised in Paterson, NJ, Maria Yolanda Liebana is a first-generation Latinx artist whose work has been shown at institutions including ICA Portland and the Fitchburg Art Museum. Her work is held in the Pizzuti Collection at the Columbus Museum of Art, and she is a two-time recipient of the Queens Council on the Arts New Works Grant. She lives and works in Queens, NY.
‘The Venus Crusades’ is a rich, immersive offering from an artist who invites us to embrace our contradictions—and to dance in their glow.
For more information, please visit Kravets Wehby Gallery.
