Opening Reception : Friday March 28th, 6pm - 10pm / 544 Park Ave, Brooklyn NY, 11205 - Suite 333
Button Studios is proud to present Asheville: 6 Months After the Storm, a photography exhibition opening on Friday, March 28, 2025, marking the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Asheville and the surrounding areas. This exhibition brings together the work of photographers documenting the aftermath of the storm and the resilience of local communities as they rebuild.
Hosted at Button Studios, a Brooklyn-based project space that functions as both a showroom for modular housing systems and a gallery focused on crisis relief, the exhibition aligns with the studio’s mission: to accelerate projects that address disaster response through art, architecture, and community engagement.
Western North Carolina has long been a magnet for ‘climate refugees.’ A so-called climate haven where people come to flee drought and fires in the west, or flooding in far off coastal regions to the East. That changed on September 27, 2024, with a catastrophic weather event that upended that false sense of security felt by the unsuspecting community cradled by the ancient Appalachian Mountains. A clear message was sent to the rest of the world, that there are no climate havens. Climate change is not a problem that you can pack your bags and move away from.
The phases of living through a traumatic experience and community recovery can be spoken of in broad terms, but the truth is that every individual that has lived through this storm and been impacted by it has their own story and their own emotional journey. It's too simplistic to say that “we” are in any given phase of recovery because these phases and emotional realities can come and go within the course of a day. There is no singular narrative.
The power of photography is its specificity. Too often as media photographers our images are used to force a pre-determined and simplified narrative. In this collection of images, we aim to embrace the complex and messy reality that we are all feeling a lot of things all at once. And the people who share their stories with us are doing just that, sharing their story. Not the story of Helene.
Works by: Rob Amberg, Jesse Barber, Mike Belleme, Erin Brethauer, George Etheredge, Kaoly Gutierrez, Tim Hussin, Juan Diego Reyes and Jack Sorokin, through their lens, tell the stories of their communities, families, and the devastation and resilience of the place they call home.
This unique showcase explores years of the artist’s journey in capturing the intricate interplay between human bodies and their surroundings. Through meticulously photographed images, Jarid bathes bodies in vibrant projections, creating interactive, co-creative spaces that champion body positivity and comfort within one's skin. Visitors are invited to engage in a deep conversation about human identity viewed through an intimate and transformative lens.
The exhibition features a series of large-format prints that highlight the dynamic relationship between organic and human-made architectures on the human form. These selected works resonate between the structures of biological forms inherent in the natural world and the contrasting rigid landscapes of urban environments. Jarid Blue's artistry navigates the evolving interplay between technology and humanity, reflecting on the progressive transformation, refinement, and optimization within our society. The artist crafts a sanctuary that invites viewers to reconnect with their innermost selves, offering a profound space for introspection and self-expression.
In a conversation that has always been with society where the boundaries of human identity, sexuality, and self-perception are continually questioned and redefined, Blue's body of work emerges as a profound exploration of these themes. His work is not only timely but essential, offering a unique perspective on the human condition and our place within it. Jarid Blue's art responds to the evolving interplay between technology and humanity, addressing the progressive reduction, refinement, and optimization in our society by navigating a space that invites viewers to reconnect with their innermost selves, providing a sanctuary for introspection and self-expression.
Blue's work transcends traditional boundaries, merging the human form with light in a way that creates a new language of expression. His use of light projections on the human body transforms vulnerability into a source of comfort and strength, allowing viewers to shed societal constraints and explore their authentic selves. This interaction with light and form provides a platform for individuals to engage with their inner spirits, free from external judgment and societal norms.
Working session with Jarid Blue
On opening night, Jarid Blue will present an immersive installation. Guests are invited to actively participate in the creation process as patterns and images drawn from the surrounding architecture and neighborhood of Button Studios are projected onto attendees. This transformation turns participants into living works of art, forging a deeper connection to their environment. This interactive experience will pave the way for a follow-up show at the end of the month, where newly captured images and videos will be showcased.
Join us for a night of transformative art to explore how our surroundings imprint upon us, and how we, in turn, leave our mark on them.
delving into the overlooked corners of the places he explores. His work transcends visual documentation, becoming a powerful medium to portray the unseen and the forgotten. In an era dominated by mainstream narratives, many regions remain shrouded in obscurity. His work highlights regions such as Chocó, El Salado, and Antioquia in Colombia—areas that possess unique and raw beauty while grappling with stark contrasts of culture and environment. His unique perspective transports viewers to places most would not dare to go, revealing their inhabitants' resilience, culture, and life, intriguing us with a new way of seeing.
In Chocó, Ehmig's photos depict vibrant communities surrounded by lush rainforests, where the richness of nature contrasts with economic challenges. In El Salado, his work juxtaposes the scars of conflict with the enduring spirit of its people. In Antioquia, his images portray the region's idiosyncrasies and the challenges modernity brings to their daily lives.
Wilding his camera to honor what he has in front of the lens, he invites the viewers to look beyond curated images and to seek profound beauty in the quotidian. His photography urges us to reconsider our perceptions and find empathy in unfamiliar faces.
Oliver Ehmig
Oliver Ehmig is a Miami-based artist working with photography and visual storytelling. Born in Germany and raised in Colombia, he brings a diverse cultural influence to his work, capturing moments that resonate with authenticity and depth. A self-taught artist, Oliver is dedicated to the continual refinement of his photographic style. Balancing a keen documentary-style vision with an inner Quixote-esque spirit, he navigates the visual landscape through his lens with a commitment to storytelling. Among Oliver's most notable achievements is his long-term project with the Colombian Armed Forces, a testament to his ability to engage with diverse subjects and convey their stories with empathy and insight.
Mariah Wilson
Mariah Wilson is an Emmy-winning documentary producer and director with a focus on wildlife conservation whose work has taken her to six continents. Mariah is passionate about illuminating the myriad intersections between humans and animals, and celebrating those dedicated to protecting wildlife. She is a proud Jackson Wild Summit Fellow (2021) and Explorer’s Club Fellow. More at: www.mariahewilson.com
Safiyah Chiniere
Safiyah Chiniere has a deep love for storytelling and filming. She uses film to amplify the stories and the voices of people of color, women, and femmes.The specific space of Safiyah’s subject matter gives a firm footing to develop a visual style necessary to operate within the fertile interior spaces of these communities. It presents a stimulating and refreshing approach to capturing the faces, bodies, and various expressions of intimacy, slowing down the pacing and magnifying spaces to highlight that which is so often overlooked, dismissed, or delegitimized, all while maintaining wholehearted and sincere storytelling.”
Adam Nawrot
Adam Nawrot is a non-fiction filmmaker interested in the intersection of exploration and social change. His feature debut ‘Godspeed, Los Polacos!’ was awarded Best Feature at the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival and explores the unlikely link between the fall of the Soviet Union, whitewater kayaking, and the first decent of the world’s deepest canyon. He is currently in the finishing stages of a film that follows the world’s top ocean rowers as they attempt to retrace Ernest Shackleton’s legendary voyage from the tip of Antarctica to the island of South Georgia.
Liam Tobin
Liam Tobin is a filmmaker passionate about telling stories of the human connection to the natural world. He began work in the film industry as an assistant editor and camera operator for a series of documentaries highlighting shark and ray biodiversity worldwide. 'Puddlejumper' is his first film, a story capturing the raw adventure that comes with the renegade sport of freediving.
Photo works by Oliver Ehmig will be on display from June 23rd through August 31st.