Vian Borchert Debuts New Abstract Works in New York, Washington DC, Miami, and London Exhibitions

By Jennifer McKay

In Manhattan, New York City, acclaimed American abstract artist Vian Borchert marks a significant milestone with the debut of her newest body of work in the invitational exhibition “ARIADNE’s CREST: Ad Astra | To the Stars,” celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Lichtundfire Gallery. The exhibition newly opened at the gallery’s Lower East Side location at 175 Rivington Street and runs from December 5, 2025 through January 3, 2026, with gallery hours Wednesday through Saturday, 12–6 PM. Concept and curation are led by Priska Juschka.

Presented as part of this anniversary exhibition are four new abstract paintings created in 2025: Threshold, Portara, Gateway to Sea, and Columns of the Temple of Apollo. Each acrylic on canvas work measures 20 x 20 inches and reflects Borchert’s signature abstract expressionist language, blending painterly gesture with poetic abstraction. The works are available for acquisition through the gallery.

For this exhibition, Borchert drew inspiration from the ancient Greek myth of Ariadne and Dionysus, situating the narrative against the island of Naxos, a place deeply embedded in her personal history. Having spent much of her childhood summers in Greece, Borchert channels memories of radiant coastlines, monumental ruins, and the expansive Aegean Sea into contemporary abstract compositions.

Central to this series is the Portara, the iconic marble gateway of the Temple of Apollo, believed in myth to be the site where Dionysus discovered Ariadne after her abandonment.

Columns of the Temple of Apollo © Vian Borchert

Through abstract seascapes rendered in layered blues and aquas, loosely articulated columns, and monumental thresholds, Borchert creates visual environments that act as stages for a love story that has endured for centuries.

The myth’s celestial conclusion—where Dionysus casts Ariadne’s jeweled crown into the sky to form the constellation Corona Borealis—serves as a symbolic anchor, reinforcing themes of transcendence, memory, and enduring love.

Beyond New York, Borchert’s work is featured simultaneously in several major exhibitions across the United States and Europe. In Washington, DC, she is included in the invitational group exhibition “Beyond The Horizon” at the Watergate Gallery, located within the iconic Watergate Building complex.

The exhibition runs from December 6, 2025 through February 28, 2026. On view is Clouds Over Ocean (2024), a 36 x 36 inch acrylic on canvas painting that explores the horizon as a metaphor for uncertainty, endurance, and the possibility of renewal.

During Miami Art Week and Art Basel Miami Beach, Borchert was selected to participate in the curated “Social Justice” exhibition at AQUA ART MIAMI, located at 1530 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach. Curated by Amy Jackson in collaboration with SHIM Art Network, the exhibition highlighted Borchert’s 2025 work Electrical, an acrylic on paper piece examining fragility, resilience, and unseen energies shaping the human condition. The exhibition will continue its international trajectory with a presentation at the Venice Biennale 2026, held at Palazzo Pisani-Revedin from August 14 to September 14, 2026.

In the United Kingdom, Borchert’s paintings are currently available through London-based Opulent Art Gallery via Artsy. Her work is also featured in the gallery’s December exhibition “Art Advent Calendar 2025 – A Global Celebration of Creativity and Elegance,” with Twinkling (2018), an acrylic on canvas work, among the highlighted pieces. Additionally, her artwork can be acquired through the international design and fine art marketplace 1stDibs.

A graduate and notable alumna of the Corcoran College of Art and Design at George Washington University, Borchert has exhibited in over 100 exhibitions worldwide and serves as Art Lead for the Oxford Public Philosophy Journal at Oxford University. Her work has appeared in major international venues, art fairs, and museums, and has been widely published in outlets including World Art News, Museum Week Magazine, and The Washington Post.

Most recently, Borchert was named by MSN as one of the “Top 10 Most Creative Artists of 2025,” further affirming her influence and relevance within the contemporary art landscape. Through abstraction, visual poetry, and philosophical inquiry, Borchert continues to shape a global dialogue that bridges memory, myth, and the enduring human search for meaning.

By Jennifer McKay

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