Rooster Gallery will present “Wonder Women,” a solo exhibition of new paintings by Fedele Spadafora from November 29-December 2, 2011. The exhibition will open with a reception at the gallery, at 190 Orchard Street, on November 29 from 6-8 p.m.

In this new body of work, Spadafora sheds light on powerful women who are making a difference in the lives of others in their communities and beyond. The tightly cropped snapshot look of the large-scale images is stark and bold. Working in mixed media on paper, with a moody, muted palette, Spadafora creates dynamic portraits that are simple and direct and communicate a quiet strength. With a straight-off-the-brush feeling, the portraits combine a classical emotional quietness with the graphic impulse of Pop.

The project began as a collaboration between the artist and Aliya Hallim-Byne, co-founder and executive director of Wonder Women, a non-profit organization providing diverse women with opportunities for professional, personal, and community development. Among the 18 portraits in the show are such inspirational figures as Aliya Hallim-Byne; Amy M. Lesser, founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of GO Magazine; Emily May, an international leader in the anti-street-harassment movement and co-founder of Hollaback!; Nicole Neal, CEO and president of Belle Femme Enterprises; Joanne N. Smith, founder and executive director of Girls for Gender Equity; Judy Goss, a trend and lifestyle media spokesperson; Lisa Velazquez a sexuality educator, relationship coach, and motivational speaker; Wendy Stark, executive director of Callen-Lorde Community Health Center; entrepreneur Yao Hui Huang, cofounder and managing director of The Hatchery, a venture that brings entrepreneurs and investors together; civil rights attorney Yetta G. Kurland; culinary prodigy Yoanne Al-Hassani Magris; Canadian television personality and producer Ziya Tong; Aida Ben Hamouda, a New York-based Tunisian photographer and investment banker; independent curator Savannah Spirit; and Grim Womyn, project manager at Occupy Wall Street.

Fedele Spadafora, a native of Michigan and a world traveler based in New York, paints works that are recognized for their lively brushwork, moody lighting, and narratives that are both specific and suggested. Says Spadafora of his technique, “I construct each piece by using shapes in an abstract way to design the picture, and continually refine these shapes until figures and landscapes emerge and become solid and real.” Shifting easily from portraiture to still life, Spadafora is also known for combining personal figures with New York cityscapes to create timeless “human landscapes.“ The September/October 2011 issue of Fine Art Connoisseur magazine recognized Spadafora as a “young artist to watch,” and his work has been shown in New York, Berlin, Miami, Oslo, Tunis, and Prague. In spring 2012, Slag Gallery, New York, will present a solo exhibition of Spadafora’s new paintings. www.fedelespadafora.com

For more information about Wonder Women, go to www.wonder-women.org