An art exhibition commemorating the ten year anniversary of the inclusion of protease inhibitors in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Eric Rhein’s artwork to commemorates the ten year anniversary of the inclusion of protease inhibitors in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. Rhein’s wire drawings and constructions from the decade reflect the transformation that he has experienced as a long-term survivor from a concentration on AIDS-specific issues to a broader reflection on humanity and the natural world.

With the precision of a jeweler, Rhein creates delicate constructions from wire, paper, and found objects, weaving personal stories and experiences into intricate patterns. Using nature as metaphor, Rhein evokes a transcendental universe and celebrates the resilient potential of the body and spirit. Integrating leaves, birds, animals, and human figures, he explores the delicate and powerful connections among humans, nature, and the spiritual world, and suggests the metamorphoses inherent in relationships and experiences. Sculptures, which incorporate pages from medical textbooks, suggest illuminated manuscripts in three dimensional form, and draw a correlation between the AIDS epidemic and the Black Plague of the Middle Ages.

Works from The Leaf Project, which Rhein conceived in 1996 to pay tribute to friends who had died of complications from AIDS, anchor the exhibition with recognition of the magnitude of loss during the height of the epidemic.

With the title Uncle Lige’s Sword, Rhein dedicates this exhibition to the memory of his uncle Lige (Elijah) Clarke, a pioneer, along with his lover Jack Nichols, in the Gay Rights movement of the late 1960s through the early 70s. The sword is used as a metaphor for Clarke’s courage and indomitable spirit. Rhein draws a correlation between Clarke’s crusade for gay rights and his own activism by including themes about HIV and AIDS in his body of work.