Maria Pergay at the Demisch & Danant

"Simple pleasures are always the last refuge of the complex." - Oscar Wilde

One of my favorite inspirational activities is attending art exhibits, particularly the galleries in my New York Chelsea neighborhood. After returning from multiple business trips, it is pure bliss to check back into the neighborhood activities, and I begin to feel at ease again with this simple uncomplicated activity.

Crossing 10th Avenue, I am greeted with internationally-recognized art houses. Galleries in Chelsea not only represent emerging talent, but also embrace the forgotten legends. I've seen Water Lilies by Monet, and the Gogosian Gallery has even brought Monet's rare collections to the neighborhood. The exhibit was both rich and intimate.

I am happy to reiterate that New York is a place where I can be inspired freely through a simple free admittance over the threshold of the art world.

Along with famous and iconic artists' works, I found an elegant and unapologetic exhibit: a small collection of Maria Pergay's new works. Freshly flown in from France, these four new furniture creations are nothing more than original and meaningful. Once you're introduced to her masterful functional art creations, you'll appreciate the philosophy of timeless design.

The show is happening at Demisch and Danan, which also featured Pergay's work in 2006. The gallery's focus is consistent with Pergay's continuous creations. Demisch and Danant's intent is to inform and promote her originality and her constant evolutions of juxtapositions in materials, reflecting the energy of her collections: organic, and composed with mysterious design details, violent, colorful, and paradoxical.

The show will be running until July 2, 2010, and the gallery is located on 542 West 22nd Street, 2nd floor, demischdanant.com.