The Orange Crescent
an exhibition by Artist in Residence Saloni Parekh
Play Played, acrylics, clay, and aluminum on wood panel
Perspective of presence, acrylics, clay, and aluminum on wood panel
AlterWork Studios is pleased to present an exhibition by Artist in Residence Saloni Parekh, “The Orange Crescent”.
Artist Reception: Saturday, July 11, 2026 | 6PM
This exhibition is on view everyday from 12PM-9PM from 6/27/26 until 7/14/26.
Please note that the gallery will be closed 7/4 and 7/5.
The Orange Crescent imagines a landscape where symbols from South Asian Hinduism and Islam coexist within a shared visual field. Orange and green, markers of religious and political identity, intertwine in harmony while carrying underlying tensions shaped by ideology, history, and belief.
A third presence, black, emerges as a force beyond religion. It is a void, a god, or an absence that precedes creation itself. Drawing on game theory, the work views religion as a system of interaction where cooperation, conflict, and power continually reshape collective life.
Rather than advocating reconciliation or division, “The Orange Crescent” inhabits the unstable space between them, exploring how faith and politics are negotiated.
This body of work and residency was made possible through funding from Oberlin College and the Conservatory of Music.
AlterWork Studios is located on the Ground Floor of 40-20 22nd Street, Long Island City, NY 11101. We are located on the west side of 22nd street between 40th and 41st avenues. When arriving, use the black touch screen to the left of the door to ring for AlterWork Studios in the Directory. Once inside, the studio is located down the stairs on the left.
Saloni Parekh(she/her) is a visual artist and an educator. She is originally from India and relocated to the United States in 2017. She recently earned her MFA degree from the University of Tennessee. In 2015, Saloni obtained her bachelor's degree in Physics, followed by a B.F.A. in painting from Kent State University in Ohio in 2020. Her artistic practice spans various media, including painting, video, and sound. She explores the intricate aspects of the term "god," recognizing its historical, mnemonic, and emotional significance, while delving into the consistencies within religion and the inconsistencies that contribute to societal divisions. Parekh's work has been showcased at numerous institutions, including the Tennessee Valley Arts Museum, Tri-Star Arts, Rosefsky Gallery at Binghamton University, and the CICA Museum in South Korea.
She is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia.