Abend Gallery is delighted to present Magical Realism, a solo exhibition by Robin Hextrum. Through this body of work, Hextrum expands the traditions of magical realist fiction into painting, merging fantastical creatures and dreamlike scenes with carefully rendered realism.

From a luminous golden goat resting among rocky cliffs, to a winged pegasus set against sweeping alpine lakes, and surreal landscapes filled with ice cream mountains, moonlit willows, and flourishing mythological trees, Hextrum’s works invite us into a world where myth and reality entwine. Each painting balances precision and imagination, drawing on both art history and natural history to question how we perceive the animals and environments around us.

📅 Exhibition Dates: September 13, 2025 → October 4, 2025
🎉 Opening Reception: Saturday, September 13, 2025 from 5 – 8 PM with an artist talk at 6 PM
📍 Location: Abend Gallery | 1261 Delaware St, Denver, CO 80204

Artist Statement

Many of us are familiar with the term magical realism from the literary genre. Magical realist fiction portrays magical events in realistic settings. Perhaps you have read books in this genre like One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Babel by R.F. Kuang. Magical realism often uses fantastical narratives to comment on our reality. These strange and beautiful stories work within our reality so we will question our lived experiences. In a similar vein, this series of paintings plays with our sense of reality so viewers will consider the plants and animals in our environment through a new lens. This body of work also contains a literal reference to the terms “magical” and “realism” because these are realistically painted artworks that capture magical subjects. 

Humans have worshipped the animals and plants that surround them for millennia. Our myths originate from the truly strange and beautiful creatures among us. My paintings attempt to capture that sense of wonder about the natural world that has always imbued our legends. Whether it is something as small as a sea slug or as majestic as an elephant, each work depicts reverence for these creatures. I am attempting to highlight the narrow gap between mythology and reality. By exhibiting paintings of both real and imagined creatures, I want to blur the division between reality and fiction. I made it difficult to distinguish between the mythical and real creatures in this show so viewers would find themselves puzzling a little and realizing that reality can be even stranger than fiction. When we tap into our sense of awe for the natural world, we will also find our ability to love and protect it. I hope these works remind you of the truly extraordinary world we all share. -Robin Hextrum

Robin Hextrum creates contemporary oil paintings that examine humanity's relationship with the natural world through environmental and animal advocacy themes. Born in 1987, she developed her environmental consciousness growing up in Stinson Beach, a small Northern California coastal town where she engaged in surfing, hiking, and kayaking activities that fostered her deep connection to nature.

Hextrum earned a double major in Fine Art and Neuroscience from USC, where she studied with artists Ruth Weisberg and Ron Rizk while serving as captain of the women's rowing team and participating in the marching band. She subsequently received her MFA in painting from Laguna College of Art and Design, focusing on representational techniques, followed by an MA in Modern and Contemporary Art History from UC Riverside. This comprehensive education allows her to merge conceptual frameworks with technical mastery and art historical knowledge.

Her paintings draw heavily from Dutch still life masterpieces while embodying contemporary vanitas themes that address climate change and consumption culture. The works feature oversized flowers, animals, and natural elements that explore the tension between representation and abstraction, traditional and contemporary approaches. Her recent "Animal Kingdom" exhibition presents animals as protagonists in revisionist history scenarios, challenging anthropocentric perspectives by positioning animals in spaces of power and luxury previously reserved for humans.

Currently serving as drawing instructor and department chair at Regis University in Colorado, Hextrum has received grants from The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation and The Stobart Foundation. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is represented by select galleries across the United States including Abend Gallery. Art critic Ray Mark Rinaldi describes her paintings as managing to be "romantic and mathematical all at once." A committed vegan and animal rights advocate, Hextrum supports organizations including The Humane League and incorporates her ethical values into both her artistic practice and daily life.