Escape into the romantic surrealism of Holly Suzanne Rader in Embellished Beyond Reason, a spectacular new exhibition in the Romano Gallery. Holly’s collages portray a modern fairy tale of glittering heroines and silver screen starlets. Playful and glamorous, these textured, high-gloss works draw inspiration from her childhood spent playing with Barbie dolls and admiring her grandmother’s costume jewelry. Gold, glitter, rhinestones and found objects coalesce into collages that reflect both vintage elegance and female empowerment. The exhibition will be on display February 4 to March 6 in Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts’ Romano Gallery.

“It is always my honor to spend time with this generation of rising stars and get their honest reaction and perspective on my style of art,” Holly shares. “Whatever career path they pursue, maybe this will act as some kind of inspiration for them.”

Influenced by fashion, street art, vintage glamour and women’s empowerment, Holly creates paper photo collages embellished with crystal rhinestones, sequins, beads and glitter. Her work features female icons spanning generations, resulting in pieces that resonate with a diverse and dynamic audience.

Holly began her fine arts career as a classically trained portrait painter and has since evolved into a sculptor and mixed-media artist. Her practice now encompasses a wide range of materials, including acrylic, spray paint, photo collage and crystal embellishments. Drawn to themes of vintage glamour, her work is marked by bright paint drips, glitter-enhanced imagery and high-gloss finishes that create a seductive interplay of color and texture. Whether on canvas or in sculptural form, her pieces evoke a playful and expressive feminine spirit.

While completing her MFA at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Holly traveled extensively and received international recognition. She was a featured artist in the 2002 Women by Women exhibition at The American Center for Art and Culture, formerly known as the Mona Bismarck American Center, in Paris and was commissioned to create paintings for the 2006 SCAD Fashion Gala honoring designer Vera Wang. In 2010, SCAD commissioned her to produce more than one hundred mixed-media fiber works for installation at its Hong Kong campus.

Holly’s work has been exhibited internationally and is held in public and private collections in New York, Paris, New Orleans, Provence, Hong Kong, Norway, Miami, Savannah and Atlanta. She currently works out of her studio, Hollywould Studios, in Boonton, New Jersey, where she hosts parties and workshops and creates online tutorials for artists. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two sons.

On Thursday, February 12, Holly will join the Blair community for an artist talk at 7 p.m. in Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts. All are welcome to attend.