Bettina Werner: The Salt Queen’s Enlivening Red Velvet Heart!

Internationally acclaimed and pioneering Milan born, American artist Bettina Werner celebrated Valentine’s season with an exclusive one-of-a- kind, private opening of her newest exhibition at ABXY Gallery in the Lower East Side.

Known as the “Salt Queen” for her pioneering and significant accomplishments within the art world, Bettina Werner has attracted international attention for her innovative art creations since the early 80s when she invented her own technique for colorizing and texturizing salt crystals, and became the first artist to use salt exclusively as an art medium.

Werner (also one of the first artists to bring creative energy through her art loft on Wall Street ) unveiled a unique and breathtaking collection of glowing salt-crystal artworks entitled The Enlivening Velvet Heart: A Salt Crystal Art Collection, which brought together newly created artwork, manifesting and superbly demonstrating the richness of the artist’s ever-expanding imagination.

“The Enlivening Velvet Heart,” also memorializes the artist’s love for her late-father, who passed away this winter. “A father is a daughter’s first love!” states Bettina Werner. “My dad and I have always had a unique bond; he gave me the freedom to conquer my own destiny …I’m grateful to him. This exhibition is for my dad: “il mio papa’, un principe azzurro a cavallo dal cuore di velluto”, says the artist.

VIP Attendees at the private opening, including supermodel Alina Baikova, Andy Warhol muse and Werner’s longtime collector Frank Andrews, Art Production fund co-founder Doreen Remen, artists Judi Harvest and Danny Minnick, Author Magazine EIC (and Coco Chanel’s Grand Niece) Oona Chanel, and actress Malgosia Garny’s, perused the collection and enjoyed conversation and bubbly with the acclaimed artist.

She was also joined by ABXY’s Allison Barker, socialite Emma Snowdon-Jones, influencer Vienna Skye, Erickson Beamon designer Karen Erickson, and Mandie Erickson.

The exhibition marked the first collaboration between the artist and ABXY Gallery founder, Allison Barker. “The Enlivening Velvet Heart” has been extended until March 5th, 2018, from 12pm – 7pm (9 Clinton Street, btn Stanton & East Houston).