Riley Sims: Ctrl+Z
November 2026 – February 2027
Opening reception 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Friday, November 6
Abattoir | Quarter
2615 Detroit Ave, Cleveland
Abattoir Gallery is pleased to present Ctrl+Z, a solo exhibition of paintings by Riley Sims. The artist’s large-scale gestural paintings mine the gap between digital technology and traditional painting, exploring physical limitations of the body and painted field. Sims sketches her compositions on a handheld digital tablet screen, and transfers the digital abstract drawings to canvas, where sweeping lines, overlapping marks, and bold colors are translated into brushstrokes.
This approach developed in response to a personal challenge. Following a diagnosis of Lyme disease in 2019, Sims found that the physical demands of painting for extended periods became difficult. Working digitally offered a more accessible way to continue making art and opened new directions in her practice. The transition from screen to canvas is central to the work. While digital marks can be easily erased or changed, paint is less predictable. Rather than reproducing the clean lines and controlled appearance of her digital drawings, Sims embraces the unexpected drips, textures, and layers that emerge through the painting process.
Glowing yellows, pinks, and reds intersect and contrast moody blues, purples, and deep earthy hues, creating dynamic compositions that convey a sense of movement and energy. Up close, subtle layers of paint and occasional drips reveal the artist’s hand, playfully reminding us that these works are painted rather than mechanically reproduced. In reversing the familiar relationship between an original artwork and its reproduction, Sims carefully recreates a digital image by hand, translating gestures made on a screen into marks on canvas. The resulting paintings blur the distinction between digital and painterly gestures, raising questions about whether painted space is imitating digital space, or vice versa. Through this exchange, Sims expands our understanding of what painting can be.
Riley Sims is a painter based in Northeast Ohio. Sims completed her MFA in Painting at Kent State University and received her BA in Painting with a minor in Art History from Ball State University. Sims has exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions, including Art/Work at Curated Storefront, Akron, OH; the University Presidents House, Kent State University, Kent, OH and the College Invitational at the Indy Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN. Sims was the recipient of the Graduate Student Senate Research Award in 2025 and 2026. Her work has been featured in Suboart Magazine, 101 Contemporary Artists and More (5th Edition), Lymedisease.org and Public Health Landscape.