The Mantel Gallery is pleased to present “Wonder Room,” a solo exhibition by Annabel Osberg. It takes the form of a cabinet of curiosities seeming to have emerged from a parallel world.
Osberg takes full advantage of the micro-gallery’s format that allows the artist near-complete control over the diminutive space. Made especially for this show, her experimental art objects exude a whimsical, free-spirited quality that belies dystopic undercurrents. From a painting of distorted eyes whose convergence resembles a spacecraft over a desert, to a sculptural pupa of alien appearance, to a window into a hellscape, each composition speaks to the surreal overtones of life in 2026. These mysterious pseudo-artifacts all work together in tandem to evoke open-ended narratives that shift from piece to piece within the tiny, enclosed installation.
Marking the Mantel Gallery’s fifth anniversary, “Wonder Room” runs from April 25-May 10, visible to the public from dawn to dusk, with an opening reception from 4-6 pm on Saturday, April 25.
Annabel Osberg is an artist and critic based in Southern California. Her work was the subject of a recent solo show at as-is Gallery in Los Angeles; and has also been included in exhibitions at Pio Pico, Don’t Look Projects, Good Naked Gallery, Serious Topics, Ladies’ Room; the University of La Verne; Untitled Art Fair in Houston; and Future Fair in New York. Osberg graduated summa cum laude from California State University, San Bernardino with a BA in studio art, attended Yale, and received her MFA in painting from Boston University.
