Luke Farley’s Hands on Fire | Opening Reception

Truepenny’s Luke Farley

**Hands of Fire**

 The Alchemy of Art  

August 6th-29th2026

Opening Reception Thurs. August 6th 2026 6:00-9:00pm

Originally from New Jersey, Luke Farley has been a Baltimore-based artist since 2017. In 2019, he graduated with an MFA in Painting from the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School at MICA. Farley works primarily in painting, but also in collage, sculpture, curation, and theatrical design. He is a co-founder and producer of the interdisciplinary arts organization Truepenny Projects. His most recent roles include world builder and scenic designer for Salty (2025) and curator of A Vital Alliance(2025) at Alchemy of Art.

Hands on Fire

Truepenny Projects is excited to present Hands on Fire at Alchemy of Art opening in August of 2026. This solo exhibition showcases an ongoing series of large-scale paintings by Baltimore artist Luke Farley. Hands on Fire features paintings made over the course of three years, 2023–2026. In this work, Farley foregrounds gesture as metaphor, appearing both literally, through the representation of hands, and phenomenologically, through his painterly approach to image-making. Seen together as a series for the first time, these paintings form a kind of autobiography. The metaphors Farley creates are grounded in a critical engagement with his past, referencing religion as a touchstone. The show sheds light on the role of dogma, providence, and judgment within the artist’s life by asking: Where has this taken me? How does one come to terms with the hypocrisy in their own life?

The Alchemy of Art is a local contemporary art gallery located in Fells Point, Baltimore. We focus on, but are not limited to, local Baltimore up-and-coming artists. The building, a historic convent converted into a modern space, still contains its original chapel. The large room is a unique space for exhibitions, with its abundance of natural light and its beautiful arched ceilings. There is also a small stage located in the back where we invite DJs and musicians to perform on occasion. The gallery was recently awarded Baltimore Style Magazine’s Viewer’s Choice Award for Best Gallery of 2018.