In his abstract, mixed-media paintings, Michel Alexis merges minimalist and expressionist influences in exquisitely balanced compositions born of his childhood visions. As he explains, “The basic structure of my paintings is derived from a childhood ritual. Alone, lying down, I would stare...at my bedroom ceiling...There, I would effortlessly reconcile the minimal and Baroque elements of the decor and combine them into imaginary, enigmatic shapes, suspended between the lure of the void and the exuberant profusion of life.” A patchwork of voids and profusion, his large-scale paintings begin with a colored wash on canvas or wood. Onto this base, Alexis overlays squares and rectangles of thin, handmade paper in loose, quilted patterns. Calligraphic lines, geometric shapes, and forms hinting at letters and body parts cover the paper, urging the eye to roam and trace these harmonious visual …