The public is invited to enjoy work by two artists who use abstraction, color, geometric shapes and lines to articulate their distinct impressions of the world around them in “Paintings and Prints by Cathy Stephis and Chayo de Chevez.” The exhibition is on view Feb. 6 through Feb. 22 in the Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery, with a free, public reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6.

Stephis depicts different life forms in a spiritual symphony of spiraling swirls of color. “Forms are in constant transition, shifting in and out of existence,” she writes in her artist statement. “It is through observing redundant shapes among various life objects that I gain a sense of universal connectedness to these forms.” Stephis says many of her oil paintings, which vary in size and shape, reinforce her belief in the intelligent design theory for the existence of God.

Chevez creates compositions that reflect a lifetime of living in many different cultures over the past 30 years. Combining the grace and exactness of geometry with gestural contours, the imagery in her prints feels futuristic, yet ancient and tribal, not unlike the cultures she has experienced exploring places like Mexico, Australia, Jamaica and India. Her materials also reflect her respect for history infused with modern meaning. Pages from old books, homemade paper and beeswax are things that bring a humble humanity to her otherworldly, asymmetrical abstractions, which are often composed using design software and then superimposing the etching process.

The Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery has free admission and is open to the public Sunday through Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information about the exhibition, please contact FSU Department of Visual Arts at (301) 687-4797.