A year ago, Luis Emilio Romero was living amidst the hustle of the Jefferson L train stop in Bushwick. Now, he paints tranquilly in Mana Contemporary's basement studio, a far cry from his former life.

Mana Contemporary has grown to be one of America’s largest artist-run facilities since its 2011 conversion from a century-old tobacco warehouse by Moishe Mana and co-founders Eugene Lemay and Yigal Ozeri. Despite a dip in visitors during the pandemic, it's slowly recovering with biannual open studios and partnerships.

During this year’s Spring Open Studios event, over 100 artists opened their doors to the public on May 17, showcasing a diverse range of work from intricate textile patterns to abstract mazes inspired by personal experiences. Artists like Kristian Battell depicted future landscapes ravaged by plastics, while Michael Hines created maze-like paintings with curvy lines symbolising joy and motion.

Elsewhere, Claudia Koh painted scenes reflecting social inequality in Singapore, while Ivy Haldeman illustrated frisky bananas and a hot dog lounging in her bun, inspired by Buenos Aires bodega advertisements. The event also featured installations such as TLaloC’s 'ECHOES, HRÖNIRS – Three Titans,' composed of three enormous inflatable sculptures resting inside Mana's boiler room.