Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—an acclaimed museum dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s maritime legacy—is delighted to present “Beyond the Plate: Sea and Sky,” an exciting new solo exhibition featuring nautical-inspired, mixed-media art by Rob Strati, from September 25, 2025 through April 12, 2026.
“Beyond the Plate” will showcase new work by one of America’s hottest contemporary artists. Strati has recently enjoyed sold-out exhibits at Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis and FREMIN Gallery in New York and has sold work to top international art collectors in New York, London, Hong Kong, Dubai and beyond. Strati’s art incorporates broken porcelain plates that have been embellished and adorned with creative details. The exhibition features the artist’s latest bold, kinetic mixed-media works and limited-edition prints as well as an ambitious site-specific installation that will be suspended from the ceiling of the Ships of the Sea atrium.
Strati’s latest series was inspired by a porcelain plate from his wife’s late mother, which accidentally fell and broke into fragments. In order to preserve the shards of the shattered plate, and the memory of someone vitally important to both him and his wife, the artist began working on his “Fragmented” series, using pen and paper to “explore the possibilities of things broken and the stories that can evolve from the pieces left behind.”
Each piece of Strati’s art starts with the breaking of a porcelain plate and takes approximately two weeks to complete. Although the artist is rigorous about his creative process, he always allows space for spontaneous ideas to emerge from the fragments. Over time, he has learned important lessons about art and life by creating new works of art from broken shards.
Strati describes his work as a “mix of chaos and control” that is constantly evolving. He hopes his upcoming exhibition at Ships of the Sea will inspire visitors to think about time, creativity and beauty in fresh, new ways. All of the art in “Beyond the Plate” will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.
ABOUT ROBERT STRATI: Originally from Boston, Strati grew up in Columbus, Ohio and earned a B.A. in History of Art from Ohio State University. His art has been exhibited at leading international museums and art galleries and has been featured in The Art Newspaper, Whitehot Magazine, Reclaim, Beaux Arts, Sculpture Magazine, Vice and The Village Voice. Strati’s work and “Beyond the Plate” will also be featured in ARTS Southeast’s fall issue of IMPACT Magazine in October 2025.
