Where: Ro2 Art Gallery
2606 Bataan St.
Dallas, TX 75212
When: March 1, 2025 – April 5, 2025
OPENING RECEPTION: March 8, 2025 from 7-10pm
(Dallas) Ro2 Art is proud to present Ketamine Cave Dreams by Christopher Cascio. The exhibition will open March 1, 2025, with a special preview period from March 1 to March 8, and remain on view through April 5, 2025, at Ro2 Art Gallery, located at 2606 Bataan St., Dallas, TX. The official opening reception will take place on March 8 from 7 pm to 10 pm.
Ketamine Cave Dreams is a solo exhibition by Houston-based artist Christopher Cascio. Known for his bold explorations of obsession, ritual, and altered states of consciousness, Cascio’s latest body of work delves into the psychedelic and psychological landscapes revealed through his ongoing ketamine-assisted therapy. His vibrant, hard-edged paintings and textile-based works depict portals– staircases, doorways, and cavernous spaces, offering visual pathways to transformation. These pieces, deeply influenced by traditional quilting patterns, color theory, and AI-generated imagery, pulsate with an energy that shifts between structure and dissolution, inviting viewers to step into a world that is both immersive and meditative.
Cascio’s approach is both meticulous and intuitive, balancing geometric abstraction with a raw, deeply personal exploration of memory and perception. His new works reflect the ineffable quality of psychedelic experience, where reality bends, morphs, and fractures into new possibilities. By merging painting, fabric-based collage, and digital intervention, Ketamine Cave Dreams expands the boundaries of contemporary abstraction, pushing the medium into uncharted territory.
Ketamine Cave Dreams will be on view from March 1 through April 5, 2025, with an opening reception on March 8 from 7-10 pm. This is an exhibition that doesn’t just ask to be seen– it asks to be experienced.
About The Artist
Christopher Cascio was born in New Orleans, and lives and works in Houston. He received his BFA at the San Francisco Art Institute and MFA from the University of Houston. Over the past decade his art has dealt with themes of obsession, compulsion, and ritual practice. The work now primarily consists of hard-edge abstraction (paintings) and is influenced by traditional quilting designs and often depicts different types of portals. Color and its transformative effects on the human psyche are paramount. The paintings come from a spiritual place and serve as a fount of positive energy for those who take the time to look deeply. The act of painting is curative and creates an aura of healing around the work.
While the paintings are often made using masking tape, aerosol and acrylic paint, Cascio’s also creates textile paintings with sewn fabrics and collage. He supplements his artmaking practice by regularly self-publishing books and zines. Cascio is an Assistant Professor of Studio Art at the Sam Houston State University School of Art and has taught at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston. He is married, has an eight-year-old, and cohabitates with two rescued tabby cats.
Show Statement
I’ve been making paintings of portals for the past five years. They typically depict some type of doorway (usually arched) with a staircase inside it. Some have been totally abstract, consisting only of vertical and horizontal strips of color, a variation of the Courthouse Steps quilt pattern. Others have been more literal, created using sourced images collaged together and then painted with a combination of aerosol, masking tape, projected images, and hand-painted graphic illustrations. Ascending staircases and crossing through doorways are symbolic of psychic change and moving to new realms of possibility.
I currently undergo ketamine-assisted therapy for the treatment of clinical depression. Sometimes, the portals appear in different forms during the onset of disassociation caused by the drug. Often, I find myself in a cold and dark cave, and in my art, I have started to explore the idea of caves as portals, rather than architectural archways. Having trouble finding sourced images to mimic my visions, I’ve started using an artificial intelligence text-to-image generator to create illustrations that I can painstakingly project and copy onto canvas. It takes a lot of time fine-tuning the prompts and editing the images until I am happy. There are probably 200 images that get tossed before I find one that works. These images have become the basis for the new batch of paintings. I use a color palette of chartreuse and blue-grey for maximum luminosity, as it gives the images an otherworldly presence. The way the AI images sometimes slightly morph into themselves matches the ineffable quality of my psychedelic experiences with ketamine.
For this show, I am displaying 8-10 of these new works in varying sizes and will likely also include a small group of works from my larger body of work. These supplemental pieces are related tangentially in concept but reflect a long process of developing the colorway for the new paintings.
The Ro2 Art Mission
Ro2 Art is committed to working with artists who push the boundaries of contemporary art, artists whose work has the potential to shape the future of the art world. Rooted in Dallas, we focus on elevating the exceptional talent within our region and beyond, showcasing work that is bold, thought-provoking, and deserving of serious attention from collectors and institutions alike. Since 2010, Ro2 Art has built a reputation for curating exhibitions that engage both the mind and the senses, presenting art that challenges conventional expectations. We proudly represent artists — emerging and established — who are unafraid to take risks and remain steadfast in their vision, offering work that is as enduring as it is impactful. Authenticity and artistic integrity guide everything we do, ensuring that each exhibition resonates on a deeper level. Our dedication to supporting artists in Dallas and beyond is not simply a nod to the local community; it is a recognition of the outstanding work being produced here — work that stands to be part of a global conversation. Ro2 Art is more than a gallery; it is a space where discovery happens, where the next great voice in contemporary art may be found, and where every exhibition offers the chance to experience something truly different.
About Ro2 Art
Ro2 Art is a contemporary fine art gallery based in Dallas’ vibrant Tin District, just west of Downtown. Representing a diverse roster of emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary artists, Ro2 Art presents innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions across multiple disciplines, ranging from painting and sculpture to interdisciplinary works.
Founded in 2010 by Susan Roth Romans and Jordan Roth, Ro2 Art continues to evolve, committed to pushing the boundaries of contemporary art and fostering dialogue around cultural and social themes. The gallery maintains strong ties with organizations such as The MAC and Cedars Union, and is a proud member of Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas (CADD).
Twice named Dallas Observer’s “Best Art Gallery”, Ro2 Art was also honored with the Obelisk Award from the North Texas Business Council for the Arts for its contributions to the cultural landscape. As the gallery evolves, it remains dedicated to engaging both local and global audiences through its dynamic programming and commitment to supporting artists who challenge the status quo. More info: www.ro2art.com
All works will be on view from March 1, 2025 through April 5, 2025. For more information, visit www.ro2art.com, or call Jordan Roth at 214.406.8819
