• Bjørn Lie is a Norwegian artist creating what he calls “Flamboyant Flowers,” a series he started at the beginning of 2023. He describes the series as “a vehicle for me to play and experiment with mark making, to appropriate and reassemble patterns and shapes from as many different sources of inspiration as possible.” The results are similar to botanical illustrations except they’re filled with trippy patterns and textures, creating over-the-top, otherworldly flora.

    Bjørn Lie - Flamboyant Flowers
    Bjørn Lie - Flamboyant Flowers
    Bjørn Lie - Flamboyant Flowers

  • The ever-inventive Christoph Niemann has released a 2024 calendar called “On The Road II”, featuring a series of pieces of Niemann made of iconic locations. The calendar is meant to be a minimal in it’s presentation of information, only the month and location are jotted on the bottom of each. I assume most people use Google Calendar at this point, so you can think of this calendar as a piece of art that helps mark the passage of time. It helps justify the steep price tag, €120 each, so you may want to consider this an investment for future you, who will have twelve beautiful pieces of art framed around your home.

    "On the Road II," A New Calendar from Christoph Niemann
    "On the Road II," A New Calendar from Christoph Niemann
    "On the Road II," A New Calendar from Christoph Niemann
    "On the Road II," A New Calendar from Christoph Niemann
  • “Why is a painting dry?”

    This is the sort of thesis for Akiko Nakayama’s “alive paintings” where she combines different liquids combined with projectors to bringing painting to life. The stills of her work look like galaxies or alien micro-organisms, while her live work is like a fascinating journey through an alien universe. I’m so impressed by the way that she’s been able to figure out, I’m assuming through trial and error, how to manipulate these liquids to do such extraordinary things, while also putting on a captivating show at the same time. Be sure to watch the video below in it’s super high-res, full-screen glory for the optimal experience.

    Akiko Nakayama - Alive Paintings
    Akiko Nakayama - Alive Paintings
    Akiko Nakayama - Alive Paintings
  • Ben Newman is a UK-based illustrator and artist who’s primary work is focused on illustrations for children’s books and toys. Yet, I want to focus on his newly burgeoning fine art that began to crop up in late 2022. The pieces are somewhere between paintings and assemblage, with random shapes building together in some fascinating ways. He’s created pieces that seem to focus on the macro, lots of circles and blobs and triangles coming together in a chaos of shapes, as well as the micro, seemingly close-up details of larger compositions which are equally as delightful.

    Painting by Ben Newman
    Painting by Ben Newman
    Painting by Ben Newman
    Painting by Ben Newman
  • A lot of art, inherently, is about memories. Things seen and remembered, and then recorded through a medium, be it words, clay, or paint. In the work of Japanese painter agoera, it feels like you’re quite truly viewing a memory from his life, like a snapshot from a movie. Born in Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken, Japan, and currently residing in Kanagawa, he graduated from Tama Art University in Tokyo with a degree in, surprising to me, graphic design. On the other hand, his sense of composition is spot-on, so perhaps it helped to set a foundational understanding. I find his work to be so lovely, little snippets of life captured in the dreamiest ways.

    The art of Japanese painter, agoera
    The art of Japanese painter, agoera
    The art of Japanese painter, agoera
    The art of Japanese painter, agoera
  • Throughout time, flowers and plants have inspired artists from all genres and cultures. Currently on view at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York is LUSH, a group show curated by Jennifer Rizzo inspired by flowers. Featuring over three dozen artists, the exhibit features contemporary takes on the timeless inspiration of florals. The work is really diverse, lots of different styles and unique takes. If you’re in NYC you should pop by and take a look.

    Cha Yuree, Bundle, 2023 — Lush Group Exhibition — Hashimoto Contemporary, New York
    Casey Gray, Still Life with Flowers, 2023 — Lush Group Exhibition — Hashimoto Contemporary, New York
    Annie Duncan, Looking Glass, 2023 — Lush Group Exhibition — Hashimoto Contemporary, New York
    Zack Rosebrugh, Imagine Still Life, 2023 — Lush Group Exhibition — Hashimoto Contemporary, New York
  • I’m such a fan of Salman Toor, I’ve written about his work many times at this point, and so I was happy to see that Art21 had created a video interview with him. Before this, I hadn’t actually seen Toor speaking, and it was fascinating getting to see him exist, and hear him talk about his work. He captures such an interesting world of queer friendships, as well as the stresses and anxieties of being queer in such a turbulent time in the US. Anyhow, I really like being able to see a glimpse behind the curtain of creatives and this is a really lovely profile.

  • We’re in the throws of summer here in Barcelona, with temperatures nearing 30º and a potent humidity. The warm, balmy weather makes me think of the paintings of Adrian Kay Wong, who’s ability to capture the warmth of sunlight is breathtaking. The tones of color he selects immediately make me think of warm, languishing sunsets, and his ability to capture the contrast in tones is quite a feat. There’s a quiet magic to his pieces, and when you take the time to look a little closer, you’ll notice small details you may have missed at first glance, like a martini or stick of incense.

    Panting by Adrian Kay Wong
    Panting by Adrian Kay Wong
    Panting by Adrian Kay Wong
    Panting by Adrian Kay Wong
  • I bumped into the work of Zack Rosebrugh and was pleasantly surprised when I dug further into his work. A self-taught artist based in Los Angeles, he creates these pleasing compositions that feel very graphic at their core. Lots of flat planes given life through tasteful color combinations that bring depth and movement to the pieces. I would highly recommend following his Twitter, you’ll get a charming look at his process and sketches. Always nice to see how such graceful art is made.