Category: Art

18 September, 2023

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Art

Nicolas Party Explores Unsettling Landscapes in His New Show ‘Swamp’

There’s something old and familiar in the paintings of Lausanne-born artist Nicolas Party. His new show at Hauser & Wirth New York, simply titled Swamp, feels like wandering through a dream, with tinges of arcane wisdom and occult-esque imagery. His use of pastels, employed at incredibly large scales, and his oil-on-copper paintings, are evocative of pieces you may see in a museum. He’s exploring familiar ground, building off the primal elements of life, and bringing them to life in such a contemporary way.

For me, there’s something so magical about his jewel toned palette that’s extremely alluring, especially the contrast of colors. And of course, playing with scale is always an effective tool for making things feel grandiose and beyond the norm. If you’re in New York, please go see this show for me, it runs until 21 October.

Nicolas Party
Swamp
Hauser & Wirth, 22nd Street
15 September, 2023

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Art

The Patchwork Brilliance of Artist Thomas Campbell

I was talking with a friend yesterday about the art and creative surrounding 90s and early 2000s skateboarding, and he reminded me of someone I hadn’t thought of in a while — Thomas Campbell. A key figure in the “Beautiful Losers” movement, I was always so impressed with Campbell’s ability to dabble in so many mediums. Paintings and ephemera sewn together in abstract quilts (literally), charming hand painted lettering, and pattern-painted ceramics all were part of his creative worldview. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, I’d highly recommend this interview with Campbell by Chloe Roth who goes deep on the artist. He has such a unique POV.
11 September, 2023

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Art

Odd Compositions and Shapes Form the Paintings of Ben Newman

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.
11 September, 2023

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Art

Yuri Mo Renders Everyday Objects Into Prismatic Wonders

This series of objects by Yuri Mo, which have been 3D rendered in a kind of “hyperpop” aesthetic, for lack of a better term, immediately caught my eye. I love how fantastical these are, somewhere between the throwback “transparent everything” trend and if Karan Singh did more acid trip inspired work in 3D. And the complexity of each of the surfaces and how the colors change really blows my mind, this is such beautiful work.
6 September, 2023

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Art

Tim Teven Studio’s Pressure Vases Bring a Dynamic Twist to Your Table

Tim Teven is a Dutch designer who graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2018. He has a technical and material-driven approach to design, and he uses unconventional methods to create functional yet interesting objects. The one that caught my attention, though I’d say all of his work is quite remarkable, are the Pressure Vases he creates.

He’s created an array of these vessels, in a myriad number of sizes and shapes, as well as materials, including stainless steel, chrome, and zinc. It’s fantastic that he’s able to take such mundane materials and give them such an interesting twist. In some cases the forms look almost cartoon-ish, like Wile E. Coyote after a run in with an Acme product gone wrong. Yet an elegance still remains in these pieces, and I can quite clearly imagine how many of these would look with a lovely bouquet of flowers in them.
5 September, 2023

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Art

Abel Macias Builds A Bold Narrative Through Paintings and Murals

Los Angeles painter and muralist Abel Macias is a one of a kind talent. Pulling from both Mexican and southwest American cultures, his art feels like it’s telling a very old tale through a very contemporary language. His work tells stories regardless of application, having done traditional landscapes paintings, or through his more standout efforts, his large-scale murals.

These murals are incredible to see, with my personal favorite living in the entryway of the Proper Hotel. There, his work is like a storybook spread open, a tale of animals and creatures from folk tales, having a conversation with the interior design work Kelly Wearstler. I’ve had the privilege of visiting Abel’s studio and he’s such a rad guy, so down to earth, and so intent on making great work. And I’m super lucky to own one of his paintings, and I can say it’s one of my most precious belongings.
23 August, 2023

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Art

‘Feel The Heat’ by Jon Burgerman at WOAW Gallery

New York-based artist Jon Burgerman has a new series of works up at WOAW Gallery in Singapore titled Feel The Heat. The works are made up of brightly colored, adorable creatures, all started to blend together and press up against each other. The work is filled with all sorts of drippy details, with some of the animals feeling a bit more diffused and languishing than others. This is because the work is meant to highlight a deeper issue:

“The title embodies a clever double entendre of a tongue-in-cheek reference to the ‘hotness’ in Burgerman’s latest work while also poignantly reflects our anxiety towards climate change as our planet grapples with its hottest recorded temperatures. Burgerman’s show goes forth with saturated neon-like colours, reminiscent of heat maps, where his compositions fluidly drip and merge into one another, mirroring the ever-changing state of our environment.”

Stop by if you’re in Singapore, the show is up till 23 September.
8 August, 2023

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Art

Tranquil, Meditative Paintings by Japanese Artist agoera

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.
20 July, 2023

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Art

Akio Nukaga’s “Shapes from the Heart” Ceramic Collection Takes Center Stage at Heath Ceramics

Akio Nukaga returns to Heath Creamics for the 12th year, presenting his collection titled “Shapes from the Heart.” The collection explores form, texture, and color through hand-thrown pieces that combine architecture and sculpture. Each piece is created by stacking spheres, cylinders, and cones into sculptural vessels, resulting in unique architectural designs not commonly found in tableware.

I’m a huge fan of Akio’s work, I wanted to buy a piece of his last year, though the logistics of shipping ceramic pieces halfway around the world stressed me out! This year’s collection is so exquisite. The forms he’s created are so dynamic, and he’s been able to do some really amazing work with the glazes he’s using. The yellow, red, and blue finishes are simply stunning.

If you’re in San Francisco, stop by Heath for the celebration event and sale — Friday, July 21, 5:00pm. And if you’re not, Heath is also giving away a one-of-a-kind piece from the collection, all you need to do is enter your email.
18 July, 2023

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Art

Contemporary Artists Find Inspiration in Florals at ‘LUSH’ Exhibition

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.
17 July, 2023

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Art

Flower Calendar by Miya Ando Uses Public Art for Climate Change Awareness

Artist Miya Ando has created an installation in New York City that uses 72 cloth banners to draw attention to the shift in traditional Japanese seasons caused by climate change. The large-scale banners represent one of the 72 seasons in the Japanese Kō calendar, which was initially developed in the 7th century. Unlike the standard Western calendar, the Kō calendar responds more closely to the natural environment by breaking the 365-day year into seasons of around five days each. The installation aims to highlight the micro-seasons lost to climate change and raise awareness of the impact of climate change on traditional Japanese culture.

“I’m hoping that the public art can serve a function — even just if this calendar exists,” she said. “In the past 100 years, and 1 to 2 degrees of the earth heating up, the planting system is completely off. Geese don’t fly back, frogs don’t sing when they’re supposed to sing. [The Kõ calendar is] a really, really good data source because it’s collected with eyes and real people.…For me, it’s data and information being put forth that is more easily digestible.”

You can experience the installation at Brookfield Place until September 14.
11 July, 2023

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Art

The Warm, Glowing Paintings of Adrian Kay Wong

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.