A 15 artist exhibition celebrating all things “pa•per”, and this isn’t even half of them! From insane paper-cutting pieces and embossed bodies, to ‘knife drawings’ and found image collage… Paradigm Gallery in Philadelphia has put together an exciting and eclectic show titled, yes, “pa•per” , and I am beyond thrilled to be one of the artists in this stellar lineup. Here’s a little more info about this upcoming exhibition:

“Though paper is often thought of as craft material, Jason Chen’s exhibition, pa•per, tries to re-contextualize the medium by showcasing 15 artists who use nontraditional techniques to elevate it. Artists participating in pa•per include: Kanako Abe, Daria Aksenova, Joey Bates, Albert Chamillard, Colette Fu, Lizzie Gill, Sally Hewett, Danielle Krysa, Rosa Leff, Huntz Liu, Ryan Sarah Murphy, Marianne R. Petit, Lucha Rodríguez, and Nayan & Vaishali. The gallery is known for working with established and emerging paper artists, but pa•per’s lineup is fresh and unexpected.” 

The show opens THIS Friday, April 26, 2019 from 5:30 – 10pm, and will be on view until May 18. Go, okay? Thanks! ♥

Jaw. Drops. 

This insane sculpture of an Italian facade being unzipped (!?) was just unveiled at Milan Design Week by British sculptor Alex Chinneck (in partnership with IQOS.) And, apparently, he’s not quite finished! On his Instagram feed yesterday, Alex writes, “This is the most ambitious work I’ve ever made – and there are two more to come. See it at Via Tortona 31 all this week.” Insane.

*Photographs by Marc Wilmot

Oh, HELLO perfectly perfect two-person show! I have written about both of these artists, but never together … clearly, that needs to be corrected! Yes, the mysterious and crystal-filled work of Canadian painter Rebecca Chaperon, and American artist/jewelry designer Debra Baxter will be shown together at Roq La Rue Gallery in Seattle. The side-by-side shows open this Thursday, April 11th 6-9pm … and speaking of side-by-side, both Rebecca and Debra will be there. You should go too.

Okay, that Godzilla girl, aka “Blowing Smoke”, is everything! ♥ These pieces are the work of American / Amsterdam based artist Mando Marie. They’re also part of a group show, titled Spotlight: Stencil, that opens tomorrow night {Saturday April 6th 6-8pm} at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York. I have written about Mando so many times, and I’m not stopping any time soon! That said, I’ve never seen her work in person, so if you’re in New York please go to this show so I can live vicariously through you. Thank you.

All artists in the show: Eelus, Jana & JS, Joe Iurato, Mando Marie, OakOak, Penny

Ceramic ‘Happy Meals’ … LOVE. These pieces are the work of Mexican artist Ana Gómez, and are all part of her “Disposables” series. Here is part of the description of this work from her website:

Consumption as a synonym of happiness. The disposable as synonymous with modernity. The adoption of new habits as an illusion of progress. Three ideas that shaped, almost unconsciously, a consumer society after the war. Three ideas that, almost consciously, are suggested in the work – and the discourse that sustains it – that Ana Gómez presents to us in Disposable .
Knowing the role of food in the game of added value of consumption-in which the nutritious and healthy go to the background-Ana Gómez dissects our relationship with food and how it has been transformed from its Good interchangeability condition. A cultural, economic and nutritional exchange that, while leaving behind tons of garbage, children and adults with overweight problems and the perception that “for four pesos more” one feeds better with “potatoes and large soft drinks”, allows Ana Gómez to play with the idea that these waste, physical and emotional, can also be transformed and transited in the same plane in which consumption moves: the symbolic. 

If you happen to be in the Bay Area in the next few months, you can see some of these pieces in “Tradition Interrupted” at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, CA. The show runs from April 11 until June 23, 2019.

Stunning photographs, no? NO, because THEY’RE OIL PAINTINGS! I’ve written about the hyper-real work of Australian painter Victoria Reichelt before, but these new pieces are very timely both figuratively and literally… the subject matter, of course – from “Takeaway Horror” to “Corrugated Horror”- speaks to current eco issues, AND all four of these pieces happen to be hanging at Art Basel Hong Kong right now, through this weekend. If you’re there, look for This Is No Fantasy,  the Australian gallery that represents Victoria’s work.

Each tiny show starts off with an opening reception, where anywhere between 200-500 people wait in line to check out the tiny art, meet the artist, and snack on miniature treats. Since this project began in October of 2018, every single one of our eight shows have sold out.

*photos found on their Instagram feed, taken by various people 

Oh my word… she’s looking into my soul. This is the beautiful and surreal work of Parisian born, New York based artist Patrick Pietropoli. His latest show, titled ‘Coincidences’ , opens this Saturday March 23 at Hugo Galerie in New York. Here are their words about Patrick and his work:

“Pietropoli was a teacher of political studies for several years before becoming a professional artist. Trained as both a painter and a sculptor, his oil paintings on linen have both an antique feel and a very contemporary freeness. Drawing inspiration from the style of old masters such as Titian and Velasquez, Pietropoli creates grand figural compositions and cityscapes. With small amounts of paint and restricted palette, he brings an intimate texture and space to his paintings. His nudes capture a moment in time where he defines the relationship between form and freedom.”

The show runs until April 21, 2019.

Gasp! I love everything about this… lips on legs and play-dough like shapes on a grand scale? Yes, yes, YES. I wrote about the fabulous work of Japanese born, San Francisco based artist Masako Miki way back in 2013 and in 2011, but my goodness, the evolution of her work is astounding! If you happen to be in the Bay Area, she has a gorgeous show installed at BAMPFA – Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive – right now (install shot above). Here are a few words about “MATRIX 273”:

 “Her current work is “inspired by the idea of animism from the Shinto belief of yaoyorozu no kami [eight million gods] who are both good and evil with a wide range of personalities.” In defining this world of shifting boundaries, Miki creates larger-than-life-size, felt-covered forms drawn from the Japanese folk belief in yokai [shape-shifters] who can disguise themselves in any number of different forms. Miki creates the semi-abstract, sculptural forms utilizing brilliant colors and sets them into a magical environment suggesting another reality. The installation moves from the three-dimensional forms to abstract images on the floor and walls, conveying a sense of expanding boundaries.”

The show will be open until April 28, 2019. Happy Monday.

Um, yes, I need to go here immediately! This insanely beautiful, treehouse-looking fantasy is an art gallery in Mexico. That’s right, I said gallery. IK LAB, is a piece of art in itself {which, btw, was originally co-initiated by Santiago Rumney Guggenheim, the great grandson of Peggy Guggenheim} … okay, this just keeps getting better! Seriously, if you go to Tulum take a break from yoga on the beach, and GO HERE. IK LAB Tulum – along with its sister site, IK LAB Uh May – is a holistic center for human vision and evolution created in the jungle of Tulum by Roth (Eduardo Neira), social entrepreneur and founder of Azulik.