Shanlin Ye & KAORUKO “On the Verge”
Jim Kempner Fine Art
This event has ended.
Jim Kempner Fine Art presents a two person exhibition of paintings by Shalin Ye and KAORUKO.
Shanlin Ye creates figurative watercolors that explore the coarse, imperfect and aberrant side of human existence. Seeking to express the natural beau- ty of the female body in exuberant moments of daily life, Shanlin utilizes the reflective and ethereal nature of watercolor to depict these ephemeral moments. On exhibit will be selections from her Day Dreamer series, a se- ries of colorful figurative works featuring unusual scenes of individual lives, each depicting a sweet secret, hidden desire or wild fantasy. There will also be works from her Reflection series, a series of black and white portraits that explore the mysteries of the human face. In a representational abstract style, Shanlin superimposes finely detailed patterns and images over emo- tionally charged portraits. Born in China and now living in St. Louis, Ye’s work was recently selected as a national juried competition winner for Paperworks 2017, selected by juror Akili Tommasino, Curatorial Assistant at the Museum of Modern Art.
Former teenage pop star KAORUKO explores the identity of Japanese women at a crossroad between traditional and contemporary life. In her paintings she depicts languid women in contemporary domestic spaces, set against traditional kimo-
no patterned backgrounds. She uses silkscreen to copy the 300 year old kimono patterns. Expressing feminism as a positive element in her work, the paintings in this exhibition reference pop culture and traditional Ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock printing, which uses flat, defined areas of color and subtle color gradation. Her images celebrate the strength and determination of the Japanese idol (pop singers), subverting the fragility and cuteness of female sexuality that is preferred in Japa- nese society. Born in Nagoya, Japan, she currently lives in New York.
Media
Schedule
from June 17, 2017 to July 23, 2017
Opening Reception on 2017-06-17 from 15:00 to 18:00