Art
Karola Pezarro Conjures Hidden Thoughts and Emotions Through Gauzy Embroidered Portraits
Through gossamer embroidered portraits, Karola Pezarro visualizes entangled webs of emotions and thoughts. The artist works on a sewing machine to render figures with myriad preoccupations that swell and trail in colorful forms, arising from their bodies as hats, blooms, and even faces. Pezarro feels a sense of remove from the characters in her works, which she considers almost autonomous, as if they emerged from thread of their own accord.
Often interacting and congregating in groups that sprawl across gallery walls, the figures conjure memories that overlap and entwine. The artist is interested in the relationship between our inner and outer experiences and the hidden realities, joys, and worries we carry with us as we move through the world. Together, the portraits convey an “awareness of the incomprehensible. They are about a very personal world,” she tells Colossal. “Often several ‘figures’ are put together. This creates a tension in the work, a sense of narrative or atmosphere.”
The woven forms are porous, layering on top of and entangling with each other in delicate compositions. “I love the fragility and stubbornness of thread. Irregularities and imperfections are always present. They are meaningful to me,” the artist says “Where a ‘figure’ first appears in a quick drawing, the slow process of embroidery adds depth and focus.”
Pezarro recently returned to her home in The Hague following a residency in Udaipur, India. Get a glimpse of that trip and find an archive of her work on Instagram.
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Art
Banksy’s New Tree Mural Dramatically ‘Greenwashes’ the Side of a London Building
In Finsbury Park, London, a new Banksy mural appeared on the side of a wall behind a recently pollarded tree. Installed on St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday marked by the color green, the painting features a caveman-like figure holding a sprayer, standing beneath a swath of vibrant paint. Characteristic of Banksy’s work (previously), the piece carries several meanings that relate to current social and political issues.
Perhaps foremost among the jabs Banksy may be making in this work is at the corporate practice of greenwashing, a misleading strategy large industries employ to communicate how “green” their practices are. Banksy foregrounds a dramatically cut-back tree, highlighting a pruning method that forces denser growth on lower branches to call attention to the way humans assert control over their surroundings and how nature needs us instead to allow it to rebound and heal.
See more on Banksy’s Instagram.
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Art Illustration
Elaborate Fragments of Line and Color Transform into Bodies and Landscapes in Lui Ferreyra’s Vibrant Compositions
The deceptively simple power of line and color comes into full force in Lui Ferreyra’s paintings and colored penciled drawings (previously). “I’ve been drawn to the figure and the human face from the beginning,” the artist tells Colossal. “The real subject matter of the work, however, is the breakdown of visual information itself.”
Puzzle-like compartments, which the artist describes as a “coarse-grain deconstruction of visual information,” fit together to highlight realistic body parts or dramatic scenery. Ferreyra is interested in the idea of gestalt, a term often often associated with the adage, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” and used in psychology to describe the way that human behavior and the mind are interconnected.
Initially, Ferreyra focused exclusively on human features, but over the past decade and a half, he has expanded his practice to include landscapes and portraits of animals. “I’ve really been drawn to reflections for the past few years—mirror images,” he says. “Often, even if the landscape doesn’t have a lake, I’ll create a made-up reflection… I seem to always change my approach and try something new.” For example, in “Axis Mundi 3,” he implemented a ripple pattern in the water, which was challenging to execute but adds a realistic sense of movement and distortion.
A few years ago, Ferreyra began incorporating neon colors into his compositions, which visually pop on the surface in relation to pastels or more saturated hues, and the artist continues to experiment with a tighter, more complex breakdown of shapes.
Explore more work on on Ferreyra’s website, purchase prints and original drawings in his shop, and follow updates on Instagram.
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Sponsor
The Other Art Fair Chicago 2024: A Diverse Palette of Creativity, Connection, and Surprises
Art is in the air. The Other Art Fair returns for its sixth Chicago edition, taking place April 11 to 14 at Artifact Events in Ravenswood. Happening across a bustling art scene weekend, this is where you can buy directly from artists.
Unlike traditional gallery fair settings where art can feel inaccessible, The Other Art Fair encourages attendees to connect with 110 handpicked independent artists in person, gaining insight into their creative processes and inspirations.
Beyond the captivating visual feast, attendees will experience a dynamic program featuring performances, live DJ sets, food trucks, an edible installation by Chicago’s own Hyun Jung Jun of Dream Cake Test Kitchen curated by Colossal (Opening Night only), and inflatable sculptures by artists Matthew Hoffman and Claire Ashley.
For an added element of surprise, visitors can participate in this year’s Art Swap Shop allowing participants to bring in original art and trade it for another piece of art. The catch? You won’t know what you’re swapping for until you get it!
Ahead of the main event, we’re highlighting five pairings of artists based on shared themes, offering a look at the diverse range of artistic practices at this year’s fair.
Abstract Artists Working in Thread
Intrigued by mixed media, Deanne Rieves weaves acrylics, brush strokes, chalk, and colored pencil lines. With free-motion machine embroidery, she creates tactile pieces, aiming to balance strength and fragility.
Chicago artist Jillian Tackaberry, known for precision in geometric elements and gestural ink drips, creates depth in balanced dualism through her abstract brush strokes.
Artists Working With Major Names
Elena Gatti is a Chicago artist who shares a world of words, animals, color, and human experiences while exploring mental health, well-being, and dreams to connect and bring joy to others. Inspired by her folky style, Harry Styles used her designs for his tour merch.
Self-taught Chicago artist EDO (Eddie Santana White) navigates multiple disciplines with his style, “Infinite Inception.” From urban fashion collaborations to impactful exhibitions, he envisions healing and inspiring the world through creativity. He most recently collaborated with KITH and The Arte Haus for their 2024 Artist Series Capsule.
Fair Favorites Where the Brushstroke Reigns Supreme
Ann Arbor artist Ellen Sherman explores personal folklore through acrylic, wood, and cut-up canvas. Her work, in collections worldwide, delves into identity, authenticity, and human experience.
Abstract painter Gina Gaetz explores discovery, growth, and stillness through water-based mediums. Her meditative process invites adaptability, creating dreamlike works intended to soothe the mind and foster contemplation.
Landscape Photographers New to the Chicago Fair
Multidisciplinary artist Monica Griffin captures the essence of natural landscapes through carefully composed paintings and photography, invoking wonder while advocating for environmental appreciation and action.
Matthew O’Shea distills solo travel landscapes, capturing distance, atmosphere, and monumental forms. His goal is to create meditative artwork for homes and workplaces through thoughtful photography.
Tender Queer Subject Matter
Queer Saint Louis-born painter Arthur Sangster explores queer sexuality, identity, and relationships, addressing themes like loss, trauma, interracial situationships, and self-discovery in his impactful, themed paintings.
Gyan Samara, a seasoned fauvist-realist painter, celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and the male form through vibrant acrylic marker works on handmade paper or clayboard.
See work by all these artists and more at The Other Art Fair’s Chicago edition on view April 11 to 14.
Grab your tickets for an unforgettable weekend at theotherartfair.com.
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Art
Unearthly Characters Populate Spencer Hansen’s Salvaged Universe
Sporting pinecone-esque suits or masks with gilded antennae, the alien creatures that surface in Spencer Hansen’s Bali workshop appear to be both of this world and not. The artist (previously) recycles familiar, natural materials like wood, fur, and bone, envisioning mysterious but friendly characters with skeletal features and chiseled bodies. Ranging from a few inches high to life-sized, the uncanny sculptures are part of an ever-growing universe salvaged from the scraps of waste materials.
Some of the characters shown here will be on view for Hansen’s next solo show Tethered Worlds at Skye Gallery in New York. A statement about the exhibition describes his childhood as a major influence on this body of work, explaining:
Spencer was born in rural Idaho, the youngest of eight children. As a child, he found solace in daydreaming. His imagination offered relief from the confusing stories that knit together his family’s deep religious beliefs. He formed his own narratives in a world he belonged to, an internal landscape inhabited by creatures. His world shaped by stories, so closely tied to his identity, is the foundation of his sculptural works.
Tethered Worlds runs from April 4 to May 18. Until then, head to Instagram to explore more of his work.
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Colossal Design Nature
Puzzle Out Eight Hidden Sea Creatures Within Nervous System’s New Jellyfish Dreams Jigsaw
For reasons unclear to us, a group of jellyfish is called a “smack,” perhaps due to the walloping pain produced by an aquatic rendezvous with some of the tentacled species. But fear not. Plunge into a dark, nighttime sea with a new puzzle from Nervous System that hides eight marine creatures within an entangled smack of harmless jellyfish.
The vibrant jigsaw contains 173 pieces, eight of which are playful whimsies that create a kind of hide-and-seek adventure. Handmade in the Nervous System studio in The Catskills, Jellyfish Dreams puzzle, along with a few other Nervous System miniatures, are now available in the newly re-launched Colossal Shop. And if you’re a Colossal Member, grab the code in your account for 10 percent off.
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Editor's Picks: Design
Highlights below. For the full collection click here.