Guy Hepner Volume 2

V O L U M E

T W O

CONTACT US guyhepner.com guyhepnereditions.com +1 (212) 226 8680

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Cover: Damien Hirst (p. 1-7)

Monday through Friday Saturday by appointment

DAMIEN HIRST

Damien Hirst is a British artist whose name has

viewers, triggering fears of mortality, leaving them

become synonymous with contemporary art. Since

awe-struck by beauty and inciting childlike joy.

his generative work as a student at Goldsmiths School of Art, Hirst’s production has been

Colorful spots, animals seemingly frozen in time,

boundary-redefining in nature. Working primarily

anatomical models of pregnant women, glorious

in installation, painting, sculpture and drawing,

butterfly wings and a skull with 8,601 pavé-set

Hirst explores the complex relationships between

diamonds are some of the defining features of

art, beauty, religion, science, life and death. He

Damien Hirst’s boundary redefining career. Across

constantly returns to his foundational interests and

installation, sculpture, painting and drawing, Hirst

themes, which he reworks to develop an innovative

explores the complex relationships between art,

visual language. Hirst consequently produces works

beauty, religion, science, life and death.

which extract wide-ranging visceral reactions from

© 2022 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. 1 / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

THE JOY OF COLOR

BY DAMIEN HIRST

Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

Damien Hirst explores the relationship between

patterns, Hirst describes himself “pinning down the

colors and their effect on the eye. Butterflies and

joy of color.” In his work, Hirst frequently explores

hand-painted shapes are used to transform the

contemporary belief systems; religion, love, art and

natural into perfect compositions. Through these

medicine.

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Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

His butterfly series is meant to encompass the

generative exhibition in 1991, ‘In and Out of Love’,

aesthetic of life. Even when butterflies are dead,

to his 2020 ‘Rainbow Editions’, Hirst continues to

their vibrancy makes them feel alive. Each butterfly

manipulate the beauty of the butterfly in new and

is also born with a completely unique pattern,

captivating ways.

mimicking the individuality of each human.

Death and mortality remain consistent themes across Hirst’s “Spot” series pertains to modern medicine

Hirst’s oeuvre, admitting ‘I’ve got an obsession

and the strive for human perfection. The

with death…But I think it’s like a celebration of life

arrangement of colors are intentional and satisfying,

rather than something morbid’. Hirst celebrates

making one feel at ease. In these collections,

life through death using butterflies, insects that

Hirst demonstrates how colors are contained and

represent freedom and hope. Remarkably, butterflies

organized affect one’s reaction to them.

remain just as gloriously beautiful in death as they are in life, as proven by the captivating colours

The death of an insect that still has this really

and patterns of the wings that define Hirst’s works.

optimistic beauty is a wonderful thing’, said Damien

As such, Hirst’s butterflies have come to exist as

Hirst of his awe-inspiring butterfly works. From his

uplifting and radiant symbols of mortality.

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Forgotten Thoughts, 2008 Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

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Psalm: Judica Domine, 2015 Psalm: Beatus Qui Intelligit, 2016

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Synonymous with Damien Hirst are his ‘Spots’

work, no two colours are repeated, though some are

paintings, a series of systematically arranged coloured

exceptionally similar. The colours themselves and

spots. Since 1986, Hirst has produced variously sized

the assignment of the colour relations are decided

spots on diversely sized and shaped canvases, from

intuitively, by an aesthetically focused process.

large and rectangular to small parallelograms to wall murals. Nonetheless, within each work, the spots

Despite the orderly, seemingly mechanical nature

remain exactly consistent in size, each distinguishing

of ‘Spots’, the series is nonetheless underpinned by

itself from the next through colour. The result is what

a sense of chaos. Upon closer study the differences

Hirst calls ‘an assault on your senses. They grab hold of

in colours are revealed, destroying any notion of

you and give you a good shaking’.

harmony. Speaking of this effect, Hirst stated ‘in every painting there is subliminal sense of unease; yet the

Hirst’s ‘Spots’ are seemingly mechanical in nature, each

colours project so much joy it’s hard to feel it, but it’s

a pristine, perfect circle. Yet, they are all hand painted

there’.

or, as Hirst says, painted ‘by a person trying to paint like a machine’. The spots are evenly spaced across the

‘Spots’ are an endless series of carefully cultivated

canvases, with no spots touching, in grid formations

works that explore Hirst’s perennial fascination with the

recollective of Hirst’s ‘Pill Cabinets’.

potentials of colour relations. ‘To create that structure, to do those colours, and do nothing. I suddenly got

Too, the arrangement of coloured spots recalls the

what I wanted. It was just a way of pinning down the

logic of household paint charts, each colour slightly

joy of colour’.

different from the previous. Within each ‘Spots’

Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

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Forgotten Thoughts, 2008 Butterflies and household gloss on canvas 68 x 68 in 172.7 x 172.7 cm

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Courtesy of Tyler Shields ©

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TYLER SHIELDS

Tyler Shields is an American photographer,

decadence among many more. His work has an

screenwriter, director and former professional

obscure aspect which invites the spectator to inject

inline skater who has been labeled by some as

their own identity and experience into the artworks.

“Hollywood’s favorite photographer”. He is best

In addition to his Fine Art Photographs, Shields has

known for his unparalleled, controversial, shock

shot campaigns for brands such as Nike, Adidas,

evoking photographs of Hollywood Celebrities.

Playboy, Harley Davidson, and many others. His mediums and outputs vary from books of his works,

Born in 1982 in Jacksonville, FL, Shields began his

such as “The Dirty Side of Glamour” (2011) and

career as a professional inline skater, and competed

“Provocateur” (2017), in addition to solo exhibitions,

in the X Games in ‘99 and 2000, in addition to

as well as completing his first feature-length thriller

touring with Tony Hawk in 2003. Shields became

film “Final Girl” in 2015.

interested in photography and began posting a few of his photographs online. At the age of

Early in his career, Shields achieved recognition by

18, he decided to move to LA in order to pursue

posting his photographs on websites like MySpace.

photography and the arts. Shields’ work employs

“I took a picture of a closet that became really

many themes such as eroticism, torture, and

famous on the internet back in the days when

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Phone Booth Silhouette, 2022 Digital C print 22.5 x 30 inches, 30 x 40 inches, 45 x 60 inches Edition of 3

MySpace first started. A girlfriend cheated on me,

over-the-top, brutal aspects of contemporary celebrity

so I took all her shit and I threw it out,” says Shields.

culture whilst playing with the notions of the role of the

An unknown advertising agency saw this picture,

gaze, hyper-realism and power structures.

purchased it and went on to commission him to shoot an ad campaign. Being in Hollywood, having recently

Shields’ talent goes beyond shock. His unique, sinister

moved to LA, Shields was beginning to understand the

and daring lens through which he composes and

power of social media and the concept of celebrity.

creates his work enables him to push boundaries and

Not only were his photos being bought, but people

experiment with tweaking the Hollywood mystique.

began to want to be featured in Shield’s photographs,

The mystery behind his relationships and habits

“...then the people who I was shooting weren’t famous

captivate the media, not unlike the art world’s best-

but became famous. And famous people started

known friend of the famous, Andy Warhol.

wanting to shoot.” His photographs capture the

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Ferrari High Heel, 2022

Ferrari Legs, 2022

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DUALITY

BY TYLER SHIELDS

Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

Contrast is a reoccurring theme in many of his collections, including Provocateur, The Dirty Side of Glamour, and now, Duality.

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Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

Butterfly, 2018 Digital C print 84 x 63 inches Edition of 3

In one of his most famous pieces, Gator Birkin III,

his photographs. In The Lion Queen, a model is

Shields captures a tug of war between a model and

posed in a full-length gown feeding a lion like a

a crocodile over a Birkin. Shields uses the notorious

common house cat. Shields excels at blurring the

price tag on Birkin bags as a symbol of absurd

line between luxury and savagery.

opulence. Animals, especially predators, frequent

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Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

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Flower Girl, 2021 Digital C print 45 x 45 inches Edition of 3

Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

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Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

On a more subtle note, Pointe shows the slipper-clad foot of a ballerina next to the battered and bruised tissue that gets hidden underneath. The silk shoe the dancer wears invokes the classic image of a neat and elegant ballerina. With the bare foot, Shields shows

the visceral image of the ballerina’s wounds and the unnatural contortion the foot must be in for pointe technique. Pointe encapsulates the opposing nature of ballet – its graceful, feminine image and the brute athleticism it takes to achieve it.

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Courtesy of the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat ©

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JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT Jean-Michel Basquiat was a prominent Brooklyn-

Expressionism, which ushered in a wave of fresh,

born painter of Puerto Rican and Haitian descent.

young and experimental artists. Basquiat’s art

He is best known for his primitive style, his

focused on suggestive dichotomies such as wealth

collaboration with pop artist Andy Warhol, and his

versus poverty, integration versus segregation

part in SAMO (an informal graffiti duo based in the

and inner versus outer experience. He used social

Lower East Side of Manhattan in the late 1970s).

commentary in his paintings as a springboard

With a Haitian-American father and a Puerto Rican

to deeper truths about the individual, as well as

mother, Basquiat’s diverse cultural heritage was

attacks on power structures, and systems of racism.

one of his many sources of inspiration, and he

Furthermore, he brought the issues of colonization,

was acutely aware of his marginalized place in the

racial inequality, and representation into his

world. As a self-taught artist, Basquiat had begun

artwork. The ‘object’ and assemblage also became

drawing at an early age. His mediums ranged from

increasingly important in his work. Basquiat began

poetry, drawing, and painting, often including text,

to alter and remodel everyday objects, such as

abstraction, figuration and historical information into

windows and doors and incorporated them into his

his art.

art. He exhibited around the country and the world.

Basquiat first began working with a close friend,

As his popularity skyrocketed, so did Basquiat’s

they tagged subway trains and Manhattan buildings

personal problems. By the mid-1980s, his friends

with cryptic aphorisms. In 1977, Basquiat quit high

became concerned by his excessive drug use. He

school and went on to sell sweatshirts and postcards

became paranoid and isolated himself from the

featuring his artwork on the streets of New York. In

world around him for long stretches. Desperate to

1980, his work was featured in a group show and he

kick a heroin addiction, he left New York for Hawaii

received critical acclaim for his ability to distill the

in 1988, returning a few months later and claiming

world around him through his unparalleled fusion of

to be sober. Sadly, a few months later, Basquiat died

words, stick figures, and animals. His paintings came

of a drug overdose on August 12, 1988, in New York

to be adored by the public.

City. He was 27 years old.

The expressive style of his work not only associated

Although his art career was brief, Jean-Michel

him with the street art of Keith Haring but also the

Basquiat has been credited with bringing the

Neo-Expressionists. His rise to fame corresponded

African-American and Latino experience in the elite

with the emergence of a new art movement, Neo-

art world.

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FLASH IN NAPLES

BY JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

In June of 2022, The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat announced the release of a new portfolio of four

The Flash In Naples portfolio is a re-release of four of Basquiat’s notable pieces featuring superheros.

hand-pulled screenprints, Riddle Me This, A Panel of Experts, Piano Lesson, and Flash In Naples.

Originally created between 1982-87, the prints are a compilation of Basquiat’s prominent works featuring a variety of American superheroes.

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Flash In Naples, 2022 Hand-pulled Screenprint 40 x 40 inches Edition of 85

Flash In Naples paints superhero, the Flash, in two

can see the word “emblem” has been scrawled and

larger-than-life figures. Originally made in 1983,

scratched over. This is an intentional device used

the piece is celebrated for its vibrant color pallette

by Basquiat. He explains, “I cross out words so you

and intensely painted surface. Basquiat frequently

will see them more: the fact that they are obscured

observed and exaggerated the human body in

makes you want to read them.” Flash In Naples

much of his work. The gridded background and

shows the dynamic mix of chaos and composition

varying scale of the portraits pushes the figures to

signature to the artist.

the forefront. In the upper-righthand corner, one

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PIANO LESSON

BY JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

Piano Lesson (for Chiara) was originally painted by Basquiat in 1983. Batman and Robin are drafted into one of the artist’s sketches amidst a number of anatomical drawings. Basquiat frequently integrated the symbols of childhood and juvenile popular culture with his own real and imagined experiences.

Piano Lesson is a perfect portrayal of the complexity that made up Basquiat’s style. Batman’s suit is marked in a grid of acrylic and oil-stick lattice – a pattern that repeats across the canvas. By mixing simple illustrations with symbols of popular Western culture, he creates subtle moments of more artistic decisions and mark-making.

Piano Lesson, 2022 Hand-pulled Screenprint 40 x 40 inches Edition of 85

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RIDDLE ME THIS

BY JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

Riddle Me This, 2022 Hand-pulled Screenprint 40 x 40 inches Edition of 85

Basquiat created Riddle Me This, Batman in 1987

bat” and creates one-eyed depictions of the Bat

– a year before his death. The piece embodies the

Signal. The Riddler can be seen clutching a bottle

chaotic nature of the artist’s later years. Batman

of alcohol, possibly alluding to Basquiat’s worsening

faces The Riddler and The Joker, scattered with

dependence. The Joker looms to the right,

cryptic words and symbols. As in the original

surrounded by maniacal laughter. In ways, this piece

material, the supervillains possess a twisted sense

can be seen as autobiographical. Basquiat offered a

of humor. In the comics, The Riddler often poses

breath of fresh air in the art world at the time. Like

riddles to Batman, at one point asking, “riddle me

Batman, he became a cultural icon, but his rise to

this, riddle me that, who’s afraid of the big black

status did not come without loss.

bat?” Basquiat takes the idea of the “big black

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A PANEL OF EXPERTS

BY JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

A Panel of Experts, , 2022 Hand-pulled Screenprint 40 x 40 inches Edition of 85

Like many of his other works, A Panel of Experts

stick-figure representation of an actual encounter

shows a glimpse into Basquiat’s personal life and

between two women in a New York nightclub:

psyche. On the importance of this piece, the

Basquiat’s girlfriend Suzanne Mallouk (nicknamed

MMFA writes, “it embodies many of Basquiat’s

Venus) and his lover the singer Madonna, who,

characteristic subjects and techniques, and also

despite the copyright symbol beside her name, was

refers to a specific event in the artist’s personal

not yet a celebrity.” True to his private nature, it also

life. The fistfight at the top of the left rectangle is a

appears much of the scene has been redacted.

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KEITH HARING Keith Haring was born on May 4, 1958 in Reading,

In April 1986, Haring opened the Pop Shop, a retail

Pennsylvania. He developed a love for drawing at a

store in Soho selling T-shirts, toys, posters, buttons

very early age, learning basic cartooning skills from

and magnets bearing his images. Haring considered

his father and from the popular culture around him,

the shop to be an extension of his work and painted

such as Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney.

the entire interior of the store in an abstract black on white mural, creating a striking and unique

Haring moved to New York City and enrolled in the

retail environment. The shop was intended to allow

School of Visual Arts (SVA). In New York, Haring

people greater access to his work, which was now

found a thriving alternative art community that

readily available on products at a low cost. The

was developing outside the gallery and museum

shop received criticism from many in the art world,

system, in the downtown streets, the subways and

however Haring remained committed to his desire

spaces in clubs and former dance halls. Here he

to make his artwork available to as wide an audience

became friends with fellow artists Kenny Scharf

as possible, and received strong support for his

and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as the musicians,

project from friends, fans and mentors including

performance artists and graffiti writers that

Andy Warhol.

comprised the burgeoning art community. Haring was swept up in the energy and spirit of this scene

During a brief but intense career that spanned the

and began to organize and participate in exhibitions

1980s, Haring’s work was featured in over 100 solo

and performances at Club 57 and other alternative

and group exhibitions. In 1986 alone, he was the

venues.

subject of more than 40 newspaper and magazine articles. He was highly sought after to participate in

Between 1980 and 1989, Haring achieved

collaborative projects ,and worked with artists and

international recognition and participated in

performers as diverse as Madonna, Grace Jones, Bill

numerous group and solo exhibitions. Haring

T. Jones, William Burroughs, Timothy Leary, Jenny

completed numerous public projects in the first

Holzer, Yoko Ono and Andy Warhol. By expressing

half of the 80’s as well, ranging from an animation

universal concepts of birth, death, love, sex and war,

for the Spectacolor billboard in Times Square,

using a primacy of line and directness of message,

designing sets and backdrops for theaters and

Haring was able to attract a wide audience and

clubs, developing watch designs for Swatch and

assure the accessibility and staying power of his

an advertising campaign for Absolut vodka; and

imagery, which has become a universally recognized

creating murals worldwide.

visual language of the 20th century.

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Courtesy of the Estate of Keith Haring ©

SUBWAY DRAWINGS

BY KEITH HARING

The subway stops in New York City became a safe haven and stomping grounds of Haring’s art.

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Courtesy of the Estate of Keith Haring ©

Untitled Subway Drawing (Snake Charmer), 1983 White chalk on black paper 49.25 x 66.13 inches Unique

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Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

In 1980, Haring found a highly effective medium that allowed him to communicate with the wider audience he desired, when he noticed the unused advertising panels covered with matte black paper in a subway station. He began to create drawings in white chalk upon these blank paper panels throughout the subway system. Between 1980 and 1985, Haring produced hundreds of these public drawings in rapid rhythmic lines, sometimes creating as many as forty “subway drawings” in one day. This seamless flow of images became familiar to New York commuters, who often would stop to engage the artist when they encountered him at work. The subway became, as Haring said, a “laboratory” for working out his ideas and experimenting with his simple lines.

Haring’s New York subway drawings emphasized a sense of urgency to the issues that were touched upon in each of the tags. The subway drawings created a large following and eventually led Haring to become well known in both the art world as well as the rest of the world.

These subway drawings were a crucial turning point of Haring’s life as an artist. Despite using new materials later on in his career, Haring never fully strayed from his beginnings and continued to use the same figures in each of his pieces, such as the radiant baby, barking dog, and human figure, becoming a signature of his work.

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V O L U M E 1

T W O

CONTACT US guyhepner.com guyhepnereditions.com +1 (212) 226 8680

521 W 26th Street Fourth and Fifth Floor New York, NY 10001

info@guyhepner.com Open to the public 10am - 5pm @guyhepner @guyhepnereditions

Cover: Fanny Brodar (p. 5-13)

Monday through Friday Saturday by appointment

All images copyright of the artists

Courtesy of Fanny Brodar ©

FANNY BRODAR

Fanny studied illustration and has a BFA from The Art Institute of Boston. Her background as an illustrator shows in her work. She is influenced by the playful works of Japanese art, as well as the works of artists like Rose Wylie. She was born in 1971 in Oslo, Norway, grew up in New York, and currently lives and works in Maine.

Fanny’s art is influenced by the playful curiosity of childhood and the simplistic yet expressive characters of artists like Philip Guston.

She loves improvisational theatre, and the way she paints is similar; spontaneously from a thought rather than pre-sketching. This allows the viewer to see hints of her process through exposed pencil marks, paint drips, and deliberate unpainted areas. Fanny starts her paintings by working flat on the floor, layering paint, and then drawing and doodling directly on the canvas turning it upright on stretcher bars or the wall. This also allows her to use her whole body when making the initial gestures.

“I’m a beekeeper, and often include flowers and little monsters in my work. Yoga and meditation are my daily practice. Weaving all of these things together, my paintings become like this euphoric tapestry — an otherworldly, and magical place that I dream of being in. I take care of nature in a very Buddhist-like way; I especially love the tiniest creatures.”

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PARTY TOWN A SOLO EXHIBITION BY FANNY BRODAR

“Where to Mac?” This was the first line of Oscar the Grouch, a reoccuring character in Fanny’s work.

Where to is Party Town, a collision of the 1970s and the 2000s. It is an animated tapestry of memories from childhood, present day pop culture, and the future. Bright colors, child-like marks, and scribbled words invite the viewer to delve deeper into their own nostalgia while also questioning what is real and what is make believe.

Brodar’s muppet-like characters evolved from an escape from a traumatic childhood and represent the many emotions of a child. The artist’s faux naïf paintings lure the viewer into her made-up and magical world, like her childhood bedroom that became whatever she wanted simply by thinking it up. Further, she builds on the nostalgic associations of the audience, presenting monsters that resemble familiar characters from childhood, fashion trends, and pop culture.

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Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

“I’m a beekeeper, and often include flowers and

tapestry — an otherworldly, and magical place

little monsters in my work. Yoga and meditation

that I dream of being in. I take care of nature in a

are my daily practice. Weaving all of these things

very Buddhist-like way; I especially love the tiniest

together, my paintings become like this euphoric

creatures.”

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She loves improvisational theater, and the way she

Fanny starts her paintings by working flat on the

paints is similar; spontaneously from a thought

floor, layering paint, and then drawing and doodling

rather than pre-sketching. This allows the viewer

directly on the canvas, turning it upright on stretcher

to see hints of her process through exposed pencil

bars or the wall. This also allows her to use her

marks, paint drips, and deliberate unpainted areas.

whole body when making the initial gestures.

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J’aime Everyone, 2022 Acrylic, oil stick, and spray paint on canvas 61 x 64 inches

My Stuff, 2022 Acrylic, oil stick, and spray paint on canvas 61 x 64 inches

Mars Roller Derby, 2022 Acrylic, oil stick, and spray paint on canvas 61 x 64 inches

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Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

WORKS ON PAPER Acrylic and oil stick on heavyweight paper Framed in a 1 inch white from with a ¾ inch float 20 x 14 inches (framed)

Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

Don’t Worry Be Happy, 2022

Optimist, 2022

Acrylic and oil stick on canvas

Acrylic and oil stick on canvas

24 x 24 inches

24 x 24 inches

I Love You, 2022

Sugar And Spice, 2022

Acrylic and oil stick on canvas

Acrylic and oil stick on canvas

24 x 24 inches

24 x 24 inches

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DESIGN STORE Guy Hepner is pleased to present a premium marketplace for art and design collectibles.

The Design Store will offer a curated selection of exclusive artist collaborations ranging from functional homeware to aesthetic enhancements designed with the highest quality materials and artistic integrity.

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DINNER PARTY A SPE C I AL C O L L AB O R AT IO N W I TH FAN N Y B R O D AR An exclusive collection of limited edition porcelain

Porcelain

plates based off of the artist’s “Dinner Party” Series.

10.5 inch Dinner Plate

Consisting of six unique plates (measuring 10.5

Edition of 50

inches) - each is adorned with distinctive text and Brodar’s signature characters.

Hunger Is A Good Cook, 2022

Obsessed With Bagels, 2022

Dig In, 2022

Yum, 2022

Live, Love, Eat, 2022

Wine + Dinner = Winner, 2022

INDIVIDUAL: $190

SET OF FOUR: $740

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FULL SET: $1,100

SUPER BLOOM ALLIGATOR E XCLUS IVE C OL L AB O RAT I O N W I T H B RI T TANY FA N N I N G Acrylic serving tray 19 x 13 x 2.25 inches Edition of 25 Engraved signature $225

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REFLECTION SERIES B Y D A N IE L E F O R T UN A “For me the mirror represents a world that is constantly in flux and changing. Never seeing the same reflection

Glass mirror with wall hook Signed and numbered on verso

twice, within it we will always find something different

16.5 inch diameter (Edition of 7) - $700

it with figures from our past allows us to remember where

which in and of itself renders the object unique. Etching we came from but at the same time our own reflection

23 inch diameter (Edition of 5) - $1,200

brings us back to the present, and in the future it will

31 inch diameter (Edition of 3) - $1,700

reflect that which still does not exist.” Daniele Fortuna

Amore e Psiche, 2022

David, 2022

Ninpha, 2022

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Courtesy of Ben Evans ©

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BEN EVANS

Ben Evans’ neo-noir, campy, Los Angeles house paintings reflect the artists’ output of visual stimulation he’s gathered from a rolodex of iconography that is meaningful to him. Whether it be Shelley Duvall, Slim Aarons’ pool photographs, or moms from his hometown “leasing their white Mercedes” the rolodex of imagery creates a visual language in the works unlike anyone else.

The flat colors and oftentimes extreme lighting in the works add to the drama and bluntness of the large-scale paintings. “All the figures I paint are of friends and people who mean so much to me. But I also think that a lot of it is the divine femininity within myself.” Be it religious emblems or glamorous isolation, Evans considers himself a “conductor of imagery.”

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ASTRAL DRIVE A SOLO EXHIBITION BY BEN EVANS

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Astral Drive features characters and scenes from the isloated world of Los Angeles Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

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Astral Drive is a street with a vantage point of all of Los Angeles. You can get to it off of Mulholland Drive and it dead ends on a long winding road to a street sign that reads “end”. I first ended up here when I got lost in LA at 3am. I sat on the hood of my car and smoked a cigarette alone looking at the light pollution on the smog covering West Hollywood.

Since I was young I’ve always had a visceral relationship with places. That night, this locale felt unreal and sad.

Maybe it was me romanticizing something stupid, but it felt surreal and unlike anywhere l’d ever been. I’ve only been back once since that night but its stuck with me for years as a place that I couldn’t put my finger on. The works in this show exist in that realm – specific, but distant. Real, but superficial. Light on the surface, but with dark baggage threaded into the isolationistic atmosphere. I thought a lot of Hopper and Hockney while making these works. I hope for them to exist within the lexicon of Los Angeles as a promised land for artists.

- Ben Evans

Boy In Archway, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 56 x 70 inches

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Front Seat, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 60 x 52 inches

January in LA, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 60 x 52 inches

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Plane Window #1, 2022 Acrylic on canvas 56 x 70 inches

Courtesy of Daniel Kreiger ©

DYLAN MARTINEZ

Dylan’s artwork explores the boundaries of human perception through the manipulation of light, space, and the physical properties of glass. Understanding just how to control molten glass became a major focus for several years of his practice. Martinez’s latest body of work explores techniques in which the viewer is presented with objects which trick the eye, Trompe L’oeil, or use the reflective and refractive properties of glass in configurations which fracture light in dynamic styles, allowing the viewer a moment of playful exploration.

His sculptures are sought after internationally with exhibitions in America, Italy, France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Taiwan, and Singapore. His artwork has been featured in several publications such as Life UK, Elle Decoration UK, American Craft Magazine, Interior Design Magazine, Office Magazine, and Aesthetica Magazine.

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Courtesy of Dylan Martinez ©

(LE FT TO R IGHT)

B113, 2022 Hand blown glass sculpture 15 x 6.25 x 4.75 inches

B108, 2022 Hand blown glass sculpture 10.25 x 5.75 x 4 inches

B112, 2022 Hand blown glass sculpture 13.75 x 6.25 x 4 inches

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GF 46, 2022 Hand blown glass sculpture and hand made ceramic fish 12.5 x 6.5 x 4.25 inches

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GEOFFREY BOUILLOT

​French born artist in Chalon-sur-Saône, Geoffrey Bouillot, currently lives and works in Japan.

His work is evidently informed by these two cultures, and examines a unique dynamic of pop art, cubism, and Italian futurism.

Bouillot is adept at portraiture, still life and interiors.

Bouillot’s work typifies contemporary art culture. It is clean, fresh and chic.

His monochromatic designs burgeon an eclectic blend of minimalism and the ethereal. ​The cultural influences include remnants of Manga, with subjects and composition meticulously separated with clean lines and play on light, achieving harmony and balance between the artists other influential styles; cubism and pop art.

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Courtesy of Geoffrey Buillot ©

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ABOVE: Portrait de Orphnée, 2022 RIGHT: Portrait of Calypso, 2022

The mastery in conjoining such diverse genres is

“Composed of metallic-like stacking cylindrical and

an accomplishment, particularly considering this is

spherical forms, each character morphs nostalgic

achieved using only monochrome hues. It has been

cartoons into unfamiliar forms, speaking to a

said of his work,

collision of culture – from the ancient to the deep future.”

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Courtesy of Jean-Paul Donadini ©

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JEAN-PAUL DONADINI

“I like the idea of ​​a flat surface that becomes dynamic” Jean Paul Donadini is a french painter who was born in Troyes, France, in 1951. He graduated from the Beaux Arts of Nancy in 1973 and the Beaux arts of Paris in 1976.

Currently he works and lives in Paris, and has exhibited extensively in Paris, London, New York, Miami, Chicago, Istanbul, Dubai, Seoul, Singapore and Hong-Kong.

“The painter by definition has a means of expression which is not speech, it is a large dumb man who expresses himself by colored gestures” – Jean-Paul Donadini

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Brosse Arrêtée Blue and Gold, 2022 Acrylic and mixed media on canvas 51.13 x 35.13 inches

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BROSSE ARRÊTÉE

BY JEAN-PAUL DONADINI

Brosse Arrêtée Pink Sur Toile De Jouy, 2021 Acrylic and mixed media on canvas 57.5 x 38.25 inches

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Donadini combines the intentional simplicity of Rothko and Mondrian with the abstract elements of more contemporary artists like Koons and Hirst.

The viewer is able to experience the familiarity of renowned artists in a new sculptural light.

Interest builds gradually until the viewer reaches its peak – the standard painting brush grafted onto the top stroke. This organized pigmenting is reminiscent of Hirst’s spot paintings, but Donadini’s work separates itself with the introduction of a sculptural element.

Much like Rothko’s pieces, beauty can be found in the stroke itself and the singular combination of colors. In many of Donadini’s Brossee Arrêtée pieces, excess paint piles around the tools frozen on the canvas. This gives spotlight to the depth of the painting and the rich layers that lie beneath.

Donadini is classically and versatilely trained. In his extensive career, he’s experimented in surrealism like in the favored print Voyage intime, and Glam’art with his lipstick on canvas piece, Lipstick Marilyn. No matter the medium, Donadini’s pieces are guaranteed to attract and awe anyone who wanders close.

Courtesy of Jean-Paul Donadini ©

Courtesy of Jean-Paul Donadini ©

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Brosse Arrêtée Dégradée Pink, 2022 Acrylic and mixed media on canvas 57.5 x 35.13 inches

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ARTIST ROSTER

WHO

Bibi Lei

WHERE

I am a Portuguese Chinese based in Tokyo

WHY

I get my inspiration from my 5-year-old daughter and my inner child. I imagine this little girl connecting to her fantastical world with bravery and happiness. I also always relate my daughter and myself being inside my painting and taking this mischievous adventure with my little girl character.

HOW

I paint like a child, brave and free. So I directly paint on canvas without a planned sketch. I lay out bunches of paints in front of me. I feel colors having these energies dancing around me, allowing my intuitions to get the best of me, then I use my fingers, hands, and brushes to finish every work.

WHEN

My favorite art moment is when Guy Hepner invited me back in February 2022 for my first collaboration to showcase my works in NYC. That was when I just painted a series in that I felt the most freedom. And caring less about what people want or like. I was just being who I am. Guy Hepner NYC was the first gallery from the west to invite me for the opportunity, which has opened many doors for me in the future. I was very grateful, humbled, and happy being who I am can be loved by many out there.

WHO 2.0

Van Gogh

WHO

Blake Jones

WHERE

Chicago

WHY

I think its hard to pinpoint down exact inspirations as a tangible thing.

For myself it can be anything from a color palette I see that I think I can experiment with and create a story or mood with, to a random song I hear that just almost instinctively makes me get up and start drawing.

HOW

Where Im at with my work now I try not to limit myself to just using this material or this material, I used to be very neurotic about my whole process like OK this is all watercolor or this is all acrylic on canvas, they all have to be the same brand paint, brush, paper, etc but as I’ve been letting myself experiment more and more I’m doing everything from graphite, acrylic, oil pastel, chalk, spray paint, whatever I think gets the job done in the moment that I can look at and be happy with.

WHEN

My best moments are when I just let my expectations melt away, a lot of artist will alway say a piece is never finished or stress themselves out and be there on harshest critics and sometimes you just have to let it go. “ I do everything by hand... Even if I’m doing really big letters and I spend a lot of time going over the line and over the line and trying to make it straight, I’ll never be able to make it straight. From a distance it might look straight, but when you get close up, you can always see the line waver. And I think that’s where the beauty is.” - Maragret Kilgallen

WHO 2.0

Barry Mcgee will always have to be my number one, picking even just a top 20 would be difficult but his work was the first art I saw as a younger teen that really resonated with me. I saw it and instantly wanted to sit down and just start drawing on anything and everything.

WHO

Cosmic Cowboy

WHERE

London

WHY

Most of our inspiration comes from cartoons, comic books, and street art – things that relate to reality but are never limited by it. The CC20 characters are a manifestation of that. Cowboy Vincent is inspired by our favourite Australian cowboy whilst Fearless Girl and Little Red Riding Hood are the female heroines we wish we’d had grown up with. They reflect on human emotions, from being fearless, bored or heartbroken. The characters are colourful versions of reality and represent CC20’s true identity.

HOW

Through simple drawings and rough sketching, we create detailed painting and line drawings that embody movement on canvas. Shapes and characters are filled with bright, saturated colors – always outlined in black.

WHEN

One morning we woke up to a message from someone who passed our ‘Hello’ painting at the Takeuchi gallery in Kyoto. He had been a fan of our work so for him to unexpectedly stumble upon Cosmic Cowboy halfway across the world was incredibly special.

WHO 2.0

Keith Haring. The way his art feels as fresh and relevant today as it did back then never ceases to amaze us.

WHO

Emilie Liu

WHERE

Brooklyn, NY

WHY

My dog Jupiter, encounters of the fun things in the city, the nature

HOW

Abstract with Acrylic, Oil Pastel, and Oil Paintings.

WHEN

Whenever I’m painting on canvas, nothing beats the feeling of creating texture with a paint brush.

WHO 2.0

Misaki Kawai

WHO

Gregory Thielker

WHERE

Geneva, Switzerland and New York City

WHY

My paintings are a meditation on what we see while driving in the rain.

Water on the windshield distorts what’s outside into shapes and colors, yet the feeling of the pounding rain seen from the car is unmistakable. Each moment is different, yet the feelings are familiar.

HOW

The paintings are oil on linen and done through a series of slow, translucent layers of paint. Each canvas can take several months to complete.

WHEN

I am amazed that the photographs that I take while driving hold a kind of secret into the experience I had while driving. Each one seems entirely its own, even though they represent moments so close in time. The water moves in ways that I cannot anticipate and so each time I paint water, it is a new experience.

WHO 2.0

Gerhard Richter

WHO

Johan Deckmann

WHERE

Copenhagen, Denmark

WHY

Everywhere I encounter human behavior.

HOW

I write and illustrate on canvases, books and different objects using a brush or a tusch.

WHEN

For me Yves Klein’s photograph “Leap Into The Void” beautifully illustrates the faith that is required when creating something honest and showing it to the world.

WHO 2.0

Claes Oldenburg

WHO

Odibo Odiabhehor Joseph

WHERE

Lagos , Nigeria

WHY

I get my inspiration from my environment capturing people (mostly people of African descent), their thoughts and emotions. I assume art is sort of a unique universe of its own. Hence, the portraits of my works give the viewer a sense of stare or look-back, even from different angles. It also gives the viewer a sense of looking back at themselves, imagining that we too are works of art or possibly in a simulation.

HOW

I would not categorically place my works under any method or style, except I paint according to my mood... And I use my art as a channel to express myself. I use mostly charcoals and acrylics.

WHEN

Whenever I realize that my art has positive effect on people, and sometimes when they show their appreciation

WHO 2.0

Kehinde Wiley