Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Preview: “Storybook” Group Exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery

There is a world of hidden meaning in classic children's literature that dates back centuries. Tales like Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland explore dark and sometimes violent themes, in counterpart to the friendlier The Cat in the Hat and Winnie-the-Pooh. These stories provide the inspiration of Modern Eden Gallery's upcoming group show "Storybook: An Art Journey Through Childhood" opening on April 25th. Curated by the Warholian's Michael Cuffe, the exhibition features over 65 artists including Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Ciou, Jana Brike, Leilani Bustamante, Steve Chmilar, Aunia Kahn, Edith Lebeau, Calvin Ma, David Natale, Lori Nelson, Richard James Oliver, Peca, Michael Ramstead, Isabel Samaras, Erika Sanada, Hannah Yata, just to name a few.


Jana Brike

There is a world of hidden meaning in classic children’s literature that dates back centuries. Tales like Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland explore dark and sometimes violent themes, in counterpart to the friendlier The Cat in the Hat and Winnie-the-Pooh. These stories provide the inspiration of Modern Eden Gallery’s upcoming group show “Storybook: An Art Journey Through Childhood” opening on April 25th. Curated by the Warholian’s Michael Cuffe, the exhibition features over 65 artists including Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Ciou, Jana Brike, Leilani Bustamante, Steve Chmilar, Aunia Kahn, Edith Lebeau, Calvin Ma, David Natale, Lori Nelson, Richard James Oliver, Peca, Michael Ramstead, Isabel Samaras, Erika Sanada, Hannah Yata, just to name a few. Remaining faithful to the core themes of their subjects, their images range from the innocent to horrific. Jana Brike’s interpretation of Beauty and the Beast, is both. Her portrait of a child-like beauty is coupled with a nightmarish black figure that foreshadows her fate in the story. Michael Ramstead portrays the main protagonists of Charlotte’s Web in profile, rather than engaged with eachother. In the book, both characters act in self-interest; Wilbur has a persistent concern for his own life, while Fern grows up and eventually stops visiting the barn. Take a look at these and other works in the show in our preview below.


Michael Ramstead


Richard J Oliver


Steve Chmilar


Peca


Lori Nelson


Jasmine Becket Smith


Erika Sanada


Edith Lebeau

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
March 14th marks the third solo show for San Francisco based surrealist Leilani Bustamante (covered here) at Modern Eden Gallery, "Haunt". Her work often voices themes of mortality exploring elements of death, rebirth, and beauty. Inspired by Robert W. Chambers' supernatural story "The King in the Yellow", her show offers newly haunting, romanticized scenes that follow an abstract narrative. In the story, characters such as artists and decadents are followed by an ominous entity known as "The Yellow King" which induces fear and slowly leads to the unraveling of their self identity. They are further plagued by the theme, "Have you found the Yellow Sign?", an eerie symbol of nonhuman origin and purpose that is never fully explained.  
A gift is more than just a gift. Rather, a gift is a little way that we can express our 'biggest' feelings for others. This philosophy is at the heart of Haven Gallery's upcoming exhibition, "Little Big", showcasing 8x10 inch "gift-sized" works by a selection of international artists. Opening on November 21st, "Little Big" will feature new works by Michael Ramstead, Sarah Joncas, Lauren Marx, Meredith Marsone, Brian Mashburn, Chris Mars, Josie Morway, Jessica Gordon, Genevive Zacconi, Dilkabear, and Christina Mrozik, just to name a few. Their works are as varied in theme as their styles, with motifs of the season as we enter these winter months.
In the simplest terms, San Francisco-based painter Emilio Villalba creates portraits. Yet, these works are crafted at a crossroads of two influences, as cited by the artist: master works and the human condition. As a traditional portrait can captivate with the subject’s eyes, your own gaze must adjust first to the distorted points of entry in works like “Disorder,” above. In a past artistic statement, Villalba says his work is what happens when “the familiar is fractured and distorted by outside influence.”
The enchanting yet eerie ceramic sculptures of San Francisco based artist Erika Sanada were first featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 31. In that feature, we included works from her previous showing at Hi-Fructose Vol. 31, "Odd Things", where the artist touched upon themes of newborn innocence and death. She returns to the gallery on August 15th with an uplifting new series, "Fighting Spirit". In our recent studio visit with Sanada, she shared with us the personal inspiration behind the series where she seeks to defeat her own anxiety.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List