Olaf Hajek’s acrylic tableaux are globe-trotting, combining icons and textures of varying cultures. A recent body of work shown at Southern Guild in Cape Town, titled “Paravent,” collects these recent works on wood. Hajek was last mentioned on HiFructose.com here.
“The works on show were all painted by Olaf during a recent residency in Cape Town, which he calls his ‘second home and addiction,’” Southern Guild says. “Grouped in pairs, they tell different stories that reference myths, folklore and dreams. The Big Globe, for example, is inspired by old taxidermy objects but here the birds have come to life as they try to escape the threat of a snake. In its partner painting, Departure, all the decorative elements come to life as they embark on an unknown journey.”
See more of Hajek’s recent work below.
In Louie Cordero’s surreal and riveting paintings, the artist’s command of texture and mood sets his work apart. Cordero, hailing from the Philippines, is currently featured in a group show at Gallery Poulsen titled “Inoperative Halo,” along with painter Eric White and sculptor Jud Bergeron. (The show runs through Dec. 21 at the Copenhagen venue.)
Keya Tama is a South African artist who says he aims to "reunite old and new through contrasting yet unified iconography." Tama's talent for crafting interlocking creatures, either in the backgrounds of his paintings or in the form of murals, also recalls the work of M.C. Escher. Recently, the Los Angeles-based artist has also been collaborating with others in his pieces, such as the work with Caratoes at the jump.
Long Beach artist