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The New Contemporary Art Magazine
Last Saturday, CHG Circa showed us every kind of giant you can think of with their group show "Giants Among Us" (previewed here). Giants are a timeless myth that has inspired artists for centuries. For Circa's contemporary artists- Anita Kunz, Andrew Brandou, Armando Marino, Benjamin Bryce Kelley, Eric Joyner, Joe Fenton, John Brophy, Korin Faught, So Youn Lee, to name a few- giants are monstrous beasts, revered figures, a narrative and a concept. With so many literal and wildly conceptual ideas, it becomes a sort of game to find the giant in each.
Last Saturday, CHG Circa offered pint sized works by their favorite artists in "Art Collector Starter Kit" 2. If you're like most collectors, you know how to buy art on a piece-by-piece basis, but may not be all that well versed in the art that is collecting. This show offers a solution. In the gallery's own words, "The motivation behind an exhibition of all 12”x12” paintings stems from the fact that newer collectors, or enthusiasts, who have never bought an original piece from one of their favorite artists, may now do so."
On August 30th, CHG Circa will showcase some of their favorite artists in their second installment of "Art Collector Starter Kit". The show was first created in 2013 to give emerging artists a platform to express new ideas, while creating a smaller-sized 'starter kit' of sorts for new collectors. This year highlights new faces to Circa's walls like Yosuke Ueno (above), Yukino Fukumoto (covered here), Hikari Shimoda, who debuted last month, and So Youn Lee- paired with Circa regulars Brandi Milne, Shag, Lola, Natalia Fabia, and more.
You may recognize So Youn Lee from our posts about her ethereal pen drawings and candy-colored paintings. Her new work is progressively character based- following a young space explorer named “Mango” through strange environments that echo childhood memories. At her Los Angeles studio, she sketches daily and experiments with motifs, from the abstract shapes of Korean folk textiles to the hyper-real balloons of Jeff Koons. A Japanese art influence is definitely there as well. Among Lee’s favorite artists are Aya Takano and Yoshitomo Nara, and she is an avid Manga reader. Most of the pieces shown here were created as an exercise, but seem to have left a lasting impression. We went behind the scenes to learn more about So Youn Lee’s new direction and her future plans.