MATA ART GALLERY PRESENTS
QUALITY TIME
Curated by Nica Aquino
QUALITY TIME
Curated by Nica Aquino
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An online art exhibition created to support artists during the Corona virus quarantine. Featuring works by Miki Boire, Lek Vercauteren Borja, Vic Carrillo, John DeCastro, Edith B. de Guzman, Jolly de Guzman, Eutalia De La Paz, Christopher Details, Jesse Einhorn-Johnson, Anthony Giannelli, Leslie K. Gray, David Ignacio, Jared Konopitski, Serena Lafond, Katherine Leung, Bella Mathisen, Jessa Mae Mendiola, Diana Ormanzhi, Kavin Pablo, Jerry Peña, Michael Rippens, Andrew Rogge, Joshua Solas, Mary Weisenburger, Paulina Zamorano
When we think about “quality time,” we often think about the intimate bonding moments we get to spend with our loved ones. During the announcement of the Coronavirus quarantine, some of us have no one to spend quality time with, but instead spend the time alone, creating our art to pass the time. In QUALITY TIME, Mata Art Gallery’s premier online art exhibition, we get to have an inside look at the new works artists have spent their quality time with. How have you passed your time during this quarantine? What does quality time mean to you? |
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Artists receive 100% of all artwork sales. Please email gallery if you are interested in purchasing any of the works.
Printable zine PDF available for a $1 donation.
To purchase a zine or tip the gallery, please send donations via Venmo or PayPal (as friends & family).
Printable zine PDF available for a $1 donation.
To purchase a zine or tip the gallery, please send donations via Venmo or PayPal (as friends & family).
Miki Boire
she/her & they/them pronouns
michelleannaboire.com
IG @mikiboire
Donate to her/them on PayPal at [email protected]
MikiBoire is a Bay Area native, who currently lives in Redwood City. She received her BA in Fine Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and her MFA in Photography at San Jose State University. She currently teaches art and photography at an independent high school. Miki's artwork focuses on the concepts and psychology of personal memory. She is interested in exploring the way in which one's perceptions and means of negotiating memory work to form and foster an individual's identity. Miki is currently researching her family’s history and its connection to transgenerational trauma.
Grandpa's Photos - A White Flower
Grandpa's Photos - Portrait of My Mother
Color slides taken in the 1970s, digitally scanned in 2020
After my grandparents both passed away, I found several boxes of film and color slides that my grandfather, Jack Prost, had taken throughout his life. He was a photographer, and even had a darkroom in his house; clearly this is where I get my love for the medium. As part of the grieving process, I am slowly scanning these images to share the work he had created. While they may not all be perfect, it brings me jot to be able to celebrate his creative expression.
she/her & they/them pronouns
michelleannaboire.com
IG @mikiboire
Donate to her/them on PayPal at [email protected]
MikiBoire is a Bay Area native, who currently lives in Redwood City. She received her BA in Fine Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and her MFA in Photography at San Jose State University. She currently teaches art and photography at an independent high school. Miki's artwork focuses on the concepts and psychology of personal memory. She is interested in exploring the way in which one's perceptions and means of negotiating memory work to form and foster an individual's identity. Miki is currently researching her family’s history and its connection to transgenerational trauma.
Grandpa's Photos - A White Flower
Grandpa's Photos - Portrait of My Mother
Color slides taken in the 1970s, digitally scanned in 2020
After my grandparents both passed away, I found several boxes of film and color slides that my grandfather, Jack Prost, had taken throughout his life. He was a photographer, and even had a darkroom in his house; clearly this is where I get my love for the medium. As part of the grieving process, I am slowly scanning these images to share the work he had created. While they may not all be perfect, it brings me jot to be able to celebrate his creative expression.
Lek Vercauteren Borja
she/her & they/them pronouns
lekborjastudio.com
IG @lekvborja
Donate to her/them on Venmo @LekBorja
Lek Vercauteren Borja was born in the Philippines and emigrated to the U.S. when she was ten years old. Her artworks have been exhibited in galleries nationally, including Anne Marie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Towson University’s Asian Arts & Culture Center, Los Angeles Municipal Gallery, The Loft at Liz’s, among others. Her writings have appeared in national and international journals such as The Lantern Review, San Francisco Press' Lady Jane Miscellany, and Society for Curious Thought, to name a few. She has published one chapbook of poetry, Android, which was acquired by the Yale University Library for their special collections in 2011.
Based in Los Angeles, CA
Personalia 1
acrylic, watercolor on canvas
18”x24”
2020
This piece is part of an ongoing series exploring the theme of family. Here, a family is gathered in the kitchen for a celebratory feast. Many of us are quarantined at home, separated from our loved ones, so this is a way to reconnect with lost moments or moments from the past.
she/her & they/them pronouns
lekborjastudio.com
IG @lekvborja
Donate to her/them on Venmo @LekBorja
Lek Vercauteren Borja was born in the Philippines and emigrated to the U.S. when she was ten years old. Her artworks have been exhibited in galleries nationally, including Anne Marie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, Towson University’s Asian Arts & Culture Center, Los Angeles Municipal Gallery, The Loft at Liz’s, among others. Her writings have appeared in national and international journals such as The Lantern Review, San Francisco Press' Lady Jane Miscellany, and Society for Curious Thought, to name a few. She has published one chapbook of poetry, Android, which was acquired by the Yale University Library for their special collections in 2011.
Based in Los Angeles, CA
Personalia 1
acrylic, watercolor on canvas
18”x24”
2020
This piece is part of an ongoing series exploring the theme of family. Here, a family is gathered in the kitchen for a celebratory feast. Many of us are quarantined at home, separated from our loved ones, so this is a way to reconnect with lost moments or moments from the past.
Vic Carrillo
she/her pronouns
IG @thedeadmama
Collage "Artist" & "Musician" based in LA.
Tomorrow Town
sheet music, magazine, acrylic paint, canvas, matte mod podge and wooden frame
8"x8"x0.6"
2020
Don't worry about tomorrow, when you can enjoy your present day. Not getting lost thinking about tomorrow helps you focus on how to use today wisely. Knowing how to best use your time, helps you hold on to quality during your time on earth.
she/her pronouns
IG @thedeadmama
Collage "Artist" & "Musician" based in LA.
Tomorrow Town
sheet music, magazine, acrylic paint, canvas, matte mod podge and wooden frame
8"x8"x0.6"
2020
Don't worry about tomorrow, when you can enjoy your present day. Not getting lost thinking about tomorrow helps you focus on how to use today wisely. Knowing how to best use your time, helps you hold on to quality during your time on earth.
John DeCastro
he/him & they/them pronouns
johndecastro.com
IG @decastronaut
Donate to him/them on Venmo @chrisjohndc11
I'm a Filipino-American visual artist and instructor based in Glendale, CA. I graduated with three degrees in Visual Arts from Glendale Community College, majoring in two and three-dimensional art and art history. Visual art has always been an outlet for me to discuss and enrich communities with culture and ideas. I enjoy focusing on the community through art because it voices our history, thoughts, experiences, and concepts which are vital for our social mechanisms. I source the context of my work from identity, environmentalism, culture, psych, and queerness. Minimalism, calligraphy, and expressionism are inspiring concepts to me, but I revel in dismantling Western ideas of art. I intend on making my work accessible to all regardless of socioeconomic class. I hope to create strides that will help provide ideas and healing through community art for disenfranchised or marginalized individuals.
Loyalty
collaged marbled calligraphy and holographic paper, satin acrylic paint, glitter, and embroidered two-strand floss on image transfer on coconut paper
9.25”11.25”
2020
My grandpa showed me photos of my grandma and talked about their desires, passions, and dreams before they moved to America. My grandpa told me about how my grandma won first place at a pageant. It led me to think about how this lockdown has given us the time to discuss our histories and previous accomplishments. Seeing my grandma celebrated and revered inspired me to accentuate her aspirations. I copied the original image and transferred it onto coconut paper. I then applied holographic and marbled paper with glitter and satin acrylic paint within an embroidered frame. The colors are bright, feminine, and pastel, representing the celebration of female empowerment.
Drummer
collaged marbled calligraphy paper, satin acrylic paint, glitter, and embroidered two-strand floss on image transfer on recycled banana leaf paper.
8”x10”
2020
I've been spending a great deal of this lockdown with my grandpa, and his stories inspire me. While we came across this photo together, he told me stories about how he used to play the drums and his affinity for music. The portrait was taken in the Philippines during the nineteen fifties. I copied the original image and transferred it onto recycled banana leaf paper. I then applied marbled paper with glitter and satin acrylic paint within an embroidered frame. The colors are bright and pastel, representing youthfulness.
he/him & they/them pronouns
johndecastro.com
IG @decastronaut
Donate to him/them on Venmo @chrisjohndc11
I'm a Filipino-American visual artist and instructor based in Glendale, CA. I graduated with three degrees in Visual Arts from Glendale Community College, majoring in two and three-dimensional art and art history. Visual art has always been an outlet for me to discuss and enrich communities with culture and ideas. I enjoy focusing on the community through art because it voices our history, thoughts, experiences, and concepts which are vital for our social mechanisms. I source the context of my work from identity, environmentalism, culture, psych, and queerness. Minimalism, calligraphy, and expressionism are inspiring concepts to me, but I revel in dismantling Western ideas of art. I intend on making my work accessible to all regardless of socioeconomic class. I hope to create strides that will help provide ideas and healing through community art for disenfranchised or marginalized individuals.
Loyalty
collaged marbled calligraphy and holographic paper, satin acrylic paint, glitter, and embroidered two-strand floss on image transfer on coconut paper
9.25”11.25”
2020
My grandpa showed me photos of my grandma and talked about their desires, passions, and dreams before they moved to America. My grandpa told me about how my grandma won first place at a pageant. It led me to think about how this lockdown has given us the time to discuss our histories and previous accomplishments. Seeing my grandma celebrated and revered inspired me to accentuate her aspirations. I copied the original image and transferred it onto coconut paper. I then applied holographic and marbled paper with glitter and satin acrylic paint within an embroidered frame. The colors are bright, feminine, and pastel, representing the celebration of female empowerment.
Drummer
collaged marbled calligraphy paper, satin acrylic paint, glitter, and embroidered two-strand floss on image transfer on recycled banana leaf paper.
8”x10”
2020
I've been spending a great deal of this lockdown with my grandpa, and his stories inspire me. While we came across this photo together, he told me stories about how he used to play the drums and his affinity for music. The portrait was taken in the Philippines during the nineteen fifties. I copied the original image and transferred it onto recycled banana leaf paper. I then applied marbled paper with glitter and satin acrylic paint within an embroidered frame. The colors are bright and pastel, representing youthfulness.
Edith B. de Guzman
she/her pronouns
dearantler.com
IG @dearantler
Donate to her on Venmo @dearantler or PayPal: [email protected]
Edith is trained as a photographer and a printmaker, and finds her inspiration in nature, travel, and the everyday. Born in Milan, Italy to Israeli-Eastern European parents, and moving to the United States as a child, she is particularly curious to explore the interstitial cultural spaces and interactions that occur in our era's clash of cultures.
Part of dearantler, avid travelers who thrive on sharing their love of life, beauty, nature and art through interpretation in various media including photography, drawing, printmaking, watercolors and words. dearantler loves exploring the less-traveled corners of the West and beyond, from the lowest desert valleys to the highest glacier-topped mountains. We hope to tickle and feed your wayfaring appetite, and maybe give you an idea or two about new places to travel once we are able to get out and stretch once more.
Based in Los Angeles, CA
Prayer Flags, Himalaya
linocut print on lokta paper and prayer flag fabric
image size: 3.5”x5”, paper size: 5”x7.25”
2019
Part of a series of linocut prints is a collection of vignettes of encounters on the Annapurna Circuit. This print conveys an encounter with the ever-present feeling of kindness and spirituality in this land, which draws from animist, Hindu and Buddhist influences. This kindness and spirituality is expressed through countless “chortens” (Buddhist monuments) featuring prayer flags, prayer wheels, and scripture, but it is also expressed through the warmth, mindfulness, and friendliness of Nepalis.
Prayer Wheels, Nepal
linocut print on lokta paper, watercolor
image size: 3.5”x5”, paper size: 5”x7.25”
2019
Part of a series of linocut prints is a collection of vignettes of encounters on the Annapurna Circuit. This print conveys an encounter with the ever-present feeling of kindness and spirituality in this land, which draws from animist, Hindu and Buddhist influences. This kindness and spirituality is expressed through countless “chortens” (Buddhist monuments) featuring prayer flags, prayer wheels, and scripture, but it is also expressed through the warmth, mindfulness, and friendliness of Nepalis.
she/her pronouns
dearantler.com
IG @dearantler
Donate to her on Venmo @dearantler or PayPal: [email protected]
Edith is trained as a photographer and a printmaker, and finds her inspiration in nature, travel, and the everyday. Born in Milan, Italy to Israeli-Eastern European parents, and moving to the United States as a child, she is particularly curious to explore the interstitial cultural spaces and interactions that occur in our era's clash of cultures.
Part of dearantler, avid travelers who thrive on sharing their love of life, beauty, nature and art through interpretation in various media including photography, drawing, printmaking, watercolors and words. dearantler loves exploring the less-traveled corners of the West and beyond, from the lowest desert valleys to the highest glacier-topped mountains. We hope to tickle and feed your wayfaring appetite, and maybe give you an idea or two about new places to travel once we are able to get out and stretch once more.
Based in Los Angeles, CA
Prayer Flags, Himalaya
linocut print on lokta paper and prayer flag fabric
image size: 3.5”x5”, paper size: 5”x7.25”
2019
Part of a series of linocut prints is a collection of vignettes of encounters on the Annapurna Circuit. This print conveys an encounter with the ever-present feeling of kindness and spirituality in this land, which draws from animist, Hindu and Buddhist influences. This kindness and spirituality is expressed through countless “chortens” (Buddhist monuments) featuring prayer flags, prayer wheels, and scripture, but it is also expressed through the warmth, mindfulness, and friendliness of Nepalis.
Prayer Wheels, Nepal
linocut print on lokta paper, watercolor
image size: 3.5”x5”, paper size: 5”x7.25”
2019
Part of a series of linocut prints is a collection of vignettes of encounters on the Annapurna Circuit. This print conveys an encounter with the ever-present feeling of kindness and spirituality in this land, which draws from animist, Hindu and Buddhist influences. This kindness and spirituality is expressed through countless “chortens” (Buddhist monuments) featuring prayer flags, prayer wheels, and scripture, but it is also expressed through the warmth, mindfulness, and friendliness of Nepalis.
Jolly de Guzman
he/him pronouns
dearantler.com
IG @dearantler
Donate to him on Venmo: @dearantler or PayPal: [email protected]
Jolly de Guzman is an artist living and working in Los Angeles, California. His work is inspired by the passage of time, relationships to people and place, memory, and moving through space. A graphic designer by trade, Jolly works with different media, from printmaking, photography, and collage, to drawing, sculpture, and giving new life to found objects.
Jolly co-founded the online art gallery and art+travel blog dearantler with his wife Edith and a swanky eight-point buck named Jedediah Cornelius Antler (but you can call him Jed), where they exhibit artwork inspired by their adventures in the outdoors and places near and far.
When he’s not roaming Los Angeles record stores, you can find Jolly on a trail or drawing in his notebook with a pen in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other
a reunion of sorts
book cover, acrylic paint, micron pen, silver gel pen, pencil
8.5”x12”
2019
This is part of the "Annapurna Circuit" series, using the insides of hardcover books as canvases for stylized compositions featuring animated mountains and residential “teahouses.” These two elements appear in each of the paintings, interspersed together in a balance between nature and culture. Each painting also features a ghostly suspension bridge superimposed in silver in a manner that does not connect any part of the scene logically with another. Instead, each bridge seems to be an ethereal messenger, a reminder of the connections to the self and to others — the exploration and celebration of which are the essence of life.
he/him pronouns
dearantler.com
IG @dearantler
Donate to him on Venmo: @dearantler or PayPal: [email protected]
Jolly de Guzman is an artist living and working in Los Angeles, California. His work is inspired by the passage of time, relationships to people and place, memory, and moving through space. A graphic designer by trade, Jolly works with different media, from printmaking, photography, and collage, to drawing, sculpture, and giving new life to found objects.
Jolly co-founded the online art gallery and art+travel blog dearantler with his wife Edith and a swanky eight-point buck named Jedediah Cornelius Antler (but you can call him Jed), where they exhibit artwork inspired by their adventures in the outdoors and places near and far.
When he’s not roaming Los Angeles record stores, you can find Jolly on a trail or drawing in his notebook with a pen in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other
a reunion of sorts
book cover, acrylic paint, micron pen, silver gel pen, pencil
8.5”x12”
2019
This is part of the "Annapurna Circuit" series, using the insides of hardcover books as canvases for stylized compositions featuring animated mountains and residential “teahouses.” These two elements appear in each of the paintings, interspersed together in a balance between nature and culture. Each painting also features a ghostly suspension bridge superimposed in silver in a manner that does not connect any part of the scene logically with another. Instead, each bridge seems to be an ethereal messenger, a reminder of the connections to the self and to others — the exploration and celebration of which are the essence of life.
Eutalia De la Paz
she/her pronouns
behance.net/edelapaz
IG: @ae_del, etsy.com/shop/edelapazart
Donate to her on Venmo: @edelapaz or PayPal.me/edelapazart
Approaching stories with playful perspectives and colors, Eutalia De la Paz merges her nostalgic memories and cultural background as a Filipinx-American. Her work often features charismatic women characters through digital illustration and other experimental materials.
Based in Essex, New Jersey
Stay Home
Digital Illustration
14.5"x15"
2020
Emphasizing social distancing and flattening the curve during this pandemic is essential. This illustration encourages quality time with oneself by staying home and being safe. A flattened curve with indoor activities vs. infecting others can also be seen on the tiles in the background. Ultimately, the flower will still bloom amidst separation through genuine warmth and protection.
she/her pronouns
behance.net/edelapaz
IG: @ae_del, etsy.com/shop/edelapazart
Donate to her on Venmo: @edelapaz or PayPal.me/edelapazart
Approaching stories with playful perspectives and colors, Eutalia De la Paz merges her nostalgic memories and cultural background as a Filipinx-American. Her work often features charismatic women characters through digital illustration and other experimental materials.
Based in Essex, New Jersey
Stay Home
Digital Illustration
14.5"x15"
2020
Emphasizing social distancing and flattening the curve during this pandemic is essential. This illustration encourages quality time with oneself by staying home and being safe. A flattened curve with indoor activities vs. infecting others can also be seen on the tiles in the background. Ultimately, the flower will still bloom amidst separation through genuine warmth and protection.
Christopher Details
he/him pronouns
christopherdetails.com
IG @christopherdetails
Donate to him on Venmo @christopher-dimaano
Los Angeles based photographer Christopher Details, aka Christopher Dimaano, takes pictures of his travels and the people he comes across with a distinctive, old fashion style. While most photographers have switched to digital, Details keeps it classic by only using 35mm film. Collected in his Instagram account, his approaches range from semi-abstract still lifes from inside thrift stores to visual narrations of the daily realities of Southern California desert life. He keeps a locals only mindset that makes you feel like you’re always riding alongside him.
Sandy Boy
35mm film photography, luster print
16“x20”
2019
For this photo, I was taking a siesta on the beach in Ensenada, Mexico. People are everywhere. Families are everywhere. It's everyone's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the simple things in life, like the ocean, candy, food, and company. The child in this photo was having the best time.
Bushwick Kiddie Pool
35mm film photography, luster print
16”x20”
2019
This photo was taken on a hot August day in Bushwick, NY. Every block had their own celebration, filled with hot dogs, kids playing, and kiddie pools. There was some serious quality time happening all around this photo. No one was indoors, all the people of the community were talking and interacting. Including us.
he/him pronouns
christopherdetails.com
IG @christopherdetails
Donate to him on Venmo @christopher-dimaano
Los Angeles based photographer Christopher Details, aka Christopher Dimaano, takes pictures of his travels and the people he comes across with a distinctive, old fashion style. While most photographers have switched to digital, Details keeps it classic by only using 35mm film. Collected in his Instagram account, his approaches range from semi-abstract still lifes from inside thrift stores to visual narrations of the daily realities of Southern California desert life. He keeps a locals only mindset that makes you feel like you’re always riding alongside him.
Sandy Boy
35mm film photography, luster print
16“x20”
2019
For this photo, I was taking a siesta on the beach in Ensenada, Mexico. People are everywhere. Families are everywhere. It's everyone's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the simple things in life, like the ocean, candy, food, and company. The child in this photo was having the best time.
Bushwick Kiddie Pool
35mm film photography, luster print
16”x20”
2019
This photo was taken on a hot August day in Bushwick, NY. Every block had their own celebration, filled with hot dogs, kids playing, and kiddie pools. There was some serious quality time happening all around this photo. No one was indoors, all the people of the community were talking and interacting. Including us.
Jesse Einhorn-Johnson
she/her pronouns
einhornjohnson.com
IG @Lovelyuglies
Donate to her on Venmo @Jesse-Terenia
Jesse is a Los Angeles based artist currently self quarantined near her home town in Northern Michigan. Inspired by most things daily and also merely by the edge-less spaciousness behind her own eyelids, she mostly uses pen, ink and paint but hopes to continue exploring new mediums. She received her BFA in cinematography and has worked on camera teams for various television and film productions since 2017.
Ohm
pastel and acrylic
35”x15”
2020
In the midst of our corona quarantine millions of bodies have come together virtually to stretch their limbs from the comfort and confines of their own homes. Pixelated and glitchy, we find unity and sameness as we stretch on our apartment floors, pajama clad and dazed, itching for social closeness in a time of physical distance.
she/her pronouns
einhornjohnson.com
IG @Lovelyuglies
Donate to her on Venmo @Jesse-Terenia
Jesse is a Los Angeles based artist currently self quarantined near her home town in Northern Michigan. Inspired by most things daily and also merely by the edge-less spaciousness behind her own eyelids, she mostly uses pen, ink and paint but hopes to continue exploring new mediums. She received her BFA in cinematography and has worked on camera teams for various television and film productions since 2017.
Ohm
pastel and acrylic
35”x15”
2020
In the midst of our corona quarantine millions of bodies have come together virtually to stretch their limbs from the comfort and confines of their own homes. Pixelated and glitchy, we find unity and sameness as we stretch on our apartment floors, pajama clad and dazed, itching for social closeness in a time of physical distance.
Anthony Dexter Giannelli
he/him pronouns
IG @dexgiannelli
I spent much of my childhood with my grandmother, who surrounded me with Panamanian art forms such as Molas and Huacas, placed against Catholic religious iconography. As an artist herself she trained me in drawing and painting which I continued practicing until moving to Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 17. At University I studied Latin American Culture and lived in Medellín, Colombia where I was able to reconnect with many of the imagery I was introduced to early in life. After a life changing injury in 2015 I began drawing once again as a way to cope with the pain, isolation and confinement of my limited mobility. I moved to Rome, Italy, in 2016, the cemeteries and marble figures frozen and weighted down in motion yet portraying so much beauty helped shed a light on my condition.
My work draws upon these religious and cultural figures from my Panamanian and Italian heritage, to use this mix of imagery to find a set of iconography that can reflect the beauty of my own story.
Based in Copenhagen, Denmark
Rooted
charcoal, graphite and palo santo on paper with gold leaf, silver leaf, dried flowers, snake skin and frankincense oil
8.27”x11.69”
While for many this recent lockdown has brought a stand-still to their daily activities, movement and social life the past month, I've been under a lockdown since I lost mobility again in January. My physical limitations often make me feel like my body is cast in metal or stone, even muscle like my beating heart. While stone and metal can come off as cold and lifeless, plants and flowers are for the most part devoid of movement as well yet warm and inviting. The more quality time I spend with myself the more I see both this coldness and warmness coming out in different ways, in anger and frustration or in acceptance and love.
The shadowy figure in the piece is a "huaca" a pre-colombian figure from Panama representing a warrior. These small gold icons were found in graves buried with other offerings such as flowers, and gems.The Catholic Spanish viewed these symbols as devil worship and used them against the indigenous peoples to force them to adopt and adapt into Christianity, yet the symbols live on. I combined this with inspiration from the catholic idea of the "sacred heart", snake skin and frankincense oil as more "offerings" to this journey that I'm on and this battle that I am fighting.
he/him pronouns
IG @dexgiannelli
I spent much of my childhood with my grandmother, who surrounded me with Panamanian art forms such as Molas and Huacas, placed against Catholic religious iconography. As an artist herself she trained me in drawing and painting which I continued practicing until moving to Copenhagen, Denmark at the age of 17. At University I studied Latin American Culture and lived in Medellín, Colombia where I was able to reconnect with many of the imagery I was introduced to early in life. After a life changing injury in 2015 I began drawing once again as a way to cope with the pain, isolation and confinement of my limited mobility. I moved to Rome, Italy, in 2016, the cemeteries and marble figures frozen and weighted down in motion yet portraying so much beauty helped shed a light on my condition.
My work draws upon these religious and cultural figures from my Panamanian and Italian heritage, to use this mix of imagery to find a set of iconography that can reflect the beauty of my own story.
Based in Copenhagen, Denmark
Rooted
charcoal, graphite and palo santo on paper with gold leaf, silver leaf, dried flowers, snake skin and frankincense oil
8.27”x11.69”
While for many this recent lockdown has brought a stand-still to their daily activities, movement and social life the past month, I've been under a lockdown since I lost mobility again in January. My physical limitations often make me feel like my body is cast in metal or stone, even muscle like my beating heart. While stone and metal can come off as cold and lifeless, plants and flowers are for the most part devoid of movement as well yet warm and inviting. The more quality time I spend with myself the more I see both this coldness and warmness coming out in different ways, in anger and frustration or in acceptance and love.
The shadowy figure in the piece is a "huaca" a pre-colombian figure from Panama representing a warrior. These small gold icons were found in graves buried with other offerings such as flowers, and gems.The Catholic Spanish viewed these symbols as devil worship and used them against the indigenous peoples to force them to adopt and adapt into Christianity, yet the symbols live on. I combined this with inspiration from the catholic idea of the "sacred heart", snake skin and frankincense oil as more "offerings" to this journey that I'm on and this battle that I am fighting.
Leslie K. Gray
she/her pronouns
HaikuPenguin.com
Donate to her on PayPal: [email protected], or Zelle (contact gallery for Zelle info)
Leslie K. Gray is a native Angeleno and a Japanese American visual artist and writer. Her work has been seen locally (Self Help Graphics, Skirball Cultural Center, The Music Center on Tour) and internationally. Please visit www.tri-pi.org for more of her theatrical work.
Based in Los Angeles, CA
Yearning to Return
shadow paper cut
12”x9”
2020
This piece reflects the “quality time” I would like to return to: seeing people physically together, generations touching, sharing the intimacy of human contact. The absence of that presence is one of the deepest hurts of this crisis.
she/her pronouns
HaikuPenguin.com
Donate to her on PayPal: [email protected], or Zelle (contact gallery for Zelle info)
Leslie K. Gray is a native Angeleno and a Japanese American visual artist and writer. Her work has been seen locally (Self Help Graphics, Skirball Cultural Center, The Music Center on Tour) and internationally. Please visit www.tri-pi.org for more of her theatrical work.
Based in Los Angeles, CA
Yearning to Return
shadow paper cut
12”x9”
2020
This piece reflects the “quality time” I would like to return to: seeing people physically together, generations touching, sharing the intimacy of human contact. The absence of that presence is one of the deepest hurts of this crisis.
David Ignacio
he/him pronouns
IG @davidignco
Donate to him on Venmo: @david-ignacio-2
David Ignacio (b. 1998) was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to the United States in 2013 and is currently experimenting in Richmond, Virginia. He expects to earn his BFA at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Sculpture and Extended Media department in December 2020. The artist works between the intersections of painting, collage, and sculpture using found materials as unconventional surfaces and assemblages as a vehicle for image-making and storytelling. Exploring ways of understanding the immigrant experience, perceptions of home and displacement in a time filled with environmental existentialism. His collages are attempts to map out the underlying structures of globalization in relation to the interior and exterior - both physical and psychological spaces.
Looking out the Window
oil, oil pastels, charcoal, ink on canvas
18”x24"
2020
With this overwhelming feeling of uncertainty, I relied on my subconscious to find ways of understanding and getting by with the global pandemic. Quality time forces me to dive deep into my psyche, relying fully on intuition to create. Using primary colors heavily, the work attempts to visualize the idea of thinking and seeing despite the chaos. When faced with the idea of melding the exterior and the interior, with social distancing relying on people to stay indoors, paying close attention to smaller details happens almost naturally.
Succulent at the End of the Hall
mixed media collage on paper: oil on cut-out canvas, charcoal, ink, magazine cut-outs
9”x11"
2019
Although this collage was made pre-Corona, themes of isolation and stillness are prevalent in the work. I was experimenting ways to construct an abstract room using scraps of painted canvas and imagery found from Travel magazines to portray intimate isolation. Nature is almost hitting a revival point with less capital activity in the last few weeks, and its abundance is felt right outside the walls we inhibit. Quality time away from loved ones has pushed me to take care of my houseplants as well as reshaping what I consider moments of intimacy - reaching out to those who I haven't had the time to catch up with. Quality time has all directed me to evaluate my individual choices of consumption and how it could affect this precious opportunity for nature to rehabilitate itself.
he/him pronouns
IG @davidignco
Donate to him on Venmo: @david-ignacio-2
David Ignacio (b. 1998) was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to the United States in 2013 and is currently experimenting in Richmond, Virginia. He expects to earn his BFA at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Sculpture and Extended Media department in December 2020. The artist works between the intersections of painting, collage, and sculpture using found materials as unconventional surfaces and assemblages as a vehicle for image-making and storytelling. Exploring ways of understanding the immigrant experience, perceptions of home and displacement in a time filled with environmental existentialism. His collages are attempts to map out the underlying structures of globalization in relation to the interior and exterior - both physical and psychological spaces.
Looking out the Window
oil, oil pastels, charcoal, ink on canvas
18”x24"
2020
With this overwhelming feeling of uncertainty, I relied on my subconscious to find ways of understanding and getting by with the global pandemic. Quality time forces me to dive deep into my psyche, relying fully on intuition to create. Using primary colors heavily, the work attempts to visualize the idea of thinking and seeing despite the chaos. When faced with the idea of melding the exterior and the interior, with social distancing relying on people to stay indoors, paying close attention to smaller details happens almost naturally.
Succulent at the End of the Hall
mixed media collage on paper: oil on cut-out canvas, charcoal, ink, magazine cut-outs
9”x11"
2019
Although this collage was made pre-Corona, themes of isolation and stillness are prevalent in the work. I was experimenting ways to construct an abstract room using scraps of painted canvas and imagery found from Travel magazines to portray intimate isolation. Nature is almost hitting a revival point with less capital activity in the last few weeks, and its abundance is felt right outside the walls we inhibit. Quality time away from loved ones has pushed me to take care of my houseplants as well as reshaping what I consider moments of intimacy - reaching out to those who I haven't had the time to catch up with. Quality time has all directed me to evaluate my individual choices of consumption and how it could affect this precious opportunity for nature to rehabilitate itself.
Jared Konopitski
he/him pronouns
jaredkonopitski.com
IG @jaredkonopitski
Jared Konopitski is an artist living and working in Sacramento, California. Jared works in many mediums, however, primarily with acrylic paintings. His work has been exhibited at galleries, festivals, and museums across the US and Internationally. Jared has worked with many clients such as Universal Studios, Showtime, Art O Mat, Turning Art, Wide Open Walls and more. In addition, Jared has curated numerous gallery shows and corporate art seminars. In his spare time he enjoys facilitating art workshops, with focus on early art education.
Discovering New Worlds to Pass the Time
watercolor on wood panel
5"x5"
2020
This is a piece inspired by the way I have watched my three year old son explore a puddle. No matter what is happening in the world, he has a sense of wonder, curiosity, exploration and joy. Seeing things through his eyes is motivating. A world where a puddle can become a tide pool to another dimension. This is quality time to me. Exploring new worlds with my son.
he/him pronouns
jaredkonopitski.com
IG @jaredkonopitski
Jared Konopitski is an artist living and working in Sacramento, California. Jared works in many mediums, however, primarily with acrylic paintings. His work has been exhibited at galleries, festivals, and museums across the US and Internationally. Jared has worked with many clients such as Universal Studios, Showtime, Art O Mat, Turning Art, Wide Open Walls and more. In addition, Jared has curated numerous gallery shows and corporate art seminars. In his spare time he enjoys facilitating art workshops, with focus on early art education.
Discovering New Worlds to Pass the Time
watercolor on wood panel
5"x5"
2020
This is a piece inspired by the way I have watched my three year old son explore a puddle. No matter what is happening in the world, he has a sense of wonder, curiosity, exploration and joy. Seeing things through his eyes is motivating. A world where a puddle can become a tide pool to another dimension. This is quality time to me. Exploring new worlds with my son.
Serena Lafond
she/her pronouns
serenalafond.com
IG @serena_lafond
Serena was born in Rhode Island, but currently resides in Marysville, CA. Her mediums are predominantly oil paint and acrylic. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Studio Art from Salve Regina University. Over her time in college, her artwork began to integrate her two majors. Her current work revolves around micro-expressions and the transition between emotions. In 2017, Serena completed a four-week residency at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT. She has received the William Varieka Fine Arts Ltd. Award for Arts and Public Policy and Honorable Mention from the Warwick Museum of Art. She has participated in group exhibitions at the Warwick Museum of Art, RI, Limner Gallery, NY and Hallspace, MA.
Birthday Wish
acrylic and oil paint
24”x31.5”
2019
With this painting I am reminiscing on the quality time I spent with my grandfather on his birthday. The micro-expressions he exhibits from one facial expression to the next show a part of his personality a stagnant image could not. Appreciating, and studying his change in expressions through paint make me feel closer to him. Which, in and of itself creates a different kind of quality time.
Fu-ck
oil and acrylic paint
12”x12”
2019
As creators, most of us enjoy solitude. But, when that solitude is mandated and for an extended period of time, it can become a problem. This piece, Fu-ck, examines the emotions around too much quality time.
she/her pronouns
serenalafond.com
IG @serena_lafond
Serena was born in Rhode Island, but currently resides in Marysville, CA. Her mediums are predominantly oil paint and acrylic. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Studio Art from Salve Regina University. Over her time in college, her artwork began to integrate her two majors. Her current work revolves around micro-expressions and the transition between emotions. In 2017, Serena completed a four-week residency at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT. She has received the William Varieka Fine Arts Ltd. Award for Arts and Public Policy and Honorable Mention from the Warwick Museum of Art. She has participated in group exhibitions at the Warwick Museum of Art, RI, Limner Gallery, NY and Hallspace, MA.
Birthday Wish
acrylic and oil paint
24”x31.5”
2019
With this painting I am reminiscing on the quality time I spent with my grandfather on his birthday. The micro-expressions he exhibits from one facial expression to the next show a part of his personality a stagnant image could not. Appreciating, and studying his change in expressions through paint make me feel closer to him. Which, in and of itself creates a different kind of quality time.
Fu-ck
oil and acrylic paint
12”x12”
2019
As creators, most of us enjoy solitude. But, when that solitude is mandated and for an extended period of time, it can become a problem. This piece, Fu-ck, examines the emotions around too much quality time.
Katherine Leung
she/her pronouns
leungart.com
IG @kleungart
Donate to her on Venmo @leungkz or PayPal: [email protected]
Katherine Leung is an artist and public school art teacher in San Jose, California. Her paintings are studies on the human body, informed by sociopolitical and religious narratives.
Blessed
acrylic on canvas
20”×16”
2019
In today’s world, it’s easy to get swept up by tasks, interactions, relationships, and lose our ground. When you reground yourself by focusing on your body, you remind yourself that what is truly yours is already within you. Introspection, yoga, and reflection are all practices that require quality time. Spending quality time with yourself is a daunting and lengthy project. It’s interesting that as a society we do not pursue these activities unless we are given, at times, forced, to close our eyes and sit in our thoughts.
she/her pronouns
leungart.com
IG @kleungart
Donate to her on Venmo @leungkz or PayPal: [email protected]
Katherine Leung is an artist and public school art teacher in San Jose, California. Her paintings are studies on the human body, informed by sociopolitical and religious narratives.
Blessed
acrylic on canvas
20”×16”
2019
In today’s world, it’s easy to get swept up by tasks, interactions, relationships, and lose our ground. When you reground yourself by focusing on your body, you remind yourself that what is truly yours is already within you. Introspection, yoga, and reflection are all practices that require quality time. Spending quality time with yourself is a daunting and lengthy project. It’s interesting that as a society we do not pursue these activities unless we are given, at times, forced, to close our eyes and sit in our thoughts.
Bella Mathisen
she/her & they/them pronouns
IG @bellamathisen
Donate to her/them on Venmo @isabella-mathisen
Bella is a current student at Rhode Island School of design and working towards a BFA in sculpture with concentrations in computation, technology and culture and photography.
Based in Sacramento, CA
Computational Connections
oil on canvas
12"x12"
2020
As we are isolated and unable to physically connect, online communication has become even more integral. This work documents these online connections and how distorted conversations are when experienced through digital platforms
she/her & they/them pronouns
IG @bellamathisen
Donate to her/them on Venmo @isabella-mathisen
Bella is a current student at Rhode Island School of design and working towards a BFA in sculpture with concentrations in computation, technology and culture and photography.
Based in Sacramento, CA
Computational Connections
oil on canvas
12"x12"
2020
As we are isolated and unable to physically connect, online communication has become even more integral. This work documents these online connections and how distorted conversations are when experienced through digital platforms
Jessa Mae Mendiola
she/her pronouns
jessamaemendiola.com
IG @jmaearts
Donate to her on Venmo @Jessa_Mendiola or PayPal.me/JessaMaeMendiola
Jessa Mae Mendiola was born in the island of Leyte in the Philippines. At the age of seven, she immigrated to the United States with her family. As she moved to America at a young age , she did not have the opportunity to discover her Filipino heritage, history, and culture. Thus, she is reconnecting with her birth country by creating artworks that involve socio-political issues, Filipino-American identity, immigration, cultural practices, and colonialism. Jessa Mae Mendiola works with a variety of mediums such as paintings, drawings, sculpture, and installations.
Based in Chicago, IL
My Faith
oil on plexiglass, laser etched wood
13"×17"×3.5"
2019
My Faith focuses on the hybrid religion that was formed in the Philippines due to colonialism. One side of the image has Roman Catholic iconography while the other side has pre-colonial rituals. The sides have images of laser etched amulets with iconography and beliefs from both sides. No matter what side a person may look, there will always be a blend of religion from one extreme to the other. Roman Catholicism coexists while also combating precolonial, tribal rituals. I am more spiritual than religious. While I like to believe there is some higher being out there that can cause all these miracles to happen, to guide us during stressful times, I cannot fully believe in all the teachings of the church. Other people, however, may question or even turn to faith to cope with all the difficulties during this whole pandemic.
she/her pronouns
jessamaemendiola.com
IG @jmaearts
Donate to her on Venmo @Jessa_Mendiola or PayPal.me/JessaMaeMendiola
Jessa Mae Mendiola was born in the island of Leyte in the Philippines. At the age of seven, she immigrated to the United States with her family. As she moved to America at a young age , she did not have the opportunity to discover her Filipino heritage, history, and culture. Thus, she is reconnecting with her birth country by creating artworks that involve socio-political issues, Filipino-American identity, immigration, cultural practices, and colonialism. Jessa Mae Mendiola works with a variety of mediums such as paintings, drawings, sculpture, and installations.
Based in Chicago, IL
My Faith
oil on plexiglass, laser etched wood
13"×17"×3.5"
2019
My Faith focuses on the hybrid religion that was formed in the Philippines due to colonialism. One side of the image has Roman Catholic iconography while the other side has pre-colonial rituals. The sides have images of laser etched amulets with iconography and beliefs from both sides. No matter what side a person may look, there will always be a blend of religion from one extreme to the other. Roman Catholicism coexists while also combating precolonial, tribal rituals. I am more spiritual than religious. While I like to believe there is some higher being out there that can cause all these miracles to happen, to guide us during stressful times, I cannot fully believe in all the teachings of the church. Other people, however, may question or even turn to faith to cope with all the difficulties during this whole pandemic.
Diana Ormanzhishe/her pronouns
dianaormanzhi.com
IG @dianaormanzhi
Donate to her on Venmo or CashApp @dianaormanzhi
Diana Ormanzhi is a surrealist oil painter living and working in Sacramento, CA. In September, she lost her home to a fire along with most of her artwork and art materials. She is now in the process of rebuilding a new body of work.
Vessels of Life Date
oil painting on wood (framed)
12”x12”
2020
This was the first painting to come out of being quarantined. While the message wasn't intentional from the start, the painting does illustrate the unity that is still present while we are all in solitude in our own little bubbles, swept away by our circumstances.
Tooth Fairy
oil painting on wood (framed)
8”x10”
2019
This painting is relevant because it explores the idea of remaining calm while facing our fears. I wanted to play with the contrast of a vicious creature and a dainty young girl facing off.
dianaormanzhi.com
IG @dianaormanzhi
Donate to her on Venmo or CashApp @dianaormanzhi
Diana Ormanzhi is a surrealist oil painter living and working in Sacramento, CA. In September, she lost her home to a fire along with most of her artwork and art materials. She is now in the process of rebuilding a new body of work.
Vessels of Life Date
oil painting on wood (framed)
12”x12”
2020
This was the first painting to come out of being quarantined. While the message wasn't intentional from the start, the painting does illustrate the unity that is still present while we are all in solitude in our own little bubbles, swept away by our circumstances.
Tooth Fairy
oil painting on wood (framed)
8”x10”
2019
This painting is relevant because it explores the idea of remaining calm while facing our fears. I wanted to play with the contrast of a vicious creature and a dainty young girl facing off.
Kevin Pablo
he/him pronouns
IG @kvnpablo
I am Kenneth Peñera and I go by the name Kevin Pablo as a pseudonym for my works. I am a graduate of BA-Communication from Southern Luzon University and a self-taught artist. I use oil paints as my medium and explore the theme of identity and value of self.
Based in Manila, Philippines
As you were
oil on canvas
19”x27”
2020
We were once driven by hope and there's nothing holding us back from what seems to be a wonderful life tomorrow. Everything is perfect until the greatest turmoil (we have so far) swallowed our vision and left us blind. In this trying time, we must hold our heads to what keeps them afloat. Keep ourselves occupied with things that help our hopes and passions stay buoyant. Keep reaching for it even if we only have a shaft of sunlight left, and embrace it tight until it's safe to let go for everyone to see.
he/him pronouns
IG @kvnpablo
I am Kenneth Peñera and I go by the name Kevin Pablo as a pseudonym for my works. I am a graduate of BA-Communication from Southern Luzon University and a self-taught artist. I use oil paints as my medium and explore the theme of identity and value of self.
Based in Manila, Philippines
As you were
oil on canvas
19”x27”
2020
We were once driven by hope and there's nothing holding us back from what seems to be a wonderful life tomorrow. Everything is perfect until the greatest turmoil (we have so far) swallowed our vision and left us blind. In this trying time, we must hold our heads to what keeps them afloat. Keep ourselves occupied with things that help our hopes and passions stay buoyant. Keep reaching for it even if we only have a shaft of sunlight left, and embrace it tight until it's safe to let go for everyone to see.
Jerry Peña
he/him & they/them pronouns
jerrypenastudio.com
IG @jerry_pena_
Jerry Peña explores his cultural identity as a first generation Mexican American with materials rooted in manual labor while also incorporating found objects to produce sculptural paintings that capture often ignored moments in his environment. Certain musical subcultures, vintage American nostalgia, California car culture, and art movements like minimalism and abstract expressionism are all major influences. The viewer is overwhelmed with repetition, texture, imagery and color in order to disrupt any predispositions to the materials used or identity addressed allowing for a more contemporary understanding of both.
Based in Long Beach, CA
With A Flower We Tell Them That They Live
36”x32”x2”
cement, bondo, aerosol paint, automotive paint, automotive clear coat
2020
"With A Flower We Tell Them That They Live" is a painting inspired by a quote from Subcomandante Marcos. Most of my work uses materials from working class employment and color pallets from California car culture. In this quote Marcos is explaining how to keep the memory of those who have risked it all fighting the generational struggle of achieving equality and equity alive by using a rose as a symbol of remembrance. I decided to replicate a wall in which a sole flower could stand alone in recognition of these efforts. Using cement, automotive paint, bondo and visual cues like color pallets and textures as well as deciding on a specific illustration of the rose I hoped to transport the viewer to a latino working class neighborhood. A place that teleports through nations, a place where to this day those ideas are still being fought for, and place where people still remember those who fought. Quality time can be described as a period where a relationship is strengthened. This painting rooted me and helped me analyze the mission within my oeuvre.
I Have No Pals
sculpture, nopal with roofing nails
17”x7”x1”
2020
"I have no Pals" is a new sculpture using a nopal and roofing nails. It is addressing the romanticism of Mexican culture. It consists of replacing the existing thorns with a more aggressive material, in this case roofing nails. Nopales are a stereotypical romanticized image of Mexican culture. I wanted to find a way to interrupt that and express my frustrations with this romanticism. Heavily influenced by Uecker and his work I remembered how he would use materials to physically interrupt visual process. I realized that a good way to interrupt the romanticized image of the nopal would be to further accentuate one of its features being thorns. Quality time is reflected in this sculpture by the simple fact that I have given my undivided attention to an object. An object that has been commercialized and stripped of its significance. By analyzing and understanding its history I made an attempt to strengthen its image and its influence on my culture and I.
he/him & they/them pronouns
jerrypenastudio.com
IG @jerry_pena_
Jerry Peña explores his cultural identity as a first generation Mexican American with materials rooted in manual labor while also incorporating found objects to produce sculptural paintings that capture often ignored moments in his environment. Certain musical subcultures, vintage American nostalgia, California car culture, and art movements like minimalism and abstract expressionism are all major influences. The viewer is overwhelmed with repetition, texture, imagery and color in order to disrupt any predispositions to the materials used or identity addressed allowing for a more contemporary understanding of both.
Based in Long Beach, CA
With A Flower We Tell Them That They Live
36”x32”x2”
cement, bondo, aerosol paint, automotive paint, automotive clear coat
2020
"With A Flower We Tell Them That They Live" is a painting inspired by a quote from Subcomandante Marcos. Most of my work uses materials from working class employment and color pallets from California car culture. In this quote Marcos is explaining how to keep the memory of those who have risked it all fighting the generational struggle of achieving equality and equity alive by using a rose as a symbol of remembrance. I decided to replicate a wall in which a sole flower could stand alone in recognition of these efforts. Using cement, automotive paint, bondo and visual cues like color pallets and textures as well as deciding on a specific illustration of the rose I hoped to transport the viewer to a latino working class neighborhood. A place that teleports through nations, a place where to this day those ideas are still being fought for, and place where people still remember those who fought. Quality time can be described as a period where a relationship is strengthened. This painting rooted me and helped me analyze the mission within my oeuvre.
I Have No Pals
sculpture, nopal with roofing nails
17”x7”x1”
2020
"I have no Pals" is a new sculpture using a nopal and roofing nails. It is addressing the romanticism of Mexican culture. It consists of replacing the existing thorns with a more aggressive material, in this case roofing nails. Nopales are a stereotypical romanticized image of Mexican culture. I wanted to find a way to interrupt that and express my frustrations with this romanticism. Heavily influenced by Uecker and his work I remembered how he would use materials to physically interrupt visual process. I realized that a good way to interrupt the romanticized image of the nopal would be to further accentuate one of its features being thorns. Quality time is reflected in this sculpture by the simple fact that I have given my undivided attention to an object. An object that has been commercialized and stripped of its significance. By analyzing and understanding its history I made an attempt to strengthen its image and its influence on my culture and I.
Michael Rippens
he/him pronouns
rippens.com
IG @rippens_projects
Donate to him on Venmo @Michael-Rippens
Born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, Michael Rippens is a multidisciplinary artist who holds a BFA in painting from Pratt Institute. His work has been shown throughout Los Angeles, as well as in New York, Miami, and Berlin, Germany. Recent highlights include a site-specific performance at L.A.’s Union Station, an exhibition of L.A.-based Filipinx-American artists at Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, and an artist residency at Side Street Projects in Pasadena.
Michael’s work addresses issues surrounding economic, racial and class inequality while exploring the basic human desire for belonging and connection with others. Through performance, participatory works, and social engagement projects, he initiates unexpected, personal interactions that spur dialogue, build community, and encourage reflection.
Based in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Still Life: One Hour at Home
single-channel video
8 minutes, 2 seconds
2020
Still Life: One Hour at Home is part of an ongoing series of durational works in which I attempt to stand perfectly still in a public space for one hour. Typically performed outdoors, due to social distancing and stay-at-home orders, I chose instead to stand in my living room, staring through the window at the outside world. Despite the video being sped up, it conveys the stillness, isolation and ennui of life under quarantine.
rippens.com/stilllife
he/him pronouns
rippens.com
IG @rippens_projects
Donate to him on Venmo @Michael-Rippens
Born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, Michael Rippens is a multidisciplinary artist who holds a BFA in painting from Pratt Institute. His work has been shown throughout Los Angeles, as well as in New York, Miami, and Berlin, Germany. Recent highlights include a site-specific performance at L.A.’s Union Station, an exhibition of L.A.-based Filipinx-American artists at Avenue 50 Studio in Highland Park, and an artist residency at Side Street Projects in Pasadena.
Michael’s work addresses issues surrounding economic, racial and class inequality while exploring the basic human desire for belonging and connection with others. Through performance, participatory works, and social engagement projects, he initiates unexpected, personal interactions that spur dialogue, build community, and encourage reflection.
Based in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Still Life: One Hour at Home
single-channel video
8 minutes, 2 seconds
2020
Still Life: One Hour at Home is part of an ongoing series of durational works in which I attempt to stand perfectly still in a public space for one hour. Typically performed outdoors, due to social distancing and stay-at-home orders, I chose instead to stand in my living room, staring through the window at the outside world. Despite the video being sped up, it conveys the stillness, isolation and ennui of life under quarantine.
rippens.com/stilllife
Andrew Rogge
he/him & they/them pronouns
andrewrogge.com
IG @andrewroggeart
Andrew Rogge is a multidisciplinary artist and art educator. He was born in Waukegan, Illinois and raised in Aurora, Colorado where he has lived for over 20 years. He will graduate Magna Cum Laude and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts and K-12 art education licensure from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2020. His work spans many media, including printmaking, sculpture, drawing, cut paper, painting and fibers; exploring themes ranging from identity and memory to pop culture and scientific principles, using a keen eye for detail. After receiving his degree, Andrew Rogge plans to begin teaching in public schools in Denver and Aurora in addition to art production. In his classroom critical thinking and interdisciplinary learning will be emphasized while students engage in the creative process and art making. He learns alongside and from his students and advocates for the diverse school communities he is part of.
F*** Thinkin', Get to Drinkin'
needle felted wool, wire armature
7"x5"x3"
2019
F*** Thinkin’, Get to Drinkin’ is a small soft sculpture made from needle felted wool around a wire armature, exploring the idea of addiction and the self-harm that can result from substance abuse like alcoholism. It depicts a personified bottle of beer caught in the act of striking a liver as a punching bag, sporting the motto, “f*** thinkin’, get to drinkin’, a habit I once adhered stringently to. The material use of such a soft and warm material is meant to communicate the ways in which one is gently lulled into and temporarily comforted by substance abuse, before this comfort is eventually stripped away and the cold realization of addiction sets in. The comfort and solace found in substance abuse is also so strong that one does not consider the adverse consequences of their actions. I now devote time instead to personal growth and focus on remaining healthy.
You Will See the Fish in Manila Bay Getting Fat. That is Where I Will Dump You.
multimedia installation (Bamboo, piña cloth, ink drawings, pineapple leaf fibers, Red Spineless Pineapple plant [Ananas Lucidus], Hawaiian Red Pineapple Plant [Ananas Bracteatus])
variable dimensions
2020
A lot of my newly found time due to shelter in place orders has revolved around completing my BFA thesis exhibition body of work, while focusing on staying mentally healthy and keeping pineapple plants for the work alive and healthy. The body of work focuses a lot on how I used to spend my "quality time," substance abuse, in relation to my Filipino heritage and the current War on Drugs in the Philippines. Focusing on this body of work has helped me to maintain my composure and focus on rehabilitation in these trying times. The body of work also makes extensive reference to a family vacation to the Philippines that provides some warm and nostalgic energy to help lift my mood despite many changes to life currently going on. Artist's Statement For "You Will See the Fish in Manila Bay Getting Fat. That is Where I Will Dump You: The Philippine “War on Drugs” has resulted in the police and extrajudicial killings of at least 5,500 to upwards of 20,000 suspected drug dealers or users with great support and encouragement of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. This was extremely troubling for me to learn about, being both a Filipino and a former substance abuser. The threats of health problems and death are ever present for drug users, and instead of offering assistance and treatment to those in the throes of addiction, the Philippine Government largely only provides death, or imprisonment for a lucky few. “You Will See The Fish...” incorporates elements of both Filipino heritage and drug cultures. It consists of 9 drawings behind piña cloth veils, and pineapple plants. The fine-line drawings are based on photos taken on a family vacation to the Philippines and depict Filipino culture and traditions. They are slightly concealed by a veil of piña cloth. This is a direct reference to the Philippine piña weaving tradition, in which fibers of pineapple leaves are harvested by scraping away the pulpy matter of the leaves that are then individually tied and woven together with added silk. I grew my own pineapple plants for display and to harvest for leaf fibers, used for embroidering drug chemical structures onto the piña veils. The pineapples were grown in compost that contains remnants of cannabis plants, under the same lights used to grow the cannabis. “You Will See The Fish...” reestablishes a connection between me and my Filipino heritage. My grandmother was born in the Philippines and eventually became a United States citizen, fully embracing American life, inadvertently leaving my family with little Filipino cultural knowledge. A few years before her death this changed, and she took my family on a trip to the Philippines for us to be immersed in Filipino culture and life. Her passing, alongside other deaths of loved ones were difficult for me to deal with, so I continued to find some temporary solace in substance abuse. “You Will See The Fish...” communicates the personal growth that has occurred in me since beginning work to overcome this self-destructive behavior, something thousands of Filipinos will never have the chance to experience under Duterte’s hostile presidency.
he/him & they/them pronouns
andrewrogge.com
IG @andrewroggeart
Andrew Rogge is a multidisciplinary artist and art educator. He was born in Waukegan, Illinois and raised in Aurora, Colorado where he has lived for over 20 years. He will graduate Magna Cum Laude and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts and K-12 art education licensure from the Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2020. His work spans many media, including printmaking, sculpture, drawing, cut paper, painting and fibers; exploring themes ranging from identity and memory to pop culture and scientific principles, using a keen eye for detail. After receiving his degree, Andrew Rogge plans to begin teaching in public schools in Denver and Aurora in addition to art production. In his classroom critical thinking and interdisciplinary learning will be emphasized while students engage in the creative process and art making. He learns alongside and from his students and advocates for the diverse school communities he is part of.
F*** Thinkin', Get to Drinkin'
needle felted wool, wire armature
7"x5"x3"
2019
F*** Thinkin’, Get to Drinkin’ is a small soft sculpture made from needle felted wool around a wire armature, exploring the idea of addiction and the self-harm that can result from substance abuse like alcoholism. It depicts a personified bottle of beer caught in the act of striking a liver as a punching bag, sporting the motto, “f*** thinkin’, get to drinkin’, a habit I once adhered stringently to. The material use of such a soft and warm material is meant to communicate the ways in which one is gently lulled into and temporarily comforted by substance abuse, before this comfort is eventually stripped away and the cold realization of addiction sets in. The comfort and solace found in substance abuse is also so strong that one does not consider the adverse consequences of their actions. I now devote time instead to personal growth and focus on remaining healthy.
You Will See the Fish in Manila Bay Getting Fat. That is Where I Will Dump You.
multimedia installation (Bamboo, piña cloth, ink drawings, pineapple leaf fibers, Red Spineless Pineapple plant [Ananas Lucidus], Hawaiian Red Pineapple Plant [Ananas Bracteatus])
variable dimensions
2020
A lot of my newly found time due to shelter in place orders has revolved around completing my BFA thesis exhibition body of work, while focusing on staying mentally healthy and keeping pineapple plants for the work alive and healthy. The body of work focuses a lot on how I used to spend my "quality time," substance abuse, in relation to my Filipino heritage and the current War on Drugs in the Philippines. Focusing on this body of work has helped me to maintain my composure and focus on rehabilitation in these trying times. The body of work also makes extensive reference to a family vacation to the Philippines that provides some warm and nostalgic energy to help lift my mood despite many changes to life currently going on. Artist's Statement For "You Will See the Fish in Manila Bay Getting Fat. That is Where I Will Dump You: The Philippine “War on Drugs” has resulted in the police and extrajudicial killings of at least 5,500 to upwards of 20,000 suspected drug dealers or users with great support and encouragement of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. This was extremely troubling for me to learn about, being both a Filipino and a former substance abuser. The threats of health problems and death are ever present for drug users, and instead of offering assistance and treatment to those in the throes of addiction, the Philippine Government largely only provides death, or imprisonment for a lucky few. “You Will See The Fish...” incorporates elements of both Filipino heritage and drug cultures. It consists of 9 drawings behind piña cloth veils, and pineapple plants. The fine-line drawings are based on photos taken on a family vacation to the Philippines and depict Filipino culture and traditions. They are slightly concealed by a veil of piña cloth. This is a direct reference to the Philippine piña weaving tradition, in which fibers of pineapple leaves are harvested by scraping away the pulpy matter of the leaves that are then individually tied and woven together with added silk. I grew my own pineapple plants for display and to harvest for leaf fibers, used for embroidering drug chemical structures onto the piña veils. The pineapples were grown in compost that contains remnants of cannabis plants, under the same lights used to grow the cannabis. “You Will See The Fish...” reestablishes a connection between me and my Filipino heritage. My grandmother was born in the Philippines and eventually became a United States citizen, fully embracing American life, inadvertently leaving my family with little Filipino cultural knowledge. A few years before her death this changed, and she took my family on a trip to the Philippines for us to be immersed in Filipino culture and life. Her passing, alongside other deaths of loved ones were difficult for me to deal with, so I continued to find some temporary solace in substance abuse. “You Will See The Fish...” communicates the personal growth that has occurred in me since beginning work to overcome this self-destructive behavior, something thousands of Filipinos will never have the chance to experience under Duterte’s hostile presidency.
Joshua Solas
he/him pronouns
solasink.com
IG @solasink_
Donate to him on CashApp: $solasink
Joshua Solas is a visual artist and designer from Kingston Jamaica with a love for visual storytelling. His work often deals with contemplations on existence as well as discusses different aspects of human interaction. Through self reflection and observational means, The Jamaican artist attempts to document these dynamics in a concise yet complex language that blurs roles of images and words. Solas was born in Kingston and moved to Michigan where he received his BFA in Illustration and Graphic Design and has shown work and painted murals in both the US and in Jamaica.
Based in Jamaica
GOOD42N: 20200402
digital illustration (Adobe Illustrator)
3000x3000 px
2020
I created this comic as a way to dive into thoughts and feelings I thought most could relate to. This is the first of many but I considered a character opening a fortune cookie and the prediction being oddly specific to him. The second slide is him reacting to this fate set before him.
he/him pronouns
solasink.com
IG @solasink_
Donate to him on CashApp: $solasink
Joshua Solas is a visual artist and designer from Kingston Jamaica with a love for visual storytelling. His work often deals with contemplations on existence as well as discusses different aspects of human interaction. Through self reflection and observational means, The Jamaican artist attempts to document these dynamics in a concise yet complex language that blurs roles of images and words. Solas was born in Kingston and moved to Michigan where he received his BFA in Illustration and Graphic Design and has shown work and painted murals in both the US and in Jamaica.
Based in Jamaica
GOOD42N: 20200402
digital illustration (Adobe Illustrator)
3000x3000 px
2020
I created this comic as a way to dive into thoughts and feelings I thought most could relate to. This is the first of many but I considered a character opening a fortune cookie and the prediction being oddly specific to him. The second slide is him reacting to this fate set before him.
Mary Weisenburger
she/her pronouns
marsjoyofpainting.com
IG @alien.burger
Donate to her on Venmo @Mary-Weisenburger
Mary Weisenburger is an extraterrestrial being who loves oil painting & is employed by Gamblin Artists Colors as their Product Specialist.
Based in Portland, Oregon
Window Dream
oil on panel
16"x12"
2019
This painting is an abstract depiction of the window into one's own mind. We seek comfort when we gaze from our windows to the outside. During moments of quality time, we watch from our windows as the world passes, the seasons turn and the light changes.
Heartbeat
oil and cold wax on panel
12"x9"
2019
During uncertain moments our feelings are ripe with anxiety and our hearts race. Moments of quality time are when we slow down and listen to the heartbeat - count the beats, focus on the rhythm, control your breath to find that inner place of peace and calm.
she/her pronouns
marsjoyofpainting.com
IG @alien.burger
Donate to her on Venmo @Mary-Weisenburger
Mary Weisenburger is an extraterrestrial being who loves oil painting & is employed by Gamblin Artists Colors as their Product Specialist.
Based in Portland, Oregon
Window Dream
oil on panel
16"x12"
2019
This painting is an abstract depiction of the window into one's own mind. We seek comfort when we gaze from our windows to the outside. During moments of quality time, we watch from our windows as the world passes, the seasons turn and the light changes.
Heartbeat
oil and cold wax on panel
12"x9"
2019
During uncertain moments our feelings are ripe with anxiety and our hearts race. Moments of quality time are when we slow down and listen to the heartbeat - count the beats, focus on the rhythm, control your breath to find that inner place of peace and calm.
Paulina Zamorano
she/her pronouns
IG @paulinita_pibil
Donate to her on Venmo @auxilio-zamorano or PayPal.me/PZamoranoCastillo
Mexican filmmaker, photographer and dancer based in Los Angeles.
a dream synopsis
video
1920p x 1080p
2020
A recreation of a dream in which I was being chased while dancing. Most of my dreams happen in fast motion, but this one felt eternal, and every moment and movement was an opportunity to put distance between me and my pursuer.
un sejour si lascif
video
1920p x 1080p
2020
To avoid falling into insanity, I have started taking occasional ice baths. I have found that they help me further discover myself in an extreme condition in my own living environment. Two friends of mine, a couple who are very much into the Wim Hof method, shared this knowledge with me before the Covid-19 lockdown and since then, it has become a regular practice for me. Every second I spend in the freezing water strengthens me, and makes me feel more resilient to external stressors.
she/her pronouns
IG @paulinita_pibil
Donate to her on Venmo @auxilio-zamorano or PayPal.me/PZamoranoCastillo
Mexican filmmaker, photographer and dancer based in Los Angeles.
a dream synopsis
video
1920p x 1080p
2020
A recreation of a dream in which I was being chased while dancing. Most of my dreams happen in fast motion, but this one felt eternal, and every moment and movement was an opportunity to put distance between me and my pursuer.
un sejour si lascif
video
1920p x 1080p
2020
To avoid falling into insanity, I have started taking occasional ice baths. I have found that they help me further discover myself in an extreme condition in my own living environment. Two friends of mine, a couple who are very much into the Wim Hof method, shared this knowledge with me before the Covid-19 lockdown and since then, it has become a regular practice for me. Every second I spend in the freezing water strengthens me, and makes me feel more resilient to external stressors.
Artists receive 100% of all artwork sales. Please email gallery if you are interested in purchasing any of the works.
If you enjoyed this exhibition, please consider donating to help keep this project going!
If you enjoyed this exhibition, please consider donating to help keep this project going!
