Volery Gallery is hosting Don’tGiveADamns#2, a group exhibition curated by Saša Bogojev. It features the following artists: Maka Batiashvili, Keith Boadwee, Wendell Cole, Alya Hatta, Hallgrimur Helgason, Julien Jaca, Peter Jeppson, Hein Koh, Ralf Kokke, Pow Martinez, Miao Miao, Francisco Mendes Moreira, Damaris Pan, Matias Sanchez, Devin Troy Strother, Ahn Tae Won, and Iriée Zamblé. The show will end on April 2, 2022.
In the 1970s, a group of artists who were done with Conceptual art, Minimalism, and “good taste” expressed it in the type of work which openly questioned traditional styles and values. It was recognized as an art movement in 1978 when art critic and curator Marcia Tucker’s exhibition “Bad” Painting was held at the New Museum of Contemporary Art of New York. She defined “Bad” Painting as “[…] “good painting” […] characterized by deformation of the figure, a mixture of art-historical and non-art resources, and fantastic and irreverent content. [Disregarding] accurate representation and [rejecting] conventional attitudes about art, “bad” painting is […] funny, moving, and often scandalous […].”
The artists participating in the Don’tGiveADamns#2 show share this approach. Whether it’s the same doneness with the art world or the world in general, the lack of access to traditional art education or the lack of interest in it, or just a rebellious attitude toward anything imposed, they just don’t care about it all. They create artworks which are purposely storming over established aesthetical and technical rules or ambitions: they freely disobey trends, traditions, or standards.
About the exhibiting artists:
Maka Batiashvili (b. 1975, Georgia) is a Georgian artist. Working in painting and graphic, she draws her inspiration from the moments of everyday life.
Keith Boadwee (b. 1961, Meridian, Mississippi, USA) is a conceptual artist who resides in Emeryville, California, USA. Mostly famous for his kind of shocking self-portraits photos, in his art Boadwee explores identity and body
Alya Hatta (b. 1999, Malaysia) is multidisciplinary artist living and working between London, UK, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Using painting, video, audio design, and 3D software, she creates her bright-coloured works. Being inspired by Southeast Asian mythology and her experiences and memories, the artist represents her Southeast Asian identity and portrays the intimacies of the diasporic human condition.
Hallgrimur Helgason (b. 1959, Reykjavík) is an artist and writer. The main source of his inspiration is Icelanders and Icelandic landscapes. In his paintings, Helgason combines affectionate criticism with pride in his country.
Julien Jaca (b. 1985, Toulouse, France) is a painter and a tattoo artist residing in Hossegor, France. In his art, he mixes different cultures like tattoo history and biker scene from the ’70s with traditions like antique pots, cracked faience texture, and ancient typographies.
Peter Jeppson (b. 1985) is an artist from Stockholm, Sweden. His art practice includes painting, sculpture, and ceramics. Jeppson depicts different objects (pencils, buckets, fruits, etc.) in a cartoonish style and gives them a living form and emotions.
Hein Koh (b. 1976, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA) is a surrealist artist living in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Working in sculpture and painting, she explores themes of gender and mental health in her humourous artworks which depict anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables.
Ralf Kokke (b. 1989, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) is a visual artist based in The Netherlands. In his paintings, contemporary fantasy-like creatures are mixed with classical compositions and Western Culture’s fragments.
Pow Martinez (b. 1983 in Manila, Philippines) an artist living in Manila. Using various media, he creates satirical and grotesque artworks which comment on Filipino history, culture, art scene and market.
Miao Miao (b. 1986, Henan Province, China) lives and works between Tianjin and Beijing, China. The artist’s approach moves outside any norm and fixed visual modes of representation. Her works are often inspired by a particular moment in life, a specific color, impression, action, or thought.
Francisco Mendes Moreira (b. 1979), a multidisciplinary artist, resides in Lisbon, Portugal. Through vivid colors, textures, and a unique imagery, he tells the viewer about his vision of the world. Exploring themes relating to the human experience, his artworks often depict abstract faces and figures.
Matias Sanchez (b. 1972, Tübingen, Germany) is a self taught artist currently living and working in Seville, Spain. He uses recurring images (sausages, bones, rats, etc.) on vivid painterly surfaces to create grotesque dreamscapes exploding with energy.
Devin Troy Strother (b. 1986, West Covina, CA, USA) resides in Los Angeles, CA, USA. This multidisciplinary artist is inspired by overheard conversations, movies, TV, music, stand-up comedy, and the work of canonic artists. In his art, he explores race issues, kitsch, and the exuberance of “high art”.
Ahn Tae Won (b. 1993, South Korea) lives in Seoul, South Korea. The digital world is the main motive for his artworks, but he also returns to the analog; the artist strives to make art that exists between the two worlds.
Iriée Zamblé (b. 1995, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) is a visual artist based in The Netherlands. Inspired by ordinary life and Afro-Atlantic culture, she paints and draws portraits in which black people play a leading role.
To learn more about Don’tGiveADamns#2, please visit its official web page.
You might be interested in visiting New Perspectives at Foundry.
