Refreshingly Playful
June 1, 2024 – June 28, 2024
Opening: Saturday, June 1, 2024, 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Artspace Warehouse is pleased to present Refreshingly Playful, a new contemporary art exhibition, promising a captivating exploration of joy and delight through imaginative and enticing imagery. This exhibition features Canadian artist Kimberly Blackstock, known globally for her innovative style. Joining her are Michael Giliberti, transitioning from corporate advertising to vivid mixed media works, and Danny Brown, a first-generation American artist blending graffiti-inspired color blocking with cultural influences. Kathleen Keifer, a leading force in New California Realism, transforms elements from popular culture into pop art symbols. The exhibition also features globally acclaimed artist Sergio Valenzuela and hyperrealist figurative painter Amanda Arrou-tea. This diverse lineup invites viewers into a joyous and playful world of contemporary art.
Kimberly Blackstock, a Canadian artist from Vancouver, has gained global recognition for her innovative style shaped by her ever-changing childhood surroundings. Using unconventional techniques, she crafts vibrant compositions with playful textures, connecting with contemporary art movements. As a representative of Western Canadian art, Blackstock’s ability to evoke joy attracts collectors worldwide, with exhibitions in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Michael Giliberti, a graphic design graduate, transitioned from a corporate advertising career to focus on painting and printmaking. Influenced by roadside signs and Mid-Century Modern architecture, his mixed media works showcase vivid colors and powerful compositions. Translating photographs into layered acrylic paint, Giliberti’s artworks evolve from the first stroke to the last.
Danny Brown, a first-generation American artist born in Los Angeles, draws intrinsic connections between himself and the diverse communities of the city. Fluent in color blocking through his experience with graffiti, Brown’s art blends youth culture, art history, fashion, and American consumerism into a unique style. With a background in fashion and a keen eye for design and culture, his visually striking and deeply meaningful pieces have earned him recognition at prestigious galleries and museums nationwide.
Kathleen Keifer, a second-generation artist from Chicago, leads the New California Realism movement. Inspired by the California scenery and popular board games, Keifer’s paintings explore the complex relationship between time and timelessness. Fascinated with isolating objects in her paintings, Keifer takes elements from popular culture, such as lifeguard towers, and places them in new contexts, transforming them into pop art symbols. Her artworks invite contemplation of the individual magic inherent in actual sites and objects.
Sergio Valenzuela’s impressive artistic career spans over three decades and has earned him global recognition with over 80 group shows and 30 solo exhibitions across South America and around the world. Among numerous recognitions and awards for his artworks that explore the intersection of graphic design and fine art, he was selected as the winner of the “Young Artist” award in 2005 and granted a scholarship to study at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Since then, his works have been showcased in prominent institutions such as the French Allegiance of Guatemala, Forma Museum of El Salvador, and in private collections across Guatemala, Central America, Europe, Mexico, and the United States of America.
Amanda Arrou-tea, a hyperrealist figurative painter born in San Sebastián, Spain, explores the movement and interaction of figures in water with a focus on escapism and refuge. Her detailed artworks, expressing her emotions through oil on canvas, are deeply connected with her feelings and emotions. Having studied Fine Arts and broadened her understanding through exchange programs in France and Spain, Arrou-tea immersed herself in Mexico’s vibrant culture before relocating to Berlin, Germany, to solely focus on her artistic career. Her paintings have been showcased in numerous group and solo exhibitions worldwide.
Since the opening of Artspace Warehouse in 2010, the gallery continues to be an industry leader in affordable, museum-quality artworks making collecting art accessible and budget-friendly. With one gallery in Zurich and two galleries in Los Angeles, Artspace Warehouse specializes in guilt-free international urban, pop, graffiti, figurative, and abstract art. The expansive 5,000-square-foot space offers a large selection of emerging and established artists from all over the world.
