July 15 – August 11, 2023
Opening: Saturday, July 15, 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Step into the captivating world of Significant Form, an extraordinary exhibition where the works of four remarkable artists converge, inviting you to contemplate themes of migration, identity, memory, and social interaction. Mohamad Khayata’s poignant creations pay homage to the resilience and melancholic beauty of displaced individuals, reflecting his own experiences of fleeing his homeland due to political conflict. Christina Major pushes the boundaries of traditional portraiture, infusing her paintings with personal reflections, quotes, and graphology, capturing the coexistence of artist and subject. Emeka Udemba’s mixed-media artworks transcend geographical borders, exploring the concepts of otherness and inviting us to reimagine landscapes of memory and humanity. Finally, Eva Larsson’s raku-fired ceramic sculptures unravel the complexities of societal standards and individual liberation, each piece uniquely hand-formed and emerging from the kiln with unpredictable outcomes. Embark on this transformative journey where art intertwines with profound narratives and evocative forms, beckoning you to delve deeper into the human experience.
Mohamad Khayata’s works are the result of ten years of displacement and deal with themes of migration, memory, and identity. His work is a tribute to displaced people whose stories are filled with effort, hope, and serene melancholy. Born in Damascus, Syria, artist Mohamad Khayata was forced to flee his home country due to ongoing political conflict. He has been living and working in Beirut, Lebanon since 2012.
Christina Major is a portrait painter interested in the ways the identity of both artist and subject can coexist in a painting. Major expands on traditional portrait painting by cataloging her memories and thoughts along with the thoughts of the subject—at times recording quotes from the person depicted—by painting under, into, and over the subject in her handwriting. Major’s hand is visible both in the brushstrokes and in the cursive writing, preserving her identity in a “readable” way both literally and through graphology, or handwriting analysis.
Centering his mixed-media artworks within his identity as a person of color who lives in an evolving “global environment”, Emeka Udemba creates figurative artworks which offer space for speculation, the free flow of ideas, discoveries, and transformation. Udemba’s artworks revolve around issues of “otherness”. He creates images weaving together materials and fragments that invite us to question and reimagine new landscapes of memory, history, the present, and the future. These artworks speak beyond the geographies of hierarchy, power, conquest, and dominance. They allude to landscapes where we can all celebrate humanity and our differences.
The sculptures of Swedish artist Eva Larsson explore societal standards and social hierarchy versus the liberation and courage of the individual. Her figurative ceramic sculptures interact as a mediation of social interaction and place the individual within the context of a greater social and historical composite. Larsson’s raku-fired ceramic figures are coveted for their striking intimacy and rarity, as her process is complex and the outcome is unpredictable. Each piece is hand formed, unique, and individually pulled from the kiln while glowing hot.
Since the opening of Artplex Gallery in 2018, the gallery continues to be one of the world’s leading art galleries specializing in high-quality, original contemporary art representing a broad spectrum of major international artists. Right at home in West Hollywood and within immediate proximity to its sister gallery Artspace Warehouse, Artplex Gallery is an expansive modern space that specializes in international urban, pop, graffiti, figurative, and abstract art catering to the visual impact.
