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Welcome to the dinner party of your dreams, or maybe your nightmares. New York artist Sabrina Bockler paints aristocratic scenes and exquisitely ornate tablescapes that blend with the deep, soft textures of Dutch Golden Age still lifes. Yet amid all the ornate decoration\u2014lobsters, shells, goblets, overflowing vases\u2014are eerie, surreal details that give the piece an unsettling edge. Nude, bathing theme private detective<\/em> (2024) was surreptitiously observed by a plant growing out eyeballs; cup<\/em> Meanwhile, (2024) features a dead swan with two heads.<\/p>\nIn preparation for “Shallow Water,” her first solo show with Los Angeles’ Richard Heller Gallery (on view through February 15), Bockler has set her sights on the Roman goddess Diana. In the myth, Diana transformed the hunter Actaeon into a stag after he broke into her bathroom. He was later killed by his own hounds. Bockler was inspired by the way Diana “violently protected her sacred space,” she wrote in her artist statement. Against the backdrop of ongoing debates over women’s bodily autonomy in the United States, Bockler’s work evokes the sanctity and sensitivity of women’s rights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Bockler received a BFA from Parsons School of Design in 2011. She has previously had solo exhibitions at the Hashimoto Center for Contemporary Art in New York, The Brewery in London, and the Tulane Center for Contemporary Art in Montreal.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014Olivia Horne<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Born 1986 in El Salvador. Lives and works in Los Angeles.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Emiliana Henriquez\u2019s current exhibition \u201cWarm Blue Velvet\u201d at the Half Gallery annex space is an exploration of the commonalities between people. The Los Angeles-based artist was inspired by a recent trip to Egypt, where she was struck by the similarities in headdresses worn by women across faiths. These women, and the religious piety evoked by their covered hair, become the subjects of quiet three-tone portraits. Whether to tie a short knot at the nape of the neck, e.g. diamond<\/em> (2024), or hanging all the way to the floor like this Things are getting worse<\/em> (2024), Henriquez’s depiction of the hijab accentuates the tactility of the fabric and highlights its role as a hidden medium across cultures. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n
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Henriquez sees the portraits she takes of others as a way to visualize a part of herself, as she explained in an interview at the Fountainhead Artist Residency in Miami, which she completed in September. In previous group exhibitions, including Half Gallery, Superposition, and Andrea Festa Fine Art, she has explored her experience as a Latina woman of color in monochromatic portraits. Henriquez has also had a solo exhibition at the Fortnight Institute in New York and a group exhibition with the FLAG Art Foundation. <\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014Josie Thaddeus Johns<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Born in Bangkok in 1993. Live and work in Bangkok.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Juli Baker and Summer’s work offers a glimpse into her vibrant world, drawing inspiration from a range of influences including personal conversations and pop culture. (Her pen name is a reference to a character in the romantic comedy flip<\/em> and 500 days of summer<\/em>.) The Thai artist uses a variety of media, from acrylic paint to watercolor pencils and ceramics, employing vibrant brushstrokes and whimsical forms in his depictions of humans, flora and fauna. <\/p>\nAt last month’s Access Bangkok art fair, the artist held a solo exhibition titled “Journal of the Nordic Lands” in collaboration with Bangkok’s SAC Gallery. The works on display include Picking berries, picking feelings, picking sunset<\/em> (2024), an expressive portrait of a figure seemingly immersed in water. Like many of Julie Baker and Summer’s works, this piece features text written by the artist, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in her work. She also showcases playful ceramic sculptures shaped like snails and abstract forms that serve as candle holders, balancing decorative and functional features.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n
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juli Baker and Summer studied fashion and textiles at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Her work has been exhibited in galleries across Asia, including ART Is. Tokyo Gallery, River City Gallery Bangkok, Artemin Gallery, VS Gallery, Spiral Gallery and SAC Gallery Bangkok. She has also collaborated with brands including Nike, Lamy and Maison Kitsun\u00e9.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2014Adeola Gay<\/p>\n<\/div>\n