Celebrating Diversity at Art Basel Miami 2022

From Poland to Peru it was an outstanding show at Art Basel Miami 2022. Polish painter Wilhelm Sasnal's tenebrous painting left many questions unanswered. All we see are shoes and legs, maybe platform sandals suggesting it might be summertime but even that Sasnal leaves us to question. Who are these people and why are they meeting. It could be anywhere, a get together of sorts, the shadows overwhelming what little we can decipher. Meanwhile Marius Bercea's Fruitful monologues is an idyllic vision of the Romanian landscape juxtaposed against a young couple relaxing by the side of the lake. They are detached from the land and dressed up and far from a conversation. Oblivious to each other, they are there to be looked at, a contrast one could say between the country and the youthful ambition of the subjects themselves. Israeli artist Doron Langberg's Ilan's Garden is a luscious take on nature unhinged and in full bloom. It is a restful place despite its wild roots. The colours are vibrant and alive and show a sensuality of sorts underneath it all. African American artist Kerry James Marshall's Supermodel is a magnificent rendering of a young black woman in her undergarments. Marshall who paints in three shades of black wanted to give light to the conspicuous being we see before us. She's stripped of a background and instead asks us to see her for what she is. She's not a supermodel and the opposite of that stereotype. She's rendered deeply and her details deliver slowly to the viewer. We don't know who she is but wonder why she's dressed they way she is. We want to see more of her but Marshall keeps us guessing. It's easy to see why Sean Combs paid $21.1 million for one of Marshall's paintings. He paints black subjects with dignity and an aura of mystery always questioning their place in art history. That is why his legacy is well cemented and storied in our time. Danish artist Alexander Tovborg's Madonna of Solitude is a great abstract work full of bold colours and biomorphic shapes. We can see a face but that is all, the body is cut apart and we wonder we are looking at. The question is religion, but whose? There are no clear answers, the work remains mystical to the viewer. Peruvian artist, William Cordova, paints like Caio Fonseca and his Untitled, 2022 painting shows similar genius. His triangular shapes seem arbitrary at first but then blend well and we see they are intentional. Cordova paints between different cities always questioning the identity of each one. What we see is his interpretation of those locations. I wish I could write about all of these works as they all have something to offer but I'll let the viewer ask their own questions. Please enjoy these works and wait for more.

 1 Wilhelm Sasnal, TBD, 2022, Polish

Revisiting Art Basel Miami 2022

Art Basel Miami is one of the more important art fairs around and this year it proved itself to be one to remember. It was full of diversity with artist displayed all the way from Cameroon to Cuba. It was difficult to choose a select few but somehow I managed. It featured emerging as well as developed artists with household names such as Julian Schnabel and Susan Rothenberg. An artist that I interviewed years ago, Jeffrey Gibson was on display and you can view our interview here. I'm glad to see him doing well and selling well too. Alas, Raelis Vasquez's Amidst is a beautiful portrayal of a youth standing in the water almost waiting for his portrait to be made. It is rich in colour and shows an innocence captured with every brushstroke. Patrick Martinez, LA Tile and Stone's is a bold painting showing a rich colour field reminiscent of Mark Rothko. It would look good in any home. The show also included one of my favourite artists Elliott Puckette whose Untitled work is full of sinuous lines, the type she is well known for. Davide Balliano is another artist I am quite fond of with his tubular shapes he reminds one why abstract art is so highly prized. Kehinde Wiley's Morpheus 2022, is a wonderfully rendered work of a young black woman set reclining against a backdrop of flowers. We wonder what she is thinking about and the answer remains a mystery. Another great work is Ruth Ige's At the gathering, 2022, whose display of a faceless woman piques our interest. With her delightful dress we can't help but wonder who it is. Dread Scott's B Ball Youth on Rim, 1994 is hopeful take on a group of youth enjoying their daily game in dire surroundings. It's a reminder of social stratification in America which can be curtailed with the right energy and belief in oneself. Please enjoy these and the rest as they all share a high degree of skill and talent. Not all of them can be written about but you get the idea of why they're here. 

1. Raelis Vasquez, Amidst, 2022, Dominican

Part IV: Toronto Art at its finest

This is the last installment of the Art Toronto art fair.  I hope you like these selections as much as I do. There is much to choose from. I hope next year is as good as this year's. Tim Okamura Reiko's Dream celebrates the artist's Japanese roots. The contrast between black and light is ever present and we wonder what exactly the artist is trying to tell us. Does he miss his distant land or we just living through him? Time will tell. Isabel Okoro's Spirit Traveller shows a masked man with seashells waving through his face hiding the man's identity. Is the headpiece a part of a ritual of sorts or is it sartorial? We don't know. Kristy Templeton Davidge's, Working Hands II is a wonderful painting which cuts off the face of subject. We'll never tell who we are looking at. All we see are the hands and shirt she is wearing, forever steeped in mystery. The A. Y. Jackson is in keeping with Canadian tradition weaving together Canadian identity with the landscape. It is snowy and so reminiscent of Canadian winters. We go to it to find solace and something to call home.

 

1 Tim Okamura Reiko's Dream, 2022, Canadian

Part Three: Art Toronto Remembered

This is the third edition of Art Toronto 2022, the art fair that celebrates Canadian artists like no other. It is international as well, and brings together art from all over the world making Toronto an art center to reckon with. Here we have Steve Driscoll's beautiful rendering of a Canadian landscape. The colours so sharp and bold you wonder whether it has been photoshopped. Ayla Dmyterko's Anthropichka is a luminous landscape full of rebirth and femininity. Drawing on her Ukrainian heritage she shows us a new landscape filled with emotion and layers of identity. Danny Gretscher,'s Amost Trendy No.1 is a playful abstract work that displays circles encased in a structure. Playing with colour he celebrates the harmonious rhythm that sets before us. Richard Thomas Davis's Jill, shows a woman relaxing on a Muskoka chair; she's at peace with her surroundings and celebrates the good weather with drink. Skawennati's Etow Oh Koam (King of the River) celebrates her Mohawk heritage and shows a figure dressed in traditional gear. Meanwhile, Erin Armstrong's Time Moves Slow pivots the real and the dreamlike scenario that appears before us. What is the woman doing and why?  Robert Strickland's Subway shows an everyday scene this time of a subway in Toronto. It gives a peek at urban life of a woman enjoying her day with a coffee. She's waiting by herself with few people around her for the subway that will take her away.

1 Steve Driscoll, One thing that never changes, 2022, Canadian

Part Two: Art Toronto 2022 Continued

Art Toronto may be over but the art remains. Here is the second edition of Art Toronto, the art fair that is putting Canadian art on the map. There are of course other artists from different countries peppered throughout this post but the majority are Canadian. Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber's artwork is quirky and witty and well established in Canada. Hans Wendt and Gathie Falk are two of my favourites. Each one unique in its way, the first a collage of cutout pieces of paper makes for an interesting composition. While Gathie Falk's Cherry Basket brings memories of summer time together. Both are available from Michael Gibson Gallery. Meanwhile Regine Schumann's Colour mirror rainbow orange white Knokke is a fascinating light sculpture. Part installation part sculpture it brings to mind the colour fields of various paintings. Joyce Weiland's Squid on the other hand is a playful spin of kisses that celebrates femininity. I hope you enjoy these and look forward for more to come.

1 Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber, What you've always known, 2022, Canadian

A peak into contemporary art with the Art Toronto art fair 2022

With over 90 galleries and 1831 artworks Art Toronto was back in the swing of things post-pandemic featuring art from all over Canada as well as other parts of the world. I have chosen 32 here but there will be more in future installments. The art was that good. Here I have featured Michael Pszczonak from the Michael Gibson Gallery who recorded moments in time during the Covid pandemic. He painted monthly to capture the different moments in time from the outside in. His realist style reveals layers of everyday scenes of his family home in London, Ontario.  Kristy Templeton Davidge's mother and daughter-like rendering is humourous and beautiful at the same time. The younger woman is nonchalant that a bird has landed on her head and is happy following her mother for some important event. Kim Dorland's Green painting is something else. With thick layers of green paint the artist redefines what it means to paint the Canadian landscape. Rita Letendre's Rencontre is an abstract vision painted in two colours. Yellow and black twisting together to come to the final fruition. Meanwhile, Julia Campisi's Hard Surfaces in Warm Places is a welcome gift to the Toronto art fair. Pink bricks made up of hand-painted acrylic sit on top of one another and warm up the scene. Little does she know how appealing her work is. I could say more but the discovery is all yours. I hope you enjoy these selections and come back for more.

 1 Michael Pszczonak, February 2022, Canadian

An eye on ArtXLagos 2022 Continued

ArtXLagos was one of the finest art fairs I have seen in a while. It put the spotlight on Art from Africa and diaspora like no other. From 476 artworks I have selected 32 here on top of my previous post of 27. It was difficult to narrow down the select few but a pleasure to show the final few. I like Victor Ubah's Rest and his rendering of a fragmented body done in black and white. It is a dramatic finish and a beautiful piece of art. Morgan Mahape's beaded work is a feast for the eyes. How painstaking it must have been to put it together is beyond me. Nana Opoku's serene portrayal of a man holding a large jar on top of his head walking down a beautiful path is breathtaking. Meanwhile Ugandan born Henry Mzili Mujunga;s warrior with orange background 2 2020 shows the loving embrace of two sports lovers entangled in their affection for each other and for their sport. Daniel Onguene's Pause commentaires shows a couple on a shopping excursion wholly engrained in what they are doing. We look but can't see their intentions. They are alone against a puzzling background. Olufemi Oyewole's Coded Message shows a beautiful young woman with paint on her face and body highlighting her features. She's calmly taking in what's happening before her, her portrait cemented in history. 

 1 Victor Ubah, Rest, 2022, Nigerian

An eye on West Africa with Art X Lagos 2022

 Art X Lagos is now in its 7th edition showcasing art from over 40 countries, 31 galleries and representing 120 artists. Based in Lagos, Nigeria the fair has a strong base in Africa and casts a spotlight on art from Africa and it diaspora. Nigerian artists dominate here but there is a good representation of artists from other countries as well. The show featured some familiar names such as Oliver Okolo and Nedia Were both of whom are known for their portraitures. Rendered in a timeless fashion one can see their future success is cemented firmly. Leila Rose Fanner's ritual, the first piece shown here, is reminiscent of the ethereal beauty of Portia Zvavahera's work. The subjects faces are as dark as the night and the features dissolved with paint. The pair are getting ready, one guesses, for a wedding and the angelic aura that surrounds them promises a spiritual event. All of the artists here are worth noting however and once you take a look for yourself you'll see what I mean. 

 Leila Rose Fanner, Ritual, 2022, South African

Art on Paper 2022 Art Fair II

This is my second edition of Art on Paper. I hope you like it as much as the first. I particularly liked the abstract work by Soile Yli Mayry. Its deep blue combined with vibrant colours make for a painting one could contemplate for days. The image of the late Queen Elizabeth II was another favourite. The work engrained her profile forever in my memory. Rance Jones's, Mythology of Valor, brings to mind images of a different world some of it less than appealing. Its rawness is beautiful. Another mention goes to Yelena Lezhen whose abstract work I could stare at forever. Together these and the other selections are what made Art on Paper such a success. And I hope you enjoy them too.

1 Rance Jones, Mythology of Valor, 2022, American

 

Art on Paper 2022 Art Fair

Art on Paper is on the only art fair distinguished by its showing of art only on paper. With 100 galleries showing 2,153 artworks this year it was difficult to make only a few selections. Here, I have chosen 28. Each one is unique and comes from either the US or from a whole host of other countries. From the humorous artwork, Sleepless Night by Chihiro Taki to the romantic embrace by Croatian artist Miroslav Sekulic Struja's 's city scene in Ville VI, it was a strong showing. The fair sold fairly well and is well positioned to becoming an essential art fair that's not to be missed. I chose Alyssa Monk's Vine first in order to display her rich use of colour and also to show her talent in rendering the female nude. I hope you enjoy these; there will be more coming up. 

 Alyssa Monks, Vine 2017, American