Home, a Virtual Exhibit

April 14, 2020

office pulls out a pen and paper to speak with artists Sara Yukiko, Justin Hager, Shana Shedeghi-Ray, Brie Moreno and Hank Reavis on their featured piece in WHAAM!’s new virtual exhibition, titled HOME.

The exhibition ends April 17, and a selection of its proceeds will go to Bowery Mission to help provide emergency care to the communities most affected by COVID-19 in New York City.

WHAAM! is a gallery, founded by Anatoly Kirichenko, dedicated to shining light on the many subcultures of NYC. On March 27, WHAAM! opened up HOME, featuring a glimpse into the lives of 25 up-and-coming artists who have been creating new art in their limited personal space. Each artist’s process and final work will be featured exclusively on the gallery's social media platform.

Text by Oona Baker
Photos courtesy of the respective artists and WHAAM!.

Above: Chito, Future (from the Distance Pup series), 2020, Watercolor on canvas, 24 x 18 in

Read our interviews with a selection of featured artists below.

SARA YUKIKO

Sara Yukiko, Wow and Flutter, 2020. 12 x 14 in. Thread and graphite on Aida Cloth.

Tell me a little about your featured work! What did your process look like and what were your inspirations?

My piece “Wow and Flutter” is a patchwork of cross stitch embroideries. I liked the idea of working on something that would take some time and patience since it’s not something I get to do often when I’m busy with work and spending time with friends. I feel like cross stitching is usually considered more of a craft so I wanted to play with it in more of an artistic context. The process is fairly simple (but time consuming): I draw each design on graph paper, replicate it on the cloth and then cross stitch each square. I drew inspiration from stitching and graphics in my favorite fashion brands (i.e. Helena Manzano, Eckhaus Latta, Hysteric Glamour) as well as kitschy characters from the 60s and 70s that I’ve been drawn to since I was a young girl.

Do you have any advice for artists in this time of quarantine?

We have an infinite amount of time right now so it’s a good opportunity to come up with new pieces and to get to ones that we haven’t had the time for. It’s so easy to feel discouraged by what’s happening and to feel like giving up but I think we have to transform chaos and panic into an opportunity for creativity, positive growth, and introspection. It’s really helped me to write out a list of projects that I want to tackle and to stick to a schedule! It’s also important to not be too hard on yourself—even if you’re being creative for a few hours or event a few minutes, that’s great. And treat yourself!!

What are your top three songs right now?

"Superstar" by The Carpenters, "always" by POiSON GiRL FRiEND, "Just Drifting" by Psychic TV

What is the first thing you will do when we are out of physical distancing?

Karaoke at Planet Rose!

JUSTIN HAGER

Justin Hager, Artificial Sun, 2020. Acrylic, oil, Color Pencil, ink and lacquer on panel, 16 x 16 in.

Tell me a little about your featured work! What did your process look like and what were your inspirations?

The process wasn't very different from how I usually work. Thankfully my studio is in my apartment so I can just roll out of bed in my pajamas and get to work. I was lucky enough to go to Japan right before things got really serious and was super inspired by everything there. The trip rekindled my love for all things 90s, so the painting is filled with a lot of the things that I used to have as a kid/still have and really love. The figure in the painting is me as Terminator wearing a pair of plastic Airwalk Jims, my favorite 90s shoe. The Teletubbies are funny and I’ve been listening to the Screamadelica album a lot so the idea of "Artificial Sun" is about bringing me different kinds of light and entertainment since we’re not allowed to be outside right now.

How do you feel this time in social isolation has affected your work?

I've been making things non-stop since being in quarantine. Constantly making stuff helps me escape the reality of these heavy times. It’s enabled me to work on projects I’ve been wanting to do for a while, learn new techniques and continue to practice in the studio every day.

What are your top three songs right now?

"Luka" by Lemonheads, "Birthday Boy" by Ween, "On and Off" by Blair.

What is the first thing you will do when we are out of physical distancing?

Go to Mission Chinese, and eat a baller ass dinner, and have a bunch of martinis!

SHANA SADEGHI-RAY

Shana Sadeghi-Ray, Home Sweet Home, 2020. Beads and Yarn. 9 x 11.5 in.

Tell me a little about your featured work! What did your process look like and what were your inspirations?

I created a beaded banner for Whaam's "Home" digital show. I considered the materials I already had and came across this technique. There weren't any clear tutorials on how to execute, so it took me about 4 days to get going. I planned a design I wanted to make and thought it would be interesting to use the phrase "Home Sweet Home" when we are all required to self-quarantine.

You work with many mediums, how has working in quarantine influenced this aspect of your art?

The beauty of that is I have a wide assortment of left over materials to play with. It allows me to think of new ways to use them.

What are your top three songs right now?

"On" by BTS, "Safaera" by Bad Bunny, "Save Your Tears" by The Weeknd.

What is the first thing you will do when we are out of physical distancing?

Go see my friends or a basketball game!

BRIE MORENO

Brie Moreno, Unknown Burning an Eggbird, 2020. Felt Tip in Newsprint, 12 x 11 in.

Tell me a little about your featured work! What did your process look like and what were your inspirations?

My piece is entitled “Unknown Burning an Eggbird." The drawing started with a sketch of the character in the foreground (the “Unknown”) and from there everything gets added in, taken away, added in again, scrapped and refined. Once I’m happy with the sketch I can proceed to finalizing everything with felt tip. I’m heavily inspired by comics, so when I approach a drawing I’d like to convey the idea of a potential narrative or passing of time. For this particular piece I wanted the “egg bird” in the background to swoop in to save the “egg bird” getting burned. The narrative never has to make sense.

As an artist, how do you suggest creatives find inspiration in times like these?

Take breaks! Indulge in a movie (I just subscribed to criterion channel and its been an endless source of inspiration), spend a few hours drooling over your favourite designers on ebay, read up on some fables and myths, try a different medium, have a long zoom meeting with friends. I’ve had moments where it feels self indulgent to be making art in such a scary time, however I quickly remind myself that art is what’s keeping everyone else who’s stuck at home entertained and happy.

What are your top three songs right now?

"So Blue" by Prince, "No Water" by True Blue, "Secret Love" by Mariah Carey.

What is the first thing you will do when we are out of physical distancing?

I’m looking forward to seeing my family and grabbing a burrito with my best friend Sarah.

HANK REAVIS

Hank Reavis, Untitled (Disaster Water 4 the Door), 2020. Airbrush (high-flow acrylic) on canvas, 36 x 36 in.

Tell me a little about your featured work! What did your process look like and what were your inspirations?

"Disaster Water / 4 the door" is mostly a representation of gut reactions in a crisis and seeing frantic shoppers at the grocery store. Things have changed and people seem less panicked, but right when businesses started to close it was insane. I think a lot of people are still looking at the same bags of flour and paper towels they bought a month ago.

How do you feel about having work in a virtual gallery? Do you think this a resource that will grow in popularity past quarantine?

It's cool to see so many galleries adapting to isolation and sharing new work, and WHAAM! has a really solid group of artists so that's exciting too. It’s hard to stay productive when I have no real schedule, so any sort of deadline is especially motivational these days. I can’t say whether or not virtual shows will grow in popularity but I can totally see them happening here and there. I think a lot of the day to day adjustments we’ve seen already (not just with art) will become part of the new norm.

What are your top three songs right now?

Top three current and in no order: "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell, "Looking 4" by Hitts Hill, "Anthem for a Seventeen Year Old Girl" by Broken Social Scene

What is the first thing you will do when we are out of physical distancing?

Get a drink : )

Check out more featured artists' works below.

Alex Petty, Bad Dream, 2020. Gouache ink and pencil on paper. 8.5 x 11 in

Chris Lloyd, Facts That Will Blow Your Mind, 2020. Colored Pencil on Paper. 8.5 x 11 in

Devin Beck, Ammonite, 2020. Handmade stencil, acrylic and airbrush on canvas board, 12 x 24 in

Michelle Guintu Petty, Special Bond, 2020. Tempera and marker on canvas, 9 x 12 in

Nick Atkins, Grey Cat, 2020. Mixed Media on Paper, 8.5 x 12.5 in

Ronan McGee, Roy Kean Prayer card, 2020. Photocopied laminated paper. 2.6 x 3.9 in (Editions of 5)

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Pamela Sneed’s Speaking Tongue opens at Dashwood Projects

November 15, 2024

Pamela Sneed’s latest exhibition, Speaking Tongue, will be on view at Dashwood Projects from November 20 to December 21. The show features twenty watercolor and ink paintings inspired by her recent trip to Kenya, where she was deeply moved by the elegance of giraffes, the landscapes, and the energy of Nairobi.

Blending her background as a poet and visual artist, Sneed’s work reflects on themes of identity, nature, and connection. Her paintings capture the beauty and spirit of the animals she encountered, alongside reflections on her own experiences as part of the African diaspora.

This exhibition marks Sneed’s first solo show with Dashwood Projects and will be accompanied by a new book, also titled Speaking Tongue, to be released in December.

By Enzo Holdt
Artworks by Pamela Sneed

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Tiebreaker - Alvin Armstrong

November 15, 2024

There is a moment of silence right before the play. Just before the racket strikes the ball as it hangs weightless in the air, breathless and charged. It’s the fleeting yet decisive instant that can alter the course of the match, determining who wins and who loses.

Alvin Armstrong depicts this crucial moment in his new exhibition Tiebreaker, symbolizing the risks and rewards of competition. It’s an implication of something else at stake, where athletes push not only their bodies, but their spirits to the absolute limit.

The dynamic figures embody the strength, grace, and agility juxtaposed by the vibrant color palette evoking not just the joy of competition but the charged energy of the court.

Tiebreaker is opening Thursday, November 16th at Anna Zorina Gallery.

By Rea Brayshaw
Artworks by Alvin Armstrong

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The Things People Are Ashamed To Take Photos Of: The Photography and Films of Yuhan Cheng

Yuhan’s latest exhibition of photo and video work titled 窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里 takes its namesake from what could’ve been a mundane encounter. A month after moving to New York City from Chengdu, China, they stumbled across an abandoned fish tank left curbside. It reminded them of “the rotating fish in a tank that faded into the background of their mother’s home in Chengdu”, a thread connecting childhood familiarity that transformed into a symbol of greater significance in adulthood. A tank is a world within a world; a microcosm secluded from the broader chaos of the outside. Since then Yuhan has captured the other kinds of “fish tanks” closest to them in their photography and short films. Not literal ones necessarily– but intimate confined spaces in Chengdu and NYC where time stands still.

In the midst of taking snapshots of loved ones, Yuhan decided to turn their tender but examining lens on themselves. They realized shooting self-portraits unraveled a deeper understanding of their own nonbinary gender and queer sexuality. Yuhan admits in one of their short films “I hide from looking at my own body.” Yet, in the seclusion of their room which doubles as a dark room, Yuhan began to develop their first nude photos chronicling the subtle wounds; bitten cuticles, bruises, and scrapes they’ve accumulated involuntarily, once again documenting the things people choose to hide.

窗子外 Outside the Window, Inside the Tank 鱼缸里, debuted at FAR-NEAR Studio Hours a gallery in Chinatown focused on expanding the art world's view of Asia and Asian artists curated by Lulu Yao Gioiello. The event merged Yuhan’s works from the past three years, including 70 photographs, three short documentaries, and one installation. There was something uncanny about the gallery’s atmosphere – from the dollar store teal green curtains obscuring every window to the clusters of framed photos mimicking how photos of relatives are displayed in one’s childhood home, to the darkened lighting that was both disorienting and cozy. All these details were meticulously chosen to imitate the rooms depicted in Yuhan’s films and photography. In other words, the audience was invited to Yuhan’s “fishtank”, to share the odd balance of comfort and unease of being known intimately. We talked to Yuhan at Cafe Reggio to understand how their latest body of work came into being.

Initially, I was exploring my friends’ identities through the lens, but slowly, it became a tool to confront and understand my own queerness and gender identity.

Ora Margolis— Were any memories/childhood experiences you had in Chengdu important to how you've developed as an artist?

Yuhan Cheng— Growing up in Chengdu, especially in a military household, shaped and gave me a source of contention how I understood my identity. There was always a sense of conflict when it came to my body and feeling like I didn’t quite fit the expectations around me. This tension has been a driving force in my practice, pushing me to explore identity and belonging in my work.

Tell us a bit about your latest exhibition Outside the Window, Inside the Tank at Far. What headspace were you in when taking these photos?

YC— Outside the Window, Inside the Tank is about the fluidity of self; our bodies, our environments, and our identities. The idea of water as both a symbol of confinement and freedom is central to the photos and film that comprise the exhibit. This fluidity much like how I see my experience moving between Chengdu and New York, where similar feelings follow me no matter where I am. Water mirrors the body, the frame, and the room, which are all containers of the self.

Previously, you’ve said you wanted the exhibition space to look "like your room". How did you make that happen and why is your NYC room important to you?

YC— My room in NYC is an extension of my identity. It’s where I feel vulnerable and where I explore myself most openly. It’s a manifestation of my sense of self. I recreated certain elements in the exhibition—the green sheer curtains, the dollar store shower curtain with bubbles, and the center installation depicted a self-portrait deteriorating in water, reminiscent of a fish in a tank. This room, like any other room or container, magnifies the tension of self-exploration.

Has your idea or comfort with your gender identity and /sexuality changed since you’ve delved into photography?

YC— Yes. The process of photography and filming has been a mirror to my own understanding of self. Initially, I was exploring my friends’ identities through the lens, but slowly, it became a tool to confront and understand my own queerness and gender identity. The process of photographing my queer friends and then myself allowed me to come to terms with who I am.

How did you and Lulu Yao of FAR-NEAR Studio meet, and what makes her a good collaborator?

YC— We first connected when I reached out with my series Princess of Funan River. Lulu understood the struggles and complexities in the work and she invited me to expand on those ideas with her. Our collaboration has worked because Lulu truly resonates with the themes I’m drawn to, like fluidity, transformation, and the intimacy of navigating belonging.

After completing Fish Tank and Remnants of an Amateur Film, what kind of movie do you want to make next?

YC— Right now, I’m more focused on writing. I need to understand what I want to say before making another film. Writing helps me find clarity;it’s a crucial part of my process.

What kind of camera do you use and why?

YC— I use a Canon AE-1. I started with it and I still love it. It's small, spontaneous, easy to use, and light. It allows me to capture moments naturally without overthinking.

What's your biggest fear?

YC— Being disconnected from my sense of self, from others, and from the things I love.

When do you feel most like yourself?

YC— It’s during those fleeting moments when I complete a project. That feeling fades quickly, leaving me searching for the next project to reconnect with that sense of fulfillment.

How do you want people to feel when they interact with your art?

YC— I want them to feel whatever resonates with them. I don’t want to prescribe the experience; it should feel right for each person.

Your work focuses on the close knit communities that surround you or various metaphorical “fish tanks”. What communities do you feel closest to?
YC— The queer artist community, both in Chengdu and NYC, has been a source of comfort and understanding for me. There’s something about shared struggles and shared creative language that feels like home.

What's the biggest difference between living life as a queer artist in NYC and in Chengdu?

YC— In both NYC and Chengdu, I’m learning more about myself. NYC offers a sense of freedom, while Chengdu is home, a place of comfort and history. Neither place defines me but both are significant parts of my path.

What are your next moves/goals?

YC— I want to continue exploring both film and photography, expanding my narrative style and experimenting across mediums. During my show, I found new ways of seeing my photographs such as by adding a window screen between frames or letting a self-portrait fade and grow mold in water. These approaches allowed me to see my work not just as 2D images but as 3D objects.

I want to keep pushing the boundaries of how photo and film can interact, and I’m also interested in trying photojournalism. My focus remains on collaborating across mediums and continuing to accumulate experiences that I can translate into sincere honest work.