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On Saturday, April 1st, Downtown Los Angeles' Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) presents Madrid-based artist Okuda San Miguel in his U.S. debut exhibition, entitled "Mayan Renaissance". On view in CHG's Gallery 2, Okuda's exhibition features a new series of his vibrantly colored synthetic on enamel paintings, sculpture, and tapestry.
Okuda
's distinctive style of geometric harmonies, emboldened with intense colors, makes his artworks feel like they're from a parallel universe. Rainbow geometric landscapes blend with organic shapes, headless animals, figures, and personal iconography. His eye-catching large-scale murals and sculptures can be found in cities around the world, and his approach to fine art is just as diverse.
Featuring elements of embroidery, collage and wood, Okuda's art expresses what he describes as "an insatiable thirst for creation." Throughout, Okuda addresses questions about existentialism, the universe, the infinite, the meaning of life, and the contradictions of the false freedom of capitalism, showing conflict between modernity and our roots. In his new body of work, Okuda offers his personal reinterpretation of classic imagery through a contemporary lens. A recent visit to Sicily brought Okuda face-to-face with the
masterpieces of sculptors like Bernini and Jean-Pierre Cortot, inspiring him to reinterpret their historic figures. He aligns them with characters of Greek mythology, and modern faces of politics and pop-culture, like fashion model Cara Delevingne and rap group Die Antwoord, reborn in Okuda's bright, prismatic world: "In this more mature period in my career, travelling and painting around the world is one of my most important sources of inspiration. Getting to know and understand the different cultures that surround us has given me the sensibility to express common situations but always from a positive and colorful point of view."
"No mask for the wicked" (synthetic enamel on wood panel, 47" x 47")
"My art reflects my love of metamorphosis. Playing with shape and form, I highlight this juxtaposition within my characters, mixing up their shapes and personalities. I paint my faces with geometric patterns to show equality among the different races, placing all skin types on the same level; multi-colors symbolize multi-culturalism," Okuda shares.
"Yolandi bird's" (synthetic enamel on wood panel, 31" x 31")
"My works always have a touch of some recognizable elements; for example, eyes are painted with the black and white of the cosmic universe. I use colors as a symbol of life and the natural world, while the grey scale in my paintings represents cement, death, dust and the material of classical sculptures. I am constantly challenged to find a harmonious balance of the grey scale with my vibrant palette - I need to create to be happy, and feel alive. Art is the meaning of my life."
The opening reception for "Mayan Renaissance" will be Saturday, April 1st from 7-11pm at Corey Helford Gallery. The reception is open to the public and the exhibition is on view through April 29th.
Okuda San Miguel graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Madrid's Complutense University. His unique iconographic language of multicolored geometric structures and patterns on the streets, railroads and abandoned factories around the globe have made him one of the world's most recognizable street artists of today. Highly sought after for large scale projects, Okuda is perhaps best known for his conversion of an abandoned Spanish church aptly named Kaos Temple, which has become a new icon of contemporary art. Parallel to his work outdoors, in 2009 Okuda started his own studio practice and his fine art has been exhibited in galleries from India, Mali, Mozambique, United States, Japan, Chile, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Mexico and the European continents among others.
About Corey Helford Gallery:
Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) was first established in 2006 by Jan Corey Helford and her husband, television producer and creator, Bruce Helford (Anger Management, The Drew Carey Show, George Lopez, The Oblongs) and has since evolved into one of the premier galleries of New Contemporary art.
Its goals as an institution are the support and growth of young and emerging, to well-known and internationally established artists, the production and promotion of their artwork, and the general production of their exhibits, events and projects.
CHG represents a diverse collection of international artists, primarily influenced by today's pop culture and collectively encompassing style genres such as New Figurative Art, Pop Surrealism, Neo Pop, Graffiti and Street Art, and Post-Graffiti.
After nine years in Culver City, CHG relocated in December 2015 to a robust 12,000 sq. ft. building in Downtown Los Angeles, seven times larger than its original space, where it continues to host exhibitions within the heart of the city's art community. The current space boasts three separate galleries, each of which house individual artist and group exhibitions, whereas the main gallery offers 4,500 sq. ft.,
providing total immersion for its attendees.
New exhibitions are presented approximately every four weeks. For more info and an upcoming exhibition schedule, visit
coreyhelfordgallery.com
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COREY HELFORD GALLERY
571 S. Anderson St. (Enter on Willow St)
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Tel. 310.287.2340
Open Tuesday-Saturday, 12 Noon to 6pm
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