Feral Creatures
Exhibition Dates: January 18 - February 8, 2014
Modern Eden Gallery is pleased to announce Feral Creatures, a group show curated by Stephanie Chefas. A celebratory mix of the real and fantastic, “Feral Creatures” explores connections between the human spirit and the animal kingdom.
This exhibition presents contemporary artists whose inherent aesthetic employs beasts both fierce and docile as allegorical vehicles for life's struggles and bliss. Each artist was chosen based on their natural mystique and ability to render beauty and grace with a skillful hand. By shining a spotlight on the wild, these artists allow the viewer to examine our reality through a broad tapestry of myth, imagination and animal behavior.
"Feral Creatures" features the inspired works of Michael Alm, JAW Cooper, Peter Gronquist, Michael Page, Caitlin Hackett, Anita Kunz, Christina Mrozik, Jason Wheatley, Zoe Williams, and Kikyz1313.
To receive a PDF of the artwork in the exhibit, please email info@stephaniechefas.com.
Photography courtesy of San Francisco Art Enthusiast
Selected Press
Word Play
Exhibition dates: June 29th - August 13th, 2013
Design Matters is delighted to present Word Play, a conversational group exhibition featuring 7 conceptual artists handpicked by Contemporary Art Curator Stephanie Chefas. The exhibit showcases a collection of mixed media, acrylic, neon, and textile works by artists Ben Venom, Greg Lamarche, Gregory Siff, Meg Hitchcock, Meryl Pataky, Shawn Huckins, and RERO.
Since the 1960s, language has been a fundamental tool for conceptual artists in emphasizing ideas over visual form to fuel creativity. Using words, phrases, and sentences to tackle topical issues of popular culture, significant artists of the late twentieth century such as Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, and Glen Ligon, have consistently given text a prominent role in art.
Word Play gathers some of the most innovative contemporary artists whose inherent aesthetic is heavily influenced by the written word. Though informed by their artistic predecessors, each artist is a product of his or her time. Their use of language and image expands the boundaries of art and confounds visual interpretation while simultaneously incorporating the lexicon of our modernistic world.
To receive a PDF of the artwork in the exhibit, please email info@stephaniechefas.com.
Selected press
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Exhibition dates: February 23rd - March 23rd, 2013
Cella Gallery is delighted to present "Something Wicked This Way Comes," a provocative group exhibition featuring multiple works from 10 innovative artists handpicked by Contemporary Art Curator, Stephanie Chefas.
A celebratory mix of the surreal and macabre, "Something Wicked This Way Comes", delves the senses into ominous worlds and forsaken dreams. The exhibition is a composition of some of the most powerful contemporary artists whose inherent aesthetic is both visually rebellious and viscerally seductive. "Each artist was chosen based on their dark allure and ability to transform what naturally repels us into something utterly captivating," states Chefas. "By consistently pushing conventional norms, these artists are simultaneously challenging the viewer as well as themselves."
An assemblage of mixed media works, oil paintings, watercolor and graphite drawings, "Something Wicked This Way Comes" features the talent of Annie Owens, Christian Rex van Minnen, Christine Wu, Chrystal Chan, David Ball, Fulvio Di Piazza, Jana Brike, Jessica Ward, Judith Supine, and Michael Page. Expect to feel the hairs on your neck stand straight up; for something wicked this way comes.
To receive a PDF of the artwork in the exhibit, please email info@stephaniechefas.com.
photography by Theonepointeight
Selected press
Trying to be Neither
Exhibition dates: Oct. 20th - Nov. 3rd, 2012
On October 20th, The Gallery in Venice and curator Stephanie Chefas will present Trying to be Neither, a collection of new works by surrealist painter Scott Belcastro.
Trying to be Neither reflects the artist’s most personal work to date. Through an assemblage of original paintings, Belcastro explores the internal struggles one wrestles with on a daily basis as he or she confronts life’s uncertainties. “These paintings are my inner most thoughts and a way of expressing how I’m feeling most of the time,” states Belcastro. “In these paintings, I’ve put myself in various situations where I am at the mercy of something. I am weak, sometimes strong, sometimes nothing at all.”
Mood and things left unsaid rule Belcastro's world. In each painting he effectively captures a moment of innocence, but exposes how vulnerable and subject to change that moment is. Seemingly stark backgrounds are infinite in scope, overflowing with loneliness and doubt. Bold, explosive colors are used to display the artist’s frustration and confusion in dealing with his unsettled spirit. His majestic beasts stand as a pillar of strength against adversaries. Belcastro describes these paintings as the little guy feeling tall even if only for a precious second.
The opening reception for Trying to be Neither takes place on Saturday, October 20th from 7-10pm at The Gallery in Venice, and is open to the public. The exhibition will be on view through November 3rd, 2012.
To receive a PDF of the artwork in the exhibit, please email info@stephaniechefas.com.
Selected Press
Femme Fatale
Exhibition dates: February 25th - March 17th, 2012
On Saturday, February 25th, Cella Gallery is pleased to present “Femme Fatale”, a group exhibition featuring the works of over 35 innovative artists handpicked by Nicole Bruckman and Stephanie Chefas.
An archetype in history and art, the femme fatale is a timeless figure whose mysterious beauty has inspired artists for generations. Although this seductive character is constantly evolving to represent the social views of the times, she remains a symbol of female independence and a welcomed challenge to traditional gender roles.
“Femme Fatale” gathers some of the most powerful contemporary artists whose inherent aesthetic is heavily influenced by the beauty of the female figure. The exhibition explores how individual perceptions of feminine allure can be expressed through each artist’s specific genre. Expect to be seduced, ensnared and dangerously dazzled as though in the crosshairs of a femme fatale herself.
The opening reception for “Femme Fatale” takes place Saturday, February 25th from 7-11pm, at Cella Gallery. The reception is open to the public, and the exhibition will be on view through March 17th, 2012.
To receive a PDF of the artwork in this exhibit, please email info@stephaniechefas.com.
Selected Press
Juxtapoz
Very honored to have the Feral Creatures exhibit featured in the April 2014 issue of Juxtapoz Magazine.
From bottom left to right...
Christina Mrozik
Michael Page
Peter Gronquist
Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco hosted Feral Creatures from January 18th - February 8th, 2014.
