SUMMER COLLECTIVE
GROUP EXHIBIT
PRIVATE PRICE LIST
OPENING RECEPTION
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2024
5-8 PM
ON VIEW
AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 21, 2024
FOR INQUIRES
Please contact hello@chefasprojects.com
Chefas Projects is delighted to present Summer Collective, a group exhibition this August highlighting four Portland-based artists, each with a vibrant and distinct style. An end-of-summer celebration of color and texture, Summer Collective features new works by multidisciplinary artist Jess Ackerman, illustrator and painter Ryan Bubnis, abstract painter Jordan Clark, and mixed media artist Emily Kepulis.
Summer Collective sends off the warmer months of summer with a fresh dialogue around color, texture, and the everyday. A selection of new paintings by returning gallery artist Jess Ackerman showcases their signature blend of bold color, pattern, and form, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the highly emotive and personal narratives they create. Fellow returning gallery artist Ryan Bubnis’s latest series on paper presents over 40 portraits of identical size, exploring color and texture as they compose his subject’s identities that detail the nuances of being human (or not) through expressive brushwork and playful forms. Paired with these two are Jordan Clark and Emily Kepulis, two artists new to the gallery. Inspired by the process of layering and revealing tied to railroad graffiti, Clark’s abstract paintings overlap saturated colors and organic shapes, creating dynamic compositions that evoke a sense of movement and spontaneity. Emily Kepulis, on the other hand, utilizes vibrant hues of watercolor and gouache to craft intricate pieces that reflect on themes of memory and transformation. Together, these artists create a rich tapestry of visual experiences that celebrate the essence of Summer and the power of artistic expression.
The opening reception for Summer Collective will take place at Chefas Projects on Friday, August 23rd, 2024, from 5-8 pm. Located in Portland, Oregon, at 134 SE Taylor Street on the first floor of the Taylor Works building, Chefas Projects invites the public to explore this unique exhibition, which will be on view through September 21, 2024.
ARTWORK
Through techniques learned from patchworking and quilting paired with the artist’s style of color blocking, Jess Ackerman utilizes these skills in their paintings as a form of storytelling. They weave past memories of self and totems found in the landscape of home in Northern California as an ultimate journey to healing. Tables become conduits for nourishment, fruits and vessels become channels for mental, spiritual, and emotional sustenance, and motorcycles and symbols of technology act as nods to the budding tech industry of the 80s and 90s. Ackerman currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon.
Ryan Bubnis is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator, and muralist based in Portland, Oregon. His practice includes painting, drawing, illustration, design, graphics, public artworks, and more. Equally influenced by Do-It-Yourself culture, art history, and the natural world, he explores themes of presence, connection, and the shared human experience. Pared-down shapes, textures, patterns, and bold colors combine to inspire a sense of calm, curiosity, accessibility, and introspection. Ryan’s work has been exhibited extensively across the U.S. and abroad. He has collaborated with commercial clients such as adidas, Disney, Pixar, Facebook/Meta, Foundation Skateboards, Stance, Starbucks, Yahoo, and more.
Jordan Clark was born in 1983 in Dubuque, Iowa, and was raised in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2012, he earned an Associate Degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from Madison College. He furthered his education and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in painting from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin in 2015. In 2017, he completed his MFA in Contemporary Art Practices from Portland State University.
Emily Kepulis, Midwest raised, made her way to the Pacific Northwest in 2012 and graduated from Portland State University where she studied drawing, painting, printmaking, and creative writing. Her paintings have been shown with galleries around the United States, Canada, and the UK, most recently Blue Shop Galleries in London and Soft Times Gallery in San Francisco. She has been commissioned for murals and painting projects in both residential and commercial spaces, notably at Teton Lunch Counter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and a ceiling mural at the entrance of Kimpton Hotel Enso in San Francisco.
