OPENING RECEPTION
FRIDAY, APRIL 7 , 2017
7-10PM

ON VIEW
APRIL 7 - 29 , 2017

For more info about available works by Yellena James, please contact info@stephaniechefas.com

Payment plans are available upon request.

PRESS

Widewalls feature by Eli Anapur

Supersonic Art feature by Zach Tutor

On April 7th, Stephanie Chefas Projects will proudly present 'THRIVE', a new series of paintings from Portland based artist Yellena James. James is well known for her colorful and instantly recognizable organic landscapes - an abstracted semblance of coral reefs, tangled seaweed and anemones. Through a combination of pen, acrylic, gouache, and ink, James playfully dances with various textures and forges a style completely her own.   

THRIVE continues upon James' exploration of brightly colored, biomorphic shapes. Each panel explodes with kaleidoscopic flora and offers an expansive glimpse into the subaqueous ecosystem. Delicate patterns are carefully added alongside other equally intricate layers, thereby retaining the imperative balance. By reimagining the at once random and mathematically agreeable harmony that actually exists in nature, James brings a completely fantastical world to life.

"My latest work is a continued exploration of imaginary worlds, while working with vivid and intense color combinations.", states James. "Each piece is created to draw the viewer in, and let them get lost in these ethereal places full of life."

The opening reception for 'THRIVE' will be held at Stephanie Chefas Projects on Friday, April 7th from 7-10pm. Stephanie Chefas Projects is located in Portland, Oregon at 305 SE 3rd Avenue on the second floor of the Urban Row building. The exhibition will be on view through April 29th, 2017 and is free and open to the public.  

ABOUT YELLENA JAMES

Yellena James grew up and attended art school in Sarajevo, BiH. At the age of 18 she moved to the U.S. After gaining her BA in painting and graphic design at UCF, she eventually made her way to Portland, OR. Preferring pens, inks, markers and acrylics, she combines complex abstract forms into dazzling images which take on lives of their own. Her colorful arrangements of organic shapes and tangled lines are at once floral and alien, organic and sci-fi. Each intimate world she creates seems to posses its own ethos and its own special ability to radiate emotion.

James has participated in shows around the U.S. and overseas, including: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Bristol (UK), Portland, and more. She also has done illustration work for Anthropologie, Crabtree and Evelyn, Crate and Barrel, Relativity Media and many others.

ARTWORK