Inside the studio of Jack Shure for ‘Soul Sanitizer‘
What is the inspiration behind this latest body of work? What themes or techniques were you exploring?
The inspiration behind these works spawned from the creative influences of my youth. I wanted to revisit themes and nuances of the things that drove me to paint in the first place all while creating a personal narrative around the characters and symbols.
Read the full interview with Jack Shure here.
Video by Birdman Photography
Inside the studio of artist duo Giorgiko while they prepare for their exhibition “What Is (and what is not)” showing at Thinkspace Projects from April 3, 2021 – April 24, 2021
“What Is (and what is not)” draws on experiences of the last year and the word itself. A weighted word, just hearing “apocalypse” conjures imagery, imagery that Giorgiko has drawn on and specified creating a series that is hauntingly beautiful and relevant. The etymological root of the word “apocalypse” is the Greek word “apokálypsis”, which means “an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known and which could not be known apart from the unveiling”. The husband and wife duo incorporates this definition, revealing truths about our world while maintaining a sense of whimsy.
Video by Birdman
Inside the studio of Fumi Nakamura while she prepares for ‘Look Toward the Future, but Not So Far As To Miss Today’
March 6, 2021 – March 27, 2021
Thinkspace Projects is pleased to present this new solo exhibition from artist Fumi Nakamura. ‘Look Towards the Future, But Not So Far As To Miss Today’ is a new body of work depicting flora and fauna. Each element is carefully selected to represent elements of life, memory, body and soul. Nakamura pulls from the subconscious, using metaphor and imagery to create striking pieces.
Fumi Nakamura draws inspiration from the Japanese phrase meaning “language of flower.” In line with this concept, each flower has different meanings right down to the positioning. Colors play a huge role as well, and each work becomes full of phrases and meanings. One tulip can mean a variety of things from “compassion” to “confession of love” to the “lost love” of a white tulip.
Different from her previous work in which she frequently incorporated negative space, this new series is filled up to the edges. Using custom “coffin” or “container” imagery, Nakamura takes inspiration from the funeral ceremony where we last see and connect with another being physically and reflect on the past together. This collection of works is layered and complex both in visuals and meaning
Video by Birdman
Visit the studio of DULK and he prepares for “Ephemeral Treasures,” a special exhibition taking place in NYC with our good friends at Spoke Art.
What is the inspiration behind this latest body of work? Could you share with us a bit of your process for approaching the sculpture and jewelry line that will be debuting for Ephemeral Treasures?
Well, as with all of my paintings, my inspiration behind any of them is based on my trips all around the world where I go to observe the animals in their natural habitat. I love getting inspired in nature because those feelings are transmitted to the paintings once I’m back at the studio. This time I would like to go a little bit further and create a sort of window into the threatened habitats where the animals live.
I love to make sculptures of most of my paintings’ characters, and in every solo show, I try to have at least one hand made. In this exhibition, I would like to pay tribute to an extinct animal that passed away 3 years ago. It’s a very special sculpture because it’s a unique piece and it has a very special meaning to me. On my latest trip to Kenya I had the opportunity to visit the tomb of Sudan, at Olpejeta conservancy, he was the last male of northern white rhino and the feelings there were indescribable.
About the jewelry line, it’s been more than a year since I’ve been talking about it with my friend Gabriel Suarez who is the creative director of Suarez, a renowned Spanish jewelry brand. They already produced some jewelry collection with other artist like Okuda or James Jean and he asked me to launch my own jewelry line, I accepted immediately because it’s something special that old masters like Dali or Pablo Picasso did in the past.
It is a unique collaboration, in which the work of an author is turned into a piece of jewelry after a process of elaborate preciousness, in collaboration with the artist to achieve custom-made art. The jewels make up the exhibition as part of the whole. There will be 2 unique pieces available, one of a kind each, one ring and a pair of earrings, and I can say that I’m really happy with the result. The concept of converting the animals into jewels is something that I always strive for with my artworks and now with these pieces it’s more evident.
On view February 20 through March 13, 2021 at:
Spoke Art
210 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002
Inside the studio of self-taught artist, Manuel Zamudio. His new line of work has been immensely inspired by great works of cinematography, street art, and post-apocalyptic sci-fi novels. Using portraits as a snapshot of his own movie, blending reality with the surreal.
Inspiration behind ‘Sunsets In The Apocalypse‘:
Ever since I was a child I was very interested in the apocalypse, sci-fi, comics and those kinds of things. In the last couple of years, I started getting into cinematography and trying to understand films a little bit more visually. So when I wanted to start changing the kind of work I was doing, transitioning from graffiti characters to more of a realistic body of work, I decided to use my love of film and my love of apocalyptic storytelling as inspiration. Then once the pandemic hit, I feel my work took much of a darker turn as far as the apocalyptic scenery. Like the classic line goes “does art imitates life?” here, life imitates art.
On view December 12, 2020 through January 2, 2021
