Artwork that Exudes Unpretentious Charm
Chefas Projects is thrilled to introduce Modern Folk, a group exhibition showcasing the works of eight distinguished West Coast artists. While drawing in part from the folk art tradition, each artist elevates and modernizes their influences through the use of nuanced palettes and complex narratives.
Over the centuries, folk art has undergone various evolutions, but it remains firmly associated with works that are by and for everyday people. The featured artists embody the theme by evoking nostalgia for timeless traditions but from a creative and contemporary perspective, showcasing original works that exude unpretentious charm.
From this conceptual foundation, each artist branches off in their own unique direction. Jess Ackerman and Luke Forsyth present mixed-media paintings of everyday objects while Esther Pearl Watson's personal recollections are rendered in a naive style, complemented by the whimsical ceramics of Godeleine de Rosamel. Also presented are the surreal and imaginative worlds of Betsy Walton, the colorful and flat style of Lisa Congdon, the unmistakable self-portraiture of Gina M. Contreras, and the raw sculptures of Justin Morrison. Collectively the exhibit reveals an innocence and honesty rarely depicted in modern visuals.
The opening reception for Modern Folk will take place at Chefas Projects on Friday, January 26, 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 February 24, 2024. Admission is free.
Artist Jess Ackerman next to their painting ‘Candle Lit Patio’
‘Diamond Eyes’ by Jess Ackerman
While born in the Silicon Valley, and raised by The Internet, the artist Jess Ackerman has chosen the city of Portland, Oregon as their home town. In their studio, this self-taught visual artist is primarily focused on painting, but also no stranger to working with clay or wood. Their use of bold motifs with hints of nostalgia and playful, colorful vignettes often can’t mask the artist’s own joyful nihilistic outlook on our commodified daily lives. Jess Ackerman’s work has been exhibited in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and New York.
Artist Lisa Congdon next to her large-scale painting ‘Tillamook’
Installation view of work by Lisa Congdon and Justin Morrison at Chefas Projects
Lisa Congdon is an internationally known fine artist, illustrator, and writer. She makes art for clients around the globe, including Target, Amazon, Method, Comme des Garcons, Crate & Barrel, REI, and MoMA, among many others. She is the author of ten books, including Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist and Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic. Lisa is self-taught and didn’t achieve momentum in her career until she was nearly 40 years old. Despite her untraditional path, nearly 15 years later, Lisa has achieved recognition, not just as an artist, but as a leader in the industry for her work in fundraising, knowledge sharing, Inspiring People and Companies According to Industry Creatives published in AdWeek. She lives and works in Portland, Oregon.
‘Continued Comfort’ by Gina M. Contreras, acrylic and gouache on canvas, 36 x 60 inches
Installation view of ‘Modern Folk’ at Chefas Projects
Born in the Central Valley of California, Gina M. Contreras incorporates drawing and painting to examine the complexity of traditional and cultural standards. Contreras uses self-portraits to embrace the narrative between her conventional Chicana upbringing and her admiration for modern lowbrow culture of self-awareness and body acceptance. In 2008 she received her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and internationally. She currently lives and works in San Francisco.
Artist Luke Forsyth next to his painting ‘Circle the Wagons’
Installation view of work by Luke Forsyth and Godeleine de Rosamel at Chefas Projects
Luke Forsyth is a painter and illustrator living and working in Los Angeles, California. Known for a playful approach to the drawn elements in his works, Forsyth enjoys working in an array of colors and mediums. He draws inspiration from the everyday, with subjects ranging from domestic interiors and expansive sweeping landscapes, to pop cultural markers like Topo Chico bottles and fantasy castles, among others.
Artist Justin Morrison with his wood sculptures
Justin Morrison is a fascinating fellow who is hard to categorize. He’s a Portland-based visual artist who carves and paints brilliant little ‘monuments’ in a primitive, outsider style that are both figural and conceptual, as well as silly, sexy, and tremendously charming. He’s also got a hefty pedigree as a designer in a wide range of disciplines from editorial design, advertising, photography, and video. Oh, and he also had a much-lauded, glorious run as art director for the Portland Mercury.
‘Fauna #60’ & ‘Flora #67’ by Godeleine de Rosamel, ceramics
Detail view of ‘Fauna #51’ and ‘Flora #68’ by Godeleine de Rosamel
Godeleine de Rosamel is a French artist based in Los Angeles, California. Born in Lille, France, in 1968, de Rosamel’s passion for art began early when she was just a child drawing animals and taking her first ceramics class at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. In 1986, she attended the Ecole deRecherche Graphique (ERG) in Brussels, Belgium, where she graduated with a fine arts degree and began a career as a children’s book illustrator. Her whimsical illustrations have been featured in a number of books in France and Belgium. In 2001, she moved to Los Angeles and continued her illustration practice for several years until she decided to create ceramic sculptures. In 2014, she exhibited her work for the first time in a group show at Giant Robot in Los Angeles.
Artist Betsy Walton next to her painting ‘Spring’s Return’
Detail of ‘Seed Savers in an Atmospheric River’ by Betsy Walton
In blending organic forms, symbolic elements, geometric patterns, and vivid colors, Betsy Walton creates a visual vocabulary that's entirely her own. To gaze upon each work is to get lost in a full range of moods, images, and perspectives. One could isolate just a minor section of the painting to uncover layer upon layer of glorious detail. Meanwhile, a playful and even childlike temperament persists, as if each piece were sprung from the deepest stratum of human imagination. Even when gazing upon the same work over and over again, no two journeys are the same.
‘The Goldie Lox Zone’ by Esther Pearl Watson, acrylic, gouache, foil, pencil on paper, 10 .75 x 8.75 inches framed, Courtesy of Vielmetter Los Angeles
Detail of ‘Dust Clouds Around the Perimeter of the Galaxy’ by Esther Pearl Watson
Esther Pearl Watson lives and works in Los Angeles. She received her MFA from California Institute of the Arts. Her paintings have been exhibited at McEvoy Family Collection, SF, CA; Richmond Center for Visual Arts, Kalamazoo, MI; Andrew Edlin Gallery, NY, NY; Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Concord, MA; Contemporary Art Museum of Plainview, Plainview, TX; University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Parkside, WI; Maureen Paley Gallery in London, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, amongst others. In 2013 she was Artist-in-Residence at Grafikiens Hus, Mariefred, Sweden. Her award-winning comic “Unlovable” was published in Bust Magazine and with Fantagraphics. She has published Blood Lady Commandos on Vice online and Welcome to Crapland on Adult Swim online. She has taught at Oxbow Artist Residency, the Lexicon of Sexicana at Columbia College in Chicago, and is currently teaching at ArtCenter College of Design, Pasadena, California.
