PRESENTING a new exhibition titled Painting Someone, Almine Rech‘s Shanghai location will be home to artwork from 16 artists. The collective consisting of Brian Calvin, Alejandro Cardenas, Genieve Figgis, Michael Hilsman, Jason Fox, Marcus Jahmal, Aaron Johnson, Allen Jones, Haley Josephs, Sam McKinniss, César Piette, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Vaughn Spann, Phyllis Stephens, Genesis Tramaine and Chloe Wise, all blur the lines between figuration and abstraction with their portraits.
The majority of the artwork was created this year, presumably during times of isolation where they had no models or friends to paint from. Even in times of solitude, the artists were able to create faces with different responses from their imagination – offering an attempt at realism from a subjective point of view. In times like the one we are living through, some painted in order to question and outline social issues, or play on aesthetics in their portraits.
by Imogen Clark
Painting Someone at Almine Rech Shanghai is on from November 6 until December 26, 2020
