For those who arrived on the VIP opening of Miami Seashore Untitled Artwork fasting, the work of korean american artist stickymonger was nothing in need of engaging. Behind a desk laden with sugary sodas, cereals and baked items sat a quintet of work of cartoon-like ladies having fun with an array of scrumptious meals.
Collectively titled his “Final Supper” sequence, the works have been an enormous hit on the truthful, promoting on the morning of the preview day for $40,000 every.
The characters are cute, cartoon-like ladies with large anime-style eyes, feasting on juicy burgers, scorching fudge sundaes, and buttery lobster, amongst different culinary delights. (The works have equally endearing titles like grain killer, Burger Helperand sweetest tooth.)
Demand was so robust that its retailer, Hong Kong’s Wow Galleryhad no selection however to separate the entire, regardless that the distribution of meals subtly spans the 5 canvases, bringing collectively the separate works with their totally different coloured backgrounds into one luscious banquet.
stickymonger, sweetest tooth. Picture courtesy of the artist and Woaw Gallery, Hong Kong.
“Possibly sooner or later they may develop into collector’s gadgets; you must get the complete set,” Woaw affiliate director Ben Yu instructed Artnet Information.
Amongst these drawn to the stand have been music producer and collector Pharrell Williams, who posed for photos with the founding father of the gallery Kevin Poon. (stickymongerwho’s shy in entrance of the digital camera, obscured his face each time.)
That is the third time that the gallery has supplied stickymonger‘s work at a good, following exits over the previous 12 months or else to Can Artwork Honest in Ibiza and Art021 in Shanghai – and his first time with a solo stand at an American truthful. (She confirmed with the Japanese artist Takashi MurakamiThe Tokyo Gallery Kaikai Kiki throughout a gaggle presentation at Frieze New York in 2019.)
stickymonger, uncommon please. Picture courtesy of the artist and Woaw Gallery, Hong Kong.
The artist drew inspiration from her personal responsible pleasures for her works, portray ladies who’re in a position to be true to themselves and luxuriate in a wealthy meal with out feeling uncomfortable.
Though it inevitably invitations comparisons with the well-known Leonardo DeVinci job, the title “Final Supper” is not a lot a non secular reference as it’s a literal one, while you promise your self “that is the final time I will eat this shit, however tomorrow you may do it once more,” Stickymonger mentioned.
Stickymonger’s ‘Final Supper’ work on show at Hong Kong’s Woaw Gallery at Untitled Artwork Miami Seashore. Picture by Sarah Cascone.
Born Joohee Park in 1979, she selected her artist nickname at a time when she was creating large-scale installations constructed from a profusion of vinyl stickers.
“I come from an experimental background in digital artwork, however I used to be on the lookout for a extra conventional sort of medium,” Stickymonger, who has known as Brooklyn house for the previous 13 years, instructed Artnet Information.
stickymonger, Uncommon to want. Picture courtesy of the artist and Woaw Gallery, Hong Kong.
She discovered it – form of – within the spray paint, making use of it to the canvas with uncommon precision utilizing nice nozzles. (She can also be identified for portray murals, together with a significant 2018 mission, cosmic travelernonetheless seen in entrance of the Oculus World Commerce Middle in New York on what has been informally dubbed the Fulton Avenue Artwork Wall.)
“Clearly Takashi Murakami impressed me lots. I began utilizing spray paint and discovering my very own method,” the artist mentioned.
stickymonger, grain killer. Picture courtesy of the artist and Woaw Gallery, Hong Kong.
For years, nonetheless, Stickymonger lived what she known as “a double life,” designing movement graphics for an advert company by day and portray by night time: “Slowly my profession as an artist obtained higher and higher. higher, and I used to be in a position to stop my job in 2019.”
She estimated that maybe half of her gross sales on the truthful got here from Instagram followers and former collectors, however she was additionally thrilled to be approached by a stranger who proclaimed the stall to be the perfect on the truthful. .
“It meant lots,” Stickymonger admitted.
stickymonger, lets dance. Picture courtesy of the artist and Woaw Gallery, Hong Kong.
Along with the “Final Supper” works, the artist had additionally bought a big formed canvas, lets dancefor $80,000, and a set of small spherical tondos of ladies’s faces for $24,000 every.
Every bit has a celebratory really feel to it, creating the sensation that Stickymonger’s topics live their greatest lives, having fun with their Leonardo-style feast with no regrets.
“I wished to point out,” the artist mentioned, “that we could be true to ourselves.”
Untitled Artwork Miami Seashore is introduced at twelfth Avenue and Ocean Drive, Miami Seashore, from November 28 to December 3, 2022.
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