Thinkspace Projects Kicks Off the New Year With Four New Shows

Gallery I | Caught In The Art | RYOL

Gallery II | Power Up | Shinnosuke Hariya

Gallery III | Anywhere & Here | Michael Polakowski

Gallery IV | Allergic Party | Abi Castillo

JANUARY 7 - JANUARY 28

Thinkspace Projects

4207 W. Jefferson Blvd. & 4217 W. Jefferson Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90016

T: 310.558.3375 | Tues. - Sat. Noon to 6PM

Thinkspaceprojects.com

Opening Reception

Saturday, Jan 7, 6-10pm

DJ, Refreshments, Live Painting and More

Los Angeles, CA (December 28, 2022) - Thinkspace Projects is thrilled to kick off the new year with an exciting lineup of New Contemporary Art shows and a fun-filled opening night to celebrate! Featuring DJs, an open bar, a mini artist mart, live painting, amazing food, and more, the gallery is excited to celebrate the start of the new year. Setting the tone for an incredible year of programming in their recently expanded space, Thinkspace brings together four very talented artists.

In Gallery I, Thinkspace Projects is thrilled to present visual artist RYOL’s (aka RYO LAKSAMANA) new body of work, Caught in the Art, fills the space with paintings that showcase how light is the most fundamental element in the visual arts, with the potential to make work become more dramatic with the use of light. Light becomes the experimental medium in Ryo’s new series of oil paintings. 'Caught In The Art’ is a play on the phrase "caught in the act," and refers to the play of light that appears to focus directly on the objects in the painting that appear to be cornered.

In Gallery II, Japanese drawing monster Shinnosuke Hariya presents ‘Power Up,’ a new series of 14 graphite works on an illustration board. This show is the artist’s debut North American solo exhibition. With the ‘Power Up’ series, he has chosen to highlight his favorite robots from the movies and television. From C3PO to Robocop to Astroboy, many childhood memories will be evoked with this show. Shinnosuke playfully reinterprets 2D cartoon iconography with a sense of three-dimensional realism.

Gallery III holds Anywhere & Here, a series of paintings that depict a shifting cast of protagonists from Detroit based artist Michael Polakowski. Each character is shown grappling with the reality of the here and now, while dreaming of the potential of anywhere. “Anywhere and Here” is a reference to our own sense of presence. It acts as a response to the question asked by each painting in this series “where can we find clarity in our day to day lives?”

Gallery IV features Allergic Party, showcasing 30 incredible new ceramic works from Spanish artist Abi Castillo in her debut North American solo exhibition. Following her introduction in their ‘Growth’ group show in July of 2022, they are thrilled to welcome Abi back and provide her the platform for her first solo showing in America. Each of the pieces or illustrations preserves the essence of her own self-portrait, in which she chooses to represent herself as a sweet, animated natural being, surrounded by elements that wrap themselves around out of protection.

These shows open January 7, 2023 with a reception from 6PM to 10PM. They will remain on view until January 28, 2023 at Thinkspace Projects.

About Thinkspace                                       

Thinkspace was founded in 2005; now in LA’s thriving West Adams District, the gallery has garnered an international reputation as one of the most active and productive exponents of the New Contemporary Art Movement. Maintaining its founding commitment to the promotion and support of its artists, Thinkspace has steadily expanded its roster and diversified its projects, creating collaborative and institutional opportunities all over the world. Founded in the spirit of forging recognition for young, emerging, and lesser-known talents, the gallery is now home to artists from all over the world, ranging from the emerging, mid-career, and established.

Though the New Contemporary Art Movement has remained largely unacknowledged by the vetted institutions of the fine art world and its arbiters of ‘high culture,’ the future promises a shift. The Movement’s formative aversion to the establishment is also waning in the wake of its increased visibility, institutional presence, and widespread popularity. Thinkspace has sought to champion and promote the unique breadth of the Movement, creating new opportunities for the presentation of its artists and work. An active advocate for what is now one of the longest extant organized art movements in history, Thinkspace is an established voice for its continued growth and evolution, proving their commitment by expanding its projects beyond Los Angeles, exhibiting with partner galleries and organizations in Berlin, Hong Kong, London, New York City, Detroit, Chicago, and Honolulu among many others, participating in International Art Fairs, and curating New Contemporary content for Museums. Committed to the vision, risk, and exceptional gifts of its artists, the gallery is first and foremost a family. From the streets to the museums, and from the “margins” to the white cube, Thinkspace is re-envisioning what it means to be “institutional.”   

Media Inquiries: Hijinx PR | Heidi Johnson | heidi@hijinxarts.com | 323.204.7246