NATHAN BRAD HALL - “Undercurrents” at Gallery Victor

Nathan Brad Hall, I love You the First Time, oil on linen, 80" x120"

I recently received an email from an old friend who wanted to make sure I knew about an exceptional exhibition that just opened at Gallery Victor in Chicago. He thought I’d be interested, given a series of large-scale male figurative paintings I created in the early 2000s—meditative works exploring the moments between sleep and waking. In those paintings, I used dramatic contrasts of light and dark, “chiaroscuro” inspired by my passion for the paintings of the Italian master Caravaggio. Naturally, I was excited to see the exhibition. So, this past weekend, I ventured out to the River North Gallery District to view the large-scale paintings and charcoal drawings of Nathan Brad Hall.

I wasn’t disappointed. The exhibition is visually stunning—filled with atmosphere, nuance, and a sensitivity to the human experience. Each painting offers a bold and emotionally defenseless rendition of the figure, inviting the viewer into a space of raw vulnerability. Hall paints human emotion—capturing quiet moments of introspection—the moments when we consider possibilities or confront our fears. Through subtle gesture and expression, Hall paints not just the human body, but the emotional undercurrents that run beneath the surface of the flesh.

Nathan Brad Hall, Day Break, oil on linen, 58" x 58"

Lighting becomes a secondary character within Hall’s compositions. At times, it's harsh—emphasizing the musculature of the figurative form. This approach is evident in Day Break as well as in many of Hall’s charcoal-on-paper works. Yet the romantic use of dappled light is also central to his practice. In I Love You the First Time (oil on linen, 80” x 120”), Hall utilizes filtered light for a dreamier effect, with highlights and shadows flowing across the figure and fragmenting the picture plane into abstract areas that guide the viewer’s attention through the composition. The level of detail commands the viewer’s attention: the hair appears dimensional, and the eyes seem to peer directly into the viewer’s soul.

With subtle references to the dramatic realism of Caravaggio, Nathan Brad Hall creates evocative modern meditations of presence, power, and vulnerability. He paints the human form with precision. The depiction of flesh is flawless in its imperfections—both beautiful and scarred, emerging from darkness into stark focus. The compositions are cinematic, yet emotionally intimate. 

The Undercurrents exhibition continues through August 30. Gallery Victor is located at 300 West Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois 60654. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 11-5. Additional Information can be found at galleryvictor.com

Nathan Brad Hall, Haven, charcoal on paper, 29.5" x 23.5"

Nathan in the studio with I Love You the First Time

Nathan Brad Hall lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. His work has been widely exhibited and is held in private collections across the U.S. and internationally.

ANNE SMITH STEPHAN at Vivid Art Gallery - Layers of Being: Mapping the Lived Experience

Anne Smith Stephan, Beyond Earth and Sky, 48" x 60" oil and wax on canvas

The paintings of featured artist Anne Smith Stephan will be on view at Vivid Art Gallery in Winnetka, beginning with an opening reception on Friday, June 6, from 5–7 pm.

In this latest collection, Stephan continues to work in abstraction as a way to explore memory, emotion, and the layers of personal history. Her paintings are wistful and expressive. Soft washes of color meet bold, textured brushwork, creating surfaces that invite close inspection. Each painting unfolds gradually, offering glimpses of hidden stories and quiet emotions lying just beneath the surface.

“Art is such a personal creative endeavor… you paint what you see, experience, and know. I take these realities and create another world,” —Stephan.

The paintings in this exhibition reflect Anne Smith Stephan’s evolution through emotional abstraction. Bold and full of feeling, they speak to the complexity of everyday life. Mysterious yet familiar, they invite us to look beyond the surface and discover what lies beneath.

The opening reception for Anne Smith Stephan at Vivid Art Gallery will take place on Friday, June 6, from 5–7 pm. Vivid Art Gallery is located at 895 Green Bay Road in Winnetka. The exhibition will continue through the end of the month. This event is free and open to the public.

Anne Smith Stephan, Rise and Fall, 16" x 20" oil on canvas

EXPO CHICAGO 2025 Returns to Navy Pier, April 24–27

The highly anticipated EXPO CHICAGO 2025 is set to return to Navy Pier from April 24–27, marking its twelfth edition as one of the premier international art fairs. This year, the fair will feature an impressive lineup of world-class galleries, showcasing a diverse and dynamic selection of contemporary and modern art. EXPO CHICAGO continues to serve as a global hub for artistic innovation and cultural exchange.

In addition to its expansive gallery presentations, EXPO CHICAGO 2025 will offer an array of curated programming and special sections, each designed to highlight different aspects of the contemporary art world:

• EXPOSURE – The EXPOSURE section, installed on the main floor of the exposition, features solo and two-artist presentations represented by galleries ten years and younger. For the second year running, EXPOSURE 2025 exhibitors will be curated by Rosario Güiraldes, Curator of Visual Arts at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

• PROFILE – Presents solo booths and focused projects by established international galleries. Showcasing ambitious installations and tightly focused thematic exhibitions, this section features major projects by a single artist or collective, providing a curatorial platform for solo presentations.

• EDITIONS + BOOKS – Showcases a cross-section of established and emerging artists. From limited editions to publications, the exhibitors offer a diverse array of print media and object-based practices that span across photography, sculpture, monographs, and other multiples.

• SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS – The Special Exhibitions section features curatorial projects by select regional, national, and international non-profit institutions, museums, and organizations. Complementing the surrounding elements of the fair, this program illustrates and preserves the important relationship between contemporary and modern art and non-profit organizations.

Beyond the exhibitions, attendees can look forward to a extensive lineup of talks, panels, and site-specific installations, ensuring a dynamic and engaging experience for collectors, curators, artists, and art enthusiasts alike. The event offers a rare opportunity to engage with the latest trends in contemporary and modern art while networking with some of the most influential voices in the industry.

For exhibitor details, programming schedules, and ticketing information, visit expochicago.com.

Don’t miss this important annual event, where the world’s preeminent galleries, visionary artists, and esteemed collectors converge to celebrate the pinnacle of contemporary and modern art. Whether you're a seasoned collector, an impassioned artist, or a devoted admirer of fine art, EXPO CHICAGO 2025 promises an inspiring, immersive, and unforgettable experience that will deepen your appreciation for the global art landscape.

.

LIGHTNESS AND BEING - SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art Gallery

Pinar Aral, Being Sixteen, unglazed ceramic, 2023

Many fine artists create work as a means of processing personal trauma, transforming their practice into a form of therapy. These works often develop into a powerful visual language, inviting audiences to interpret and connect. However, the traumas we experience are rarely ours alone—there is always someone in the audience who resonates deeply and finds a shared understanding.

This past weekend I attended an artist talk at the SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art Gallery. The event coincided with a group exhibition titled Lightness and Being—currently on view in the gallery. The show features more than thirty Chicago artists, showcasing unique and thought-provoking works that explore the concept of Lightness and Being. The exhibition responds to the need for inner serenity in a world that often feels uncertain and chaotic. The artists generally present an optimistic perspective, celebrating the wonder of life and the interconnectedness of humanity. The array of work reflects the beauty of existence while also exploring past wounds and the ongoing journey of resolving inner conflict.

Glen Gauthier, Test for Echo, mixed media collage

These ideas were brought to life during the artist talk, where Glen Gauthier shared insights into his work, detailing his creative process and inspirations. His piece, Test for Echo, is a unique blend of graphic design elements—photography, maps, letterforms, and color strips—that evoke the wonders of childhood: travel, escape, and a yearning for something more. In his artist statement, Gauthier reflects, “Through this work, I engage in a conversation with myself—across time, as a boy, a man, and the future version of myself. It doesn’t all make perfect sense yet, but clarity is slowly emerging.” Gauthier’s deeply personal and biographical composition is just one of the many authentic gems in this exhibition.

 
SoNa Chicago Contemporary Art is located at 1527 N. Ashland Avenue, in Chicago (60622) A closing reception for Lightness and Being, is scheduled for January 11, 2025, from 2-4pm. Learn more a https://sonachicagoart.com/

Julian Sarria, An Imaginary Man #3, ink on paper, 2024

 

The Lightness and Being exhibition feature more than thirty artists, presenting a wide range of media—paintings, prints, sculpture, photography, collages, ceramics, mosaics, jewelry, and textiles. The exhibiting artists are, Pinar Aral, Sharon Bladholm, Monica J. Brown, reisling dong, Alan Emerson Hicks, Robert  Fields, Mirentxu Ganzarain, Glen Gauthier, Markus Giolas, Fletcher Hayes, Anne Hughes, Ethan Hutchinson, Natalie Jackson, Damien James, Kathleen King, Pauline Kochanski, Loralyn Kumlin, Kim Laurel, Beatriz Ledesma, Antwane Lee, Michael Miller, Rosalina Perez, Corinne Peterson, Diane Ponder, Renee Robbins, Tom Robinson, Julian Sarria, Nicholas Sistler, Paul Gerard Somers, Eve Sopala, Gerardo Villarreal, Kathy Weaver, Glenn Wexler.

---

SoNa CHICAGO
SoNa Chicago Art Gallery highlights contemporary artists from Chicago. The gallery features art in a variety of media including paintings, prints, sculpture, photography, collages, ceramics, mosaics, jewelry, and textiles. The artwork carried by SoNa Chicago reflects the creativity and abundant energy of the human spirit. We value diversity and the perspectives of people with different backgrounds and experiences. Although we will put a spotlight on Chicago artists, we want the dialogue between artists in the gallery to be global. We view our space as a venue for conversation, community, and a celebration of the arts.
 
The name SoNa Chicago represents “South of North Avenue” (SoNa) in Chicago. The gallery is located at 1527 N. Ashland Avenue, which is just South of North Avenue and a few blocks east of the iconic intersection of Damen, Milwaukee, and North Avenue. We are pleased to be part of the vibrant arts and creative community of Wicker Park, Bucktown, and West Town. We look forward to collaborating with our neighbors and with artists and galleries from across the city.
 
GLEN GAUTHIER 
Glen Gauthier is a mixed media collage artist who recently moved to Chicago from Dallas where he had a studio and also worked as a Creative Director. His artworks are montages of precise clippings from his collection of old books, brochures, images, and documents incorporated on canvas with acrylic paint. He has exhibited in cities across the United States. For the artist statement about his work in the show he wrote, “My medium is collage, utilizing printed ephemera to serve as a kind of time machine…. These materials with a history have fascinated me since childhood. I’m the youngest of five siblings who grew up in a home with overwhelmed parents in south Louisiana… Through this work, I’m having a conversation with myself through time as a boy, a man, and the future version of myself. It doesn’t all make perfect sense yet, but clarity is slowly setting in.” 

SEEING EACH OTHER: Portraits in Time and Place — NIU Art Museum

Danielle Piloto, New World King (detail), 2024, oil painting

Seeing Each Other: Portraits in Time and Place, opened last month at the Northern Illinois University Art Museum Galleries. The exhibition presents captivating portraiture offering personal insights that expose personality, emotion and even character. 

The twenty-three exhibiting artists were selected from submissions to a national call, and by invitation. The work ranges from conceptual to hyperrealism, producing an intriguing variety of thought-provoking imagery. 

Danielle Piloto’s image titled New World King created in 2024 is from an ongoing body of work titled “The Hats We Wear.” Piloto writes... “With each painting, the subject wears a hat tied to a narrative. For example, New World King is my personal perspective on leaders in the world. It addresses my growing inability to take them seriously. The “King” wears a crown made of paper (origami). He’s looking at the ball of tinfoil, which represents the world.” 

Danielle Piloto, New World King, 2024, oil painting (center image)

 

The hyperrealist painting technique utilized in New World King is visually arresting, capturing every minute detail with precision. Yet, it’s the incorporation of metaphorical elements that elevates the work, transforming it into a visual puzzle that invites deeper interpretation. This layered meaning challenges the viewer to look beyond the surface, inspiring intellectual engagement and offering a subtle commentary on power, society, and human nature.

 

Heather Green, CeCe McDonald, 2015, Oil on Panel

 

Heather Green’s CeCe McDonald created in 2015, depicts a mugshot of a transgendered woman who was arrested in 2011 for defending herself against a violent attacker. 

Green shares the story in the adjacent description card...  “Shortly after the confrontation, she was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, regardless of the serious injuries she sustained and her story outlining a lawful self-defense. With the possibility of a 20-year prison term looming, she felt compelled to accept a plea deal rather than gambling on the outcome of a jury trial.” The story continues... “Despite being targeted of a hate crime, Ms. McDonald accepted the plea for second-degree manslaughter and received a 41-month prison term. She served 19 months in two men’s prisons before her early release in 2014. Her case has received national attention, and she continues to work as an advocate for LGBTQ rights.”

With bold, expressive brushstrokes and an achromatic color palette, Green creates a striking image that exposes the deep emotions of sadness and anger. The artwork confronts the viewer with the raw, visceral response to a prejudicial social system rooted in bigotry and discrimination. The absence of color heightens the emotional intensity, allowing the viewer to focus on the depth of the subject’s pain and frustration. Green’s composition becomes a visual outcry, challenging societal norms and exposing the injustice that fuels these powerful emotions.

Trudy Borenstein-Sugiura, Asteria Hysteria, 2022, Collage (left) 

The Other/Brother, 2021 Collage (right) 

The portraits included in the exhibition go beyond capturing mere representation—portraying not only the subject’s outward appearance but also their personality, soul, and essence—sometimes incorporating metaphorical elements, symbols, or subtle visual cues that hint at a deeper narrative. These evoke a sense of intimacy, creating a connection between the viewer and the subject that surpasses the physical likeness.

Artists included in the exhibition are Trudy Borenstein-Sugiura, Maggie Cappetini, Alyssa Corrigan, Virginia Derryberry, Carly Ellis, Dan Farnum, Julia Fauci, Charles Gniech, Heather Green, Nicholas Gully, Dean Krueger, Isaiah Lee, Carol Luc, Kiara Aileen Machada, Dana Major, Dave Menard, Danielle Piloto, So Young Song, Veronica Storc, Ann Toebbe, Dillon Ward, Amy Taeger, Dan Zamudio. 

Exhibition Entry - (right) Charles Gniech, From Darkness, 2003 acrylic on canvas 

Seeing Each Other: Portraits in Time and Place, continues at The Northern Illinois University Art Museum Galleries through October 19, 2024. The Northern Illinois University Art Museum is located on the first floor of Altgeld Hall, 595 College Ave. DeKalb, IL 60115. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Thursday Noon - 7 p.m.; Sunday Noon - 4 p.m. Visit the website for related events during the run of the exhibition. https://calendar.niu.edu/art_museum

Seeing Each Other: Portraits in Time and Place, was curated by Peter Olsen, Assistant Director, Northern Illinois University Art Museum

 

 

JAMES DEEB – The Other Art Fair – Chicago

James Deeb, Wallflower, oil on board, 14 x 17"

In 2014, I wrote the introduction for a catalog of work by Chicago Artist, James Deeb. The catalog, Masks & Other Stories: small works by James Deeb, highlighted a sampling of the artist’s intimate paintings, each produced with a heavy application of glistening oil paint. Although Deeb’s technique remains consistent and his imagery continues to be inspired by the mysteriously macabre, the artist is exploring new subjects and an expanded color palette. James Deeb’s artist statement lends insight into this most recent modification.

“...I use my work as an attempt to find empathy and pathos... no matter how “dark.” Empathy and pathos, however, have been hard to come by these past few years. As a result, many pieces in my new body of work are visual reports on the pervasive climate of fear and anxiety that I sense around me...”

The work of James Deeb is on view in Booth 79 on the second floor of The Other art Fair, which opens tonight at Artifact Events. With a new twist of the art experience, The Other Art Fair combines affordable artworks by 110 artists, immersive installations, performances, musical entertainment, and a fully stocked bar.

Artifact Events is located at 4325 North Ravenswood Avenue, in Chicago. The Other Art Fair continues through the weekend... Tonight, Thursday the 11th, 6-10 pm; Friday the 12th, 5-10 pm; Saturday the 13th, 11-7 pm; Sunday the 14th, 11-6 pm. Tickets are available online at: theotherartfair.com/chicago

James Deeb, Earthbound, oil, 20 x 16"

James Deeb, Rag Doll, oil, 18 x 24" 

James Deeb was born behind the wall in West Berlin in 1964. He remembers drawing a lot as a child and making animated movies with lumpy clay dinosaurs. He graduated from Indiana University at South Bend in 1988 and received an MFA from Western Michigan University in 1994.  Deeb’s work is darkly humorous and melancholy in roughly equal measures. He refers to it as art in a minor key.

Learn more about James Deeb at jamesdeeb.com

EXPO CHICAGO - April 11-14

EXPO CHICAGO 2024, is returning to Navy Pier from April 11th to 14th for its eleventh iteration. Expo will Showcase 170 of the world's outstanding galleries from 75 cities and 29 nations. The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art will showcase the work of more than 3,000 artists and—as aways—host a wide range of diverse programming.

This year's exposition will introduce specialized segments, including EXPOSURE—dedicated to solo and dual artist presentations from galleries in operation for less than a decade, PROFILE which highlights individual artist installations and thematic exhibitions presented by distinguished international galleries, Editions + Books which presents a curated selection of artist books, editions, and multiples, and—of course—Special Exhibitions offer meticulously curated displays by non-profit organizations. 

Kyle Flubacker, photo

Exhibitor information, scheduled programming, and ticket information can be found at expochicago.com
This is an annual event not to be missed!