Kathy Liao

By the end of last week, I had finally finished reviewing the submissions for the "red" exhibition. The exhibition will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago from September 14 through November 11 with a reception on Friday October 9th from 5:30-7:30.

Well, when I first began the review of work, I was a little concerned that a high percentage of the submissions were focused on death and destruction. With me, a little of the dark side goes a long way. But as I continued to open the submissions, there were some amazing works of art... various styles, various media, and a variety of themes. I found myself selecting images presenting complexity and interesting content. The show still includes some imagery containing pain and suffering, which seems to be a reaction to the current state of our country, but it's not the focus of the exhibition.

The above image by Kathy Liao of Seattle Washington, is one of the pieces that has been selected for the show. Intending to bring consciousness to the evolving definition of femininity, Liao explores color and aggressive mark making to convey her ideas. "De-Mask"—a 54" square oil painting completed in 2008—conveys the frustration of a child [or a nation]. The title implies that we all wear masks, which we can alter but can't remove. It's an impressive piece for a young up-and-coming Artist.

A full list of the accepted Artist and their works will be available for viewing at gallery180.com in the next few days. The show opens September 14th with a reception on Friday, October 9th. Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago is located at 180 N. Wabash in Chicago's Loop.

Image: Kathy Liao, "De-Mask, oil on canvas, 54x54", $3,000