Stephanie Chefas Projects welcomes the return of artist Jeremy Okai Davis as guest curator for Favorite Things. Featuring a full spread of bold talent that includes Davis himself, the show culls inspiration from perspiration and no shortage of style. That is to say, Davis chose each artist based not just on their aesthetic voice, but on their level of commitment to the craft itself. By cultivating the spirit of artistic perseverance and personal growth, these artists have struck a personal chord with Davis over the years, motivating him to likewise stay the course and evolve in the process.

While the style of each artist is distinctive, Davis (seen below) tied them together through their emphasis on portraiture or the existence of figures either within the frame or just outside of it. Being primarily a portraiture artist himself, he remains very aware of how the hand creates and how one puts themselves inside of a work. Davis is also drawn to color usage and that too informed both his curatorial decision process and his personal output. His interest extends to both the colors included in each painting, collage, or sculpture and the ones omitted as well. It all results in a highly uniform experience, albeit one that still touches down a complete spectrum of distinctive styles.

Jeremy Okai Davis Favorite Things portraits DSC 3726

Favorite Things​ is my attempt to speak to the commitment of art practice and personal inspiration,” Davis wrote. “I’ve chosen artists for this exhibit that over the years have maintained a devotion to their work, that has in turn inspired me in one way or the other. Each artist’s distinctive styles are tied together through portraiture or the existence of figures within the frame or just outside of it. In curating this show I was very aware of how the hand creates and how one puts themselves inside of a work. I’ve always been drawn to color usage, what is included or omitted from a collage, sculpture or painting and these works and artists exemplify this interest of mine and inform my practice both directly and indirectly.”

Artists in the exhibition include: ​Alisa Sikellianos Carter​, ​Aremy Stewart​, ​Ivan Salcido​, ​Jeremy Okai Davis​, Molly Bounds​, ​Nathaniel Lancaster​, ​Pace Taylor​, ​Shiela Laufer​, ​Stephen Chellis​, and William Paul Thomas​.