Hashimoto Contemporary is pleased to present Summer in the City, a group exhibition curated by Jennifer Rizzo. The exhibition brings together a group of seven emerging artists new to the gallery, with a focus on artists living and working in the greater New York area and beyond. Featuring an eclectic mix of mediums, disciplines and perspectives the group presentation highlights young artists at the forefront of contemporary art making, a perfectly refreshing summer group show.
Natalie Baxter explores concepts of place-identity, nostalgic Americana, and gender stereotypes through sculptures that playfully push controversial issues. Sabrina Bockler's work references themes of domestic identity and the value (or lack thereof) in what is historically considered women’s work. Creating decadent scenes of surrealist abundance with an off-kilter allure that begs for a closer look, the artist points out that everything is not quite as it seems. Oona Brangam-Snell's work seeks to highlight the enduring power of traditional symbols and their roles in contemporary iconography, in an era where fabric design has been defined by digitization and industrial manufacturing. Heavily influenced by centuries of textile production, from medieval tapestries to grand theater curtains, she drafts her works as paintings before transforming them into machine-loomed and hand- embroidered tapestries. Nic Dyer examines a need for excess in the wake of restriction. Their sculptural paintings are a meditation on systems of visual & consumable hyper-palatability, each canvas lush with glitter, sweets, opulence. Dyer’s work is an exercise in having it all.
Mar Figueroa examines the interrelationships between her bicultural identity, celebrating her Andean heritage and reflecting on Indigenous identity in Latin American diaspora. Through her work, the artist attempts to create space for community to see themselves, reconnect to their ancestors, and uplift ancient practices and knowledge. Rachel Hayden's recent paintings are inspired by big, heavy feelings and their mysterious origins - the sudden pangs of anxiety that strike in childhood, as well as the moments of abundance and bliss. The process of painting involves intuitive, playful placement of objects, like arranging souvenirs on a shelf. The artist seeks to find order in chaos, joy in mess and humor in tragedy. Polly Shindler begins her paintings by focusing her attention to the design of both the physical 'space' as well as that of the painting surface. Her interest in creating spaces grew first from an investigation of solitude and retreat, and then to a narrower focus on composition and more formal concepts. Through her work, Shindler highlights the fine line between realism and design.