San Francisco's Hashimoto Contemporary presents Wherever I May Roam, a two-person exhibition featuring new work from Ben Venom and Alex Ziv. Both artists draw from a broad spectrum of influences with a special affection for including folk and indigenous art, craft, and counter-culture. Together, Venom and Ziv mix practices and styles that pay homage to tradition in their very own visual language

Ben Venom Speed Freak2020
Speed Freak

San Francisco-based Venom’s repurposed textile-based work blends “aggressive elements of gangs, punk/metal music and the occult with the comfort of domesticity.” Each composition mixes elements of heavy metal denim, motorcycle gang leather and Gee's Bend quilts, creating unique works imbued with a deep sense of community and collective history.

Returning from a year on the road, NorCal-based Ziv distills his journey through the Western United States and a personal definition of Americana into beautifully detailed, allegorical gouache on paper paintings. Each trompe l’oeil still life incorporates collected objects, graphics, and natural elements to “describe and classify the artist’s surroundings, understanding, and creation of self-identity.”

Alex Ziv Lost in The 4 Corners2020
Lost in The 4 Corners

Venom and Ziv share an intense, sensitive boldness in their saturated and symbolic work. While using different tools and materials, each artist brings history to a lively ongoing narrative.

Wherever I May Roam opens at San Francisco's Hashimoto Contemporary on March 7, 2020, with an opening reception from 6 to 9 pm, and is on view through March 28, 2020.