Lifestyle

When it comes to the threshold between street and fine art, few artists have shown the rise in recent times than British-Nigerian artist Olaolu Slawn. The Motherlan co-founder and self-proclaimed 'scam artist' has dipped his toes in a variety of projects over the years, including one-off projects with rapper Big Zuu and Corteiz to taking over London's Piccadilly Circus with CIRCA. Roughly a year ago, Slawn took to X to tease a sculpture he was creating in his own image. Modeled after various characters he's created in the past, such as his 2023 Brit Award statue, the figure depicts a hunched over man with a mischievous grin on its face. "You guys inspired me to make a sculpture in my image, this is the Ugly Bastard, say hello," Slawn previously said in the post. Entitled Ugly Bastard (2024...

VILLAZAN recently launched a group exhibition showcasing works by artists Elvira Fustero López, Jason Ho, Jorge Galindo and Ross Taylor. The show features a diverse range of styles from abstract expressionism to abstract landscapes.Elvira Fustero López, born in Zaragoza, Spain, is an acclaimed painter and sculptor with works displayed in prestigious museums and collections worldwide, including the French Institute of Barcelona and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Jason Ho, a British-Chinese architect and artist, is a Cambridge and UCL-trained professional whose works have been featured on the RIBA Journal cover and praised by cultural organizations.Meanwhile, Ross Taylor, based in Central Victoria, Australia, draws inspiration from the wild terrains and expansive forests of the Macedon Ranges....

Just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, HVW8 hosted a group exhibition titled City of Quartz, which reflected on the contemporary forces that have come to shape Los Angeles. Inspired by author Mike Davis' book of the same name, the show would coincidentally predate the invisible forces that have irrevocably changed both LA and the world since. On view in Berlin, HVW8 is hosting the sequel to the exhibition, bringing together seven American artists who ruminate on where the 'City of Angels' is heading in the post-pandemic world. Artists include Alfonso Gonzalez Jr. and filmmaker Rikkí Wright, as well as the LA-based artist duo Willbert Olivar and Lalo Avila. "Los Angeles, regarded as the media capital, has long been responsible for authoring and disseminating trends in culture that reverberate...

Los Angeles-based artist Lauren Halsey has revealed the first renderings of an upcoming sculpture park that she will install in her hometown of South Central. The forthcoming project is aesthetically similar to the monumental rooftop installation she presented last year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Entitled "sister dreamer, lauren halsey’s architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles,” the temporary sculpture park is curated by Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND) co-founder Christine Y. Kim and is supported by the Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project. From a distance, the park looks like a trip back to Ancient Egypt, as Halsey casts eight sphinxes and eight totemic columns with the head of the Egyptian goddess of beauty, Hathor. Viewed closer, however, Halsey...

Summer's around the corner and to up your pool game, Spanish-Argentine artist Felipe Pantone and BEYOND THE STREETS have collaborated on a limited edition inflatable lounger.Inspired by his SUBTRACTIVE VARIABILITY series, the floating accessory is meant to transport the kinetic feeling in Pantone's artwork, "transforming any oasis into an artistic haven," according a release. The accessory comes off the heels of a massive mural that Pantone recently painted on the side of a 15,000 square foot building in Jersey City, New Jersey, described by the artist as his "largest painting ever," which his team of four "endured rain, cold, two earthquakes (on the lift), and a solar eclipse!"As for BEYOND THE STREETS, the Los Angeles-based gallery is currently showcasing a solo exhibition of works by na...

Nina Chanel Abney’s 'LIE DOGGO' at Jack Shainman Gallery’s The School in Kinderhook, New York, features new paintings, collages, site-specific murals, an immersive digital installation, and debut large-scale sculptures. Abney's work bridges historical art movements with contemporary issues, drawing on the influences of Matisse, Picasso, Léger, and Harlem Renaissance artists.The exhibition title, 'LIE DOGGO,' reflects themes of strategic invisibility and the tension between observation and action. Abney’s complex works delve into global dynamics, imperialism, and systemic inequalities, inviting viewers to examine the space between spoken and unspoken narratives. Her murals and sculptures use cultural signals and gestures to communicate identity and solidarity, while her digital installation...