Previews Online :: Andrew Hem :: Melissa Haslam	July News
LBP :: Culver City Andrew Hem :: 'Cold Water' July 16th - August 13th, 2011 Artist Reception: Saturday, July 16th, 7-10pm Preview Online: Click Here to View Andrew Hem Culver City, CA - LeBasse Projects is excited to present, 'Cold Water' an exhibition of new works from Los Angeles based artist Andrew Hem. In this highly anticipated solo project, Hem confronts the viewer with themes of isolation and personal conflict. After focusing his 2010 body of work on his Cambodian heritage and how different his life might have been should his family have stayed during the regime of the Khmer Rouge, Hem now moves forward with an even more introspective series of paintings. The new paintings explore the feeling of isolation we get when removed from those close to us - and the ensuing personal darkness that follows. As the viewer progresses through the paintings we can see how Hem emerges from those dark places and finds the road back to happiness. Hem states that the title 'Cold Water' is a reference to that feeling of 'being surrounded by cold situations and places.' Hem masterfully builds lush, yet cold, landscapes wherein his portraits longingly stare for someone to connect with. Filled with personal references, Hem's paintings still create a canvas all should be able to find themselves in. LBP :: Culver City 6023 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232 For more info or preview, please contact the gallery at: contact@lebasseprojects.com or 310.558.0200
LBP :: Chinatown Melissa Haslam :: 'Kigurumi' July 15th - August 13th, 2011 Artist Reception: Friday, July 15th, 7-10pm Preview Online: Click Here to View Melissa Haslam Los Angeles, CA - LeBasse Projects is proud to announce 'Kigurumi' the first major solo exhibition from Australian based artist Melissa Haslam. Haslam returns to Los Angeles with a new body of work exploring her fascination with Kigurumi and drawing on the Melbourne Kigurumi scene. In her paintings, Haslam showcases her delicate color palate of oil portraits consisting of young women in their mid to late teens dressing in Kigurumi street fashion. Originating as a Japanese subculture, Kigurumi participants fashion themselves to resemble stuffed toy animals. Their clothing are usually called 'disguised pajamas' are made up of full bodied pajamas with hood or hats styled after animals or cartoon characters and worn as everyday street wear, as opposed to 'costumes.' Haslam's paintings express her interest in the nature of social role-playing, particularly in fashion. In these latest portraits, Halsam does not portray her figures as an individual, but as a stark representation and critique on social conformity. Here, her subject's clothing act as a youth rebellion and by allowing a literal escape from the overt sexualization of the female image. LBP :: Chinatown 932 Chung King Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90022 For more information please contact the gallery. www.lebasseprojects.com
LeBasse Projects is focused on the development of a carefully selected roster of international emerging artists. Since opening its doors in the Culver City Art District in 2009, LeBasse Projects has presented a program that fosters the growth of its artists by allowing them the freedom to create across a range of mediums. In March 2011, LeBasse Projects expanded its gallery footprint with a second location in Los Angeles' historic Chinatown Gallery District. Along with a series of international exhibitions, LeBasse Projects is putting forth an ambitious program of some of the most cutting edge work in new contemporary art today. Represented artists will include: Thomas Doyle, Nate Frizzell, Melissa Haslam, Andrew Hem, Herakut, Seonna Hong, Joshua Petker, Morgan Slade, Mike Stilkey, Alexandros Vasmoulakis, Edwin Ushiro and Yoskay Yamamoto.
LeBASSE Projects 6023 Washington Blvd Culver City, CA 90232 932 Chung King Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90022 310.558.0200 www.lebasseprojects.com gallery blog contact@lebasseprojects.com