Pearl Lam Galleries
EXPO CHICAGO 2016

Pearl Lam Galleries is delighted to announce its second participation in Expo Chicago, Chicago’s international modern and contemporary art fair, which returns for its fifth edition. The Galleries will present a range of international artists hailing from Asia, Europe, and the United States. In addition, a special project by Ren Ri (b. 1984, China) comprising five beeswax sculptures will be presented in the main exhibition hall.

Pearl Lam Galleries, one of Asia’s leading galleries with spaces in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai, will present works by Chun Kwang Young (b. 1944, South Korea), Revital Cohen and Tuur van Balen (b. 1981, Israel and Belgium, respectively), Leonardo Drew (b. 1961, USA), Suki Seokyeong Kang (b. 1977, South Korea), Antony Micallef (b. 1975, UK), José Patrício (b. 1960, Brazil), Pino Pinelli (b. 1938, Italy), Qian Jiahua (b. 1987, China), Ren Ri (b. 1984, China), Carlos Rolón/Dzine (b. 1970, USA), Su Xiaobai (b. 1949, China), Yang Yongliang (b. 1980, China), Zhou Yangming (b. 1971, China), and Zhu Jinshi (b. 1954, China) at its main stand.

Located in the main exhibition hall, but separate from the Galleries’ main stand, will be a special project by Chinese artist Ren Ri (b. 1984). Ren Ri’s art is signified by the very special medium he uses: beeswax, for which he has received and been nominated for several awards. Considered an unusual and difficult material to work with, Ren’s understanding of bee psychology and nature assist him in his creative process. He works in collaboration with insects to create his mesmerizing sculptures, five of which will be shown set in acrylic cases.

A main highlight of the Galleries’ main stand, 442, will be a work by Chicago artist Carlos Rolón, also known at Dzine, who was the recipient of the Joan Mitchell Award for Painting and Sculpture in 2006 and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1995. In the past several years, Rolón has been recognized for his elaborately crafted paintings, ornate sculptures and works that come out of Kustom Kulture. The Galleries for exclusively represents Carlos Rolón/Dzine in Asia, having brought his first solo show to the region in Singapore in 2015.

The Galleries will also showcase three works by Leonardo Drew (b. 1961). The sculptural works, made from wood and paint, are drawn from historical evidence. The resulting abstract sculptural
compositions are an emotional reflection on the cyclical nature of existence, the human condition, and the connectivity of all things. The artist grew up in a public housing project in Connecticut surrounded by a landfill, an experience which led to his practice of creating work from driftwood and other specially sourced materials.

Other highlights will include the work of Zhu Jinshi. As part of a legendary generation of artists who left China in the 1980s, Zhu Jinshi is widely considered to be a pioneer of Chinese abstract art. During his time in Berlin, Zhu was exposed to Western art movements and experimented with performance, installation, and conceptual forms. His wall-hung works, executed in the mature period of his career, present themselves as low reliefs. The paint is applied with shovels and other heavy-duty implements and the works themselves take several years to dry.

“Pearl Lam Galleries enjoyed a very good reception at last year’s edition of Expo Chicago, which was our first art fair in the United States. As one of the most prominent Asian galleries to be presenting work at the fair, we’re delighted to be showcasing work by a huge range of artists of the highest standard from Asia, Europe, and the United States, including the work of Carlos Rolón/Dzine, who of course hails from Chicago.”
—Pearl Lam, Founder of Pearl Lam Galleries