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David Bowie Tribute Exhibition – A Korean connection

It’s a while since we had a chance to see Francesca Cho’s work in London; she now appears in a group exhibition in honour of an iconic musician:

David Bowie Tribute Exhibition

Fiat Chrysler Motor Village UK | 105 Wigmore Street | London W1U 1QY | www.motorvillageuk.com
22nd September – 4th November 2017

Opening hours
Monday to Friday 9.30am – 6pm | Saturday 11am – 6pm | Sunday 10am – 4pm

David Bowie tribute poster

Fiat Chrysler Motor Village UK, in partnership with Monica Colussi, are delighted to present DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE, a group exhibition of photography and artworks of David Bowie, featuring a curated line-up of artists including Duffy, Rankin, Lincoln Townley, Gavin Evans and Neil Libbert.

This exhibition pays homage to the enigmatic showman with a series of artists who were inspired and influenced by him, or knew and worked with him.

An exclusive launch, on 28th September, of GQ Magazine Editor-in-Chief Dylan Jones’ new book, DAVID BOWIE: A LIFE will be hosted at Motor Village Marylebone. Event by invitation only.

Dylan Jones will give a talk at the event, with his book, published by Penguin Random House, “Including illuminating, never-before-seen material from Bowie himself, drawn from a series of Jones’s interviews with him across two decades, DAVID BOWIE: A LIFE is an epic, unforgettable cocktail-party conversation about a man whose enigmatic shapeshifting and irrepressible creativity produced one of the most sprawling, fascinating lives of our time.

“I’m thrilled to be part of Monica’s exhibition because it’s probably the largest exhibition of images of David Bowie ever assembled. It really is a tremendous achievement. In many respects, it echoes my new book DAVID BOWIE: A LIFE because it is a collection of different voices. There are 180 different voices in my oral biography, and they all help paint a fascinating picture of a fascinating man”. – Dylan Jones

Monica Colussi has organised and curated an exhibition that both salutes Bowie while also adding to his legacy and cult; a collection of existing and commissioned work, weaving a narrative through this extraordinary life. Like Bowie himself, it crosses mediums to include paintings, photographs and sculpture.

For Colussi, it is Bowie’s sense of subjectivity that was the inspiration behind the show. A chance to celebrate both his private and artistic persona. Genius is a word all too often bandied around in this day and age. But, if a true genius represents someone who constantly redefines and revolutionises the industry they work in, and who continues to produce work to the highest of standards until their dying breath, then the enigmatic, ethereal, self-referential Bowie is simply unrivalled.

Come and join us to experience 30 artists’ personal interpretations of this legendary and iconic “starman”.

The featured artists:

ALTR EGO by IAIN ALEXANDER

ALTR EGO by Iain Alexander is a former DJ and swimmer whose 2000 Olympic hopes were dashed by injury. Turning his focus towards portraiture, his portraits and clients include Queen Elizabeth II, Dame Vivienne Westwood, David Beckham, Kanye West, Mick Jagger, Daniel Craig and Alexander McQueen. He has exhibited his work alongside Damien Hirst and Takashi Murakami.

https://www.instagram.com/altregoart/

ILSA BRITTAIN

Ilsa Brittain was born in the UK but led an international life for many years. She obtained her MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2014. After returning to the UK, Ilsa has been involved in exhibitions in New York, London, Paris, and Moscow and has paintings in many private collections.

http://www.ilsabrittain.com

CHEMICAL X

Controversial British artist Chemical X came to prominence designing the Ministry of Sound logo, and worked with Banksy on the Greenpeace “Save or Delete” campaign. He devised and curated the “Long Life” art tour working with Damien Hirst and Jamie Hewlett (Gorillaz). His work is sought-after by celebrities – Cara Delevigne is a collector and Fatboy Slim uses Chemical X’s work in his live shows.

http://www.chemicalx.co.uk

FRANCESCA CHO

For twenty-four years Francesca Cho has lived and worked in London. Transcending notions of difference, Cho’s paintings address universal ideals of spirituality and hope. She is a widely-exhibited artist in the UK and abroad, including her homeland, the Republic of Korea, and her work is in numerous public and private collections around the world.

http://www.francescacho.com

OLIVER CLEGG

Oliver Clegg is a British artist based in New York, who works between two and three-dimensional disciplines. Clegg is a purist when it comes to working with natural light, and obsessive about the quality of his materials. Constantly looking for surfaces and subjects that have the potential to inspire an indefinite narrative, Oliver Clegg creates ambiguous paintings, which pertain a sense of belonging to an older generation.

http://www.oliverclegg.com

GAVIN EVANS

In July of 1995 Time Out magazine commissioned renowned portrait photographer Gavin Evans to shoot David Bowie. Over two decades later this 40 minute photographic session has come to be recognised as a uniquely significant cultural and historical record of the legendary artist. It is a vivid portrayal of an irreverent and unguarded, Bowie. Of all the portraits taken of Bowie one of Evans’ was a favourite of the artist. Bowie instructed the portrait of him coming out of the dark to run on the cover and final page of the V&A’s ‘Bowie Is’ book. In 2016 The Session was exhibited at The Institute Berlin, The Harpan, Reykjavik, Espronceda Centre for Art and Culture, Barcelona, A Galerie Paris and Photogalerie Sweden. Sotheby’s chose his images to signal the hugely anticipated auction of Bowie’s art collection.

http://gavinevans.com

ELIA FESTA

Elia Festa, born in 1956, is known primarily as an Italian photographic artist who has been working in the industry since he was a teenager. For the past few years, he has been concentrating exclusively on geometric design production, using different materials such as metals. His exclusive and interactive work for the exhibition is an even more ambitious creation in this area. He has exhibited his work in some of Italy’s most prestigious art galleries.

http://www.eliafesta.com

GUIDO HARARI

Guido Harari is one of Italy’s most renowned photographers and one of the country’s best kept secrets on the international art scene. He has shot countless album covers for the likes of Kate Bush, Bob Dylan, BB King, Paul McCartney, Lou Reed and Frank Zappa. Guido started out in the mid-Seventies and his images have been published by magazine all over the world.

http://www.guidoharari.com

JEAN ANTOINE HIERRO

Jean-Antoine Hierro is an artist that defies categorisation. He uses his art to free and enable himself to take liberties. With inexhaustible energy and always striving for inspiration, he pursues “out of frame” art that enters and leaves the road of contemporary art at its own will. He is currently exhibiting his work in Nice, London, Miami, New York and Singapore.

https://www.instagram.com/jeanantoinehierro/

MORGAN HOWELL aka SUPERSIZEART

Morgan is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Art and in 2010 he was shortlisted and received display notices at The Royal Academy. His work hangs at BBC Radio 2 and at BBC Radio 6Music. His series of 45RPM paintings are unique, with each single only ever painted once. Many are now owned the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Diamond and Jerry Dammers, as well as the music companies themselves.

https://supersizeart.myshopify.com

MR VON HUGO

Mr Von Hugo explores the darker recesses of our minds and the darker recesses of the great city of London. Following a classic English education in London and Oxford he gained a degree from The Chelsea School of Art. Since then he has honed his craft in extensive creative fields all over the world – Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Milan, Mumbai, Hong Kong and Beijing.

http://www.mrvonhugo.com

VANJA KARAS

Vanja Karas is a Belgrade born, London-based artist, curator and creative director.  She studied at University of Arts Belgrade, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and King’s College London. In recent years, her work has been focused mainly on fine art and social documentary photography. She has been commissioned for a number of private, public, museum and corporate collections. She has exhibited worldwide and, in London, in the Royal Academy of Arts, ICA, The Photographers’ Gallery.

http://vanjakaras.com

HAYDEN KAYS

Hayden Kays is a London-based artist whose work encompasses painting, sculpture and printmaking. Widely described as one of the most provocative artists of his generation, he exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery, alongside artists including Damien Hirst and David Bailey. His work is held in the private collections of Harry Styles, Jude Law and Jennifer Lawrence.

https://www.instagram.com/haydenkays/

NEIL LIBBERT

Legendary photojournalist Neil Libbert worked for The Guardian for six decades, capturing many of today’s biggest names both at the start and the height of their careers. He has exhibited at the National Theatre, Camden Arts Centre, Whitechapel Gallery, and Michael Hoppen Gallery among others. 16 of his works are held in the Collection of the National Portrait Gallery. In 1999, he won a World Press Photo Award and was Nikon News Photographer of the Year.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2012/sep/15/neil-libbert-portraits-photography-art

GINA McQUEN

Gina McQuen worked as a Textile Designer for 20 years. She produced handcrafted silk designs for fashion houses such as Valentino, Prada and Etro. Studying Kabubi Theatre – which was also an influence on Bowie – she found herself insired by her love for Japanese culture, which ignited the mythology behind Japanese Tattoo. Using leather as her “skin”, the artworks became part of the skin, creating Functional Art.

https://www.instagram.com/kisolola/

NINA NOLTE

Nina Nolte started exhibiting in 1991, in an era still very much influenced by Pop Art. Twenty-six years later, she is returning to her roots with her contribution to this show, MY PICASSO OF ROCK & ROLL. Her work has been exhibited at the Gallery Wild, Zurich, and coming soon in the exhibition POPSOMMER in Konstanz, Germany, alongside Jeff Koons, Roy Lictenstein, Takashi Murakami, Mel Ramos and Niki de Saint Phalle.

http://ninanolte.com

FRANK OCKENFELS

The works of Ockenfels provides a window into his visual thinking, the internal world of kaleidoscope imagery and emotion in his mind. Subjected to ink, collage or paint, the images are no longer just photographs of an individual, but become a more personal statement of who the artist is, of his psyche and as such, creative artistry in its purest form.  The photographic creations become tactile bringing another dimension of sense experience.

https://www.fwo3.com/

LUCIUS PAX

Lucius Pax works as a painter and performer around the world. He work is inspired by the impact of fiction on the perception of reality. This has led to a series of paintings about artificial life. Pax creates his own world mostly based on the 1970s. It is a romantic nod to a lost decade. In his latest work, he reinvents Bowie as we know him from the 70s.

http://www.luciuspax.com

RANKIN

British born photographer, Rankin, came to prominence in the early 90s after co-founding the seminal magazine, Dazed & Confused. He immersed himself with bands, artists, supermodels and politicians, rising to acclaim with iconic pictures of the likes of The Queen and Madonna. Rankin’s works have been exhibited around the world, including at institutions such as MoMA, and The Victoria & Albert Museum.

http://rankin.co.uk

ANTONIO RIELLO

Antonio Riello is one of Italy’s most eclectic, visionary and controversial artists. His interests range from history to fashion to anthropology. His huge range takes in techniques such as painting, sculpture, design, photography, installation and video-game. He tackles Italian society head-on and does not shy away from issues which he tackles with irony and sarcasm. His work has been exhibited all over the world.

http://www.antonioriello.com

ASHKAN SADEGHI

Ashkan Sadeghi is an Iranian born, London based artist, designer and architect. He studied at Chelsea School of Art and the Architectural Association. He has built two museums/galleries in Tehran. His work explores the role of computer simulation on human locomotion and landscape, where time and place emerges as a singular entity.

http://www.ashkansadeghi.co.uk/index.html

CLARE SHENSTONE

Clare Shenstone has had many exhibitions and her work displayed in both private and public collections, including the National Portrait Gallery and the Sainsbury Centre. Clare is the model for the image of the Andy Warhol poster designed by Alan Aldridge of “The Chelsea Girls”. In the late 60’s Clare met David Bowie and they remained friends from then on.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2005/oct/16/art

LOUIS SIDOLI

Neon artist Louis Sidoli’s work is a vivid exploration of popular culture. Challenging the very definition of art, his iconic portraits transform what we may perceive as trash into modern treasures. He has a background in design, working for car brands such as BMW, Mini and Land Rover. His work is now owned by collectors worldwide, including Liam Gallagher, Ozzy Osbourne and Henry Holland.

http://www.louis-sidoli.com

FINN STONE

Finn Stone is a contemporary artist and designer. Born in 1971, Finn is proud of his Irish roots and heritage and believes his parents responsible for his exuberant energy, joy of life and strength of conviction. He credits his eclectic background for his embracing of diverse creative discipline and flamboyant, eccentric style. Catching the public eye with his paintings created from paintbrushes, he creates work that is radical, juxtaposed to the banal and totally one-off.

http://finnstone.com/

BRAN SYMONDSON

Inspired by his experience serving in Afghanistan, Bran Symondson creates conceptual art pieces using AK47 guns. In 2012, he organised an exhibition for the charity “AKA Peace” asking artists including Damien Hirst, Gavin Turk, Sarah Lucas, Harland Miller and Antony Gormley to reinterpret AK-47s. His work is collected by the likes of Elton John, Jake Chapman and the Prince of Bahrain.

http://bransymondson.com

LINCOLN TOWNLEY

Lincoln Townley has emerged as a sensation in the art world. He is globally recognised for his ICONS, a collection of paintings of Hollywood actors and influential musicians. The London artist has also become a much sought after iconic contemporary artist with his ‘originals’ works, exploring man’s desires exhibited at sell-out shows around the world. He first achieved fame for his dark and electrifying portraits of stars including Sir Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The world’s leading global art collectors, entrepreneurs and major iconic stars invest in Townley’s work.

http://lincolntownley.com

DAIRO VARGAS

Colombian born but London based Dario Vargas’ work directly confronts the vulnerability of the physical and psychological human condition whilst offering the potential for its spiritual journeying. On canvas, the artist provokes us to consider the ultimate values of love, life, death and all else that we go through as sentient beings.

http://dairovargas.com

ALESSANDRO VIANELLO

http://www.alessandrovianello.info

RICHARD YOUNG

Richard Young is at the forefront of celebrity photography. With a career spanning over 40 years, his eye and unique approach has cemented him as a trusted contemporary photographer to the stars. As both a portraitist and photojournalist, his unerring ability to capture the moment and present a candid, inside view into the world of celebrity has resulted in iconic images that are celebrated in publications throughout the world.

http://www.richardyounggallery.co.uk

MARTA ZAWADZKA

Marta Zawadzka currently lives and works in Warsaw, Poland. With a background in art, design and architecture, Marta favours large scale paintings and installations of iconic figures from sport, music and cinema. She has featured on the Saatchi list: “ON THE RISE – 25 Emerging Artists from Eastern Europe” and has worked with brands such as Samsung, Grolsch, Ikea and Chanel. Collectors include Slash and Lewis Hamilton.

http://martagallery.com

LAURA ZENI

Laura Zeni studied at the prestigious Brera Academy in Milan. She uses a range of artistic styles, such as drawing, painting and sculpture, to create thought-provoking representations of the human psyche and behaviour. Floating bodies, and configurations of shapes and fine threads, illustrate the fragile network of relationships and map the importance of external interactions and the function of the mind in its interpretation.

http://www.laurazeni.it/

Francesca Cho released the following about her contribution to the exhibition:

Black Star & Rose Rain

Medium; ash, preserved real rose petals, mixed media, on board frame.
Size: 63m x 63cms,

Francesca Cho’s ‘Black Star & Rose Rain’ is based on her original concept of hope and peace.

David Bowie once wore a beautiful white clown’s costume in an album video. The video had a scene of burning wood and also one of him as a clown walking with people dressed in black.

As the main medium for her work is generally ash, she took her inspiration from David’s albums ‘Black Star’ and ‘Ashes to Ashes’. Particularly, in this work, she uses real preserved rose petals (named – ‘young forever’), ash and black gauze.

Cho uses a variety of natural materials in her works including: ash, rose petals … The ash is produced by burning former belongings e.g. old photos, letters, catalogues … The presence of ‘unforgettable stories’ in the ash means that Cho’s memories are now often embedded in the paint on canvasses / installations / sculptured forms.

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