FOG Design+Art 2025

Jan 23 - 26, 2025

  • For the 2025 edition of FOG Design + Art, Altman Siegel is showcasing the work of Joan Brown, Chris Johanson, and Hiba Kalache. These three Bay Area based artists move between figuration and abstraction, conflict and meditation. 
    • Joan Brown Let’s Dance, 1976 Oil enamel on canvas 96 x 78 in 243.8 x 198.1 cm
      Joan Brown
      Let’s Dance, 1976
      Oil enamel on canvas
      96 x 78 in
      243.8 x 198.1 cm
      Inquire
  • Joan Brown's monumental painting from 1976, titled Let’s Dance portrays a smartly-clad couple seated and oblivious to the joyous silhouettes...
    Joan Brown, Let’s Dance (detail), 1976

    Joan Brown's monumental painting from 1976, titled Let’s Dance portrays a smartly-clad couple seated and oblivious to the joyous silhouettes of dancers who cha-cha and tango around them. The female figure stares adoringly at her male companion, disregarding the blood-red wine spilled on the table in front of her. Brown adeptly and fearlessly used autobiographical details from her life to balance humor and vulnerability in equal measure. While the signature painterly style she foregrounded during this period has become a touch-stone for much of contemporary figurative art, her later works were deeply influenced by spirituality and ancient Egyptian concepts of life and death. These existential themes crop up throughout her practice, as well as a sustained inquiry into the essence of human nature.
    • Chris Johanson Then With, Now With, And, 2024 Acrylic and household paint on canvas 26 1/4 x 37 1/4 in 66.7 x 94.6 cm
      Chris Johanson
      Then With, Now With, And, 2024
      Acrylic and household paint on canvas
      26 1/4 x 37 1/4 in
      66.7 x 94.6 cm
      Inquire
  • Chris Johanson's art delves into the cycle of life and the material possessions we accumulate. His focus on repurposing found...
    Chris Johanson, Then With, Now With, And (detail), 2024
    Chris Johanson's art delves into the cycle of life and the material possessions we accumulate. His focus on repurposing found objects has evolved, with wood substrates traded for canvases made from found stretcher bars and recycled drop cloths. These materials, more resistant to paint than commercial canvas, have led Johanson to intentionally slow down his process, using painting as a means of mindfulness and meditation. This intentional deceleration has guided Johanson towards thoughtful abstraction, utilizing form, color, and movement to reflect on themes of bereavement, connection, and impermanence. His unique color fields create peaceful rhythms, reflecting his view of artmaking as a therapeutic process. Jenny Gheith, in her essay "Harmonic Meditations: Chris Johanson’s Form of Deep Listening," discusses how Johanson's tinnitus has influenced his sonic environment and artwork, leading to a more formal visual language grounded in an energetic flow.
     
    Johanson and his partner, Johanna Jackson, will also present collaborative furniture pieces, highlighting the meaningful role of collaboration in their artistic practice.
    • Chris Johanson OK, Sky Yes, Then, Now, And #3, 2024 Acrylic and household paint on canvas 17 1/2 x 35 in 44.5 x 88.9 cm
      Chris Johanson
      OK, Sky Yes, Then, Now, And #3, 2024
      Acrylic and household paint on canvas
      17 1/2 x 35 in
      44.5 x 88.9 cm
      Inquire
    • Chris Johanson Sanctuary(Reasonable) Variable, Unique, Co-Exist(Joy), 2024 Acrylic, aluminum foil, and household paint on panel 18 x 22 1/2 in 45.7 x 57.1 cm
      Chris Johanson
      Sanctuary(Reasonable) Variable, Unique, Co-Exist(Joy), 2024
      Acrylic, aluminum foil, and household paint on panel
      18 x 22 1/2 in
      45.7 x 57.1 cm
      Inquire
    • Chris Johanson Untitled, 2022 Acrylic and household paint on canvas 9 1/2 x 13 1/8 in 24.1 x 33.3 cm
      Chris Johanson
      Untitled, 2022
      Acrylic and household paint on canvas
      9 1/2 x 13 1/8 in
      24.1 x 33.3 cm
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    • Chris Johanson Larry, Tammy, Jerry, Kerry, Perry, Cheri, Nellie, Sally, Danny, Youko, Tina, Patty, Juan, Rankin, Willy, Randy, Tasheena, Mary, Harry and Ally, 2024 Acrylic and household paint on paper 19 x 25 in 48.3 x 63.5 cm
      Chris Johanson
      Larry, Tammy, Jerry, Kerry, Perry, Cheri, Nellie, Sally, Danny, Youko, Tina, Patty, Juan, Rankin, Willy, Randy, Tasheena, Mary, Harry and Ally, 2024
      Acrylic and household paint on paper
      19 x 25 in
      48.3 x 63.5 cm
      Inquire
    • Hiba Kalache wild intuition, 2024 Ink, oil and oil bar on canvas 40 x 28 in 101.6 x 71.1 cm
      Hiba Kalache
      wild intuition, 2024
      Ink, oil and oil bar on canvas
      40 x 28 in
      101.6 x 71.1 cm
      Inquire
  • Attuned to the sonic effects of trauma, Hiba Kalache's oil paintings on canvas encapsulate the sensuality and intricacies of sound....
    Hiba Kalache, wild intuition, 2024
    Attuned to the sonic effects of trauma, Hiba Kalache's oil paintings on canvas encapsulate the sensuality and intricacies of sound. These are filtered through the lens of her female body, creating tension in auditory and visual sensations. Her abstract paintings aim to depict the current moment, serving as an act of protest and an attempt at escape. They seek beauty and rebirth in the midst of turmoil, pulling from historical references and challenging us to move forward with empathy and find connection through our shared humanity.
     
    Kalache’s process yields to artistic expression, usually demonstrated through overlayed strokes of vibrant colors brushed on a clear gessoed canvas. She approaches each body of work serially, creating paintings that are at once unique and interconnected. Kalache's masterful use of color evokes emotional responses, urging viewers to pause, feel, and reflect. Beneath the surface beauty, her work conveys a sense of existential unease that challenges the viewer to confront the complexities of the human condition, serving as a mirror of our own fears, desires, and vulnerabilities.
    • Hiba Kalache such a hallelujah, 2024 Ink, oil and oil bar on canvas 40 x 28 in 101.6 x 71.1 cm
      Hiba Kalache
      such a hallelujah, 2024
      Ink, oil and oil bar on canvas
      40 x 28 in
      101.6 x 71.1 cm
      Inquire
    • Hiba Kalache here is another now, 2024 Ink, oil and oil bar on canvas 40 x 28 in 101.6 x 71.1 cm
      Hiba Kalache
      here is another now, 2024
      Ink, oil and oil bar on canvas
      40 x 28 in
      101.6 x 71.1 cm
      Inquire
    • Hiba Kalache I renounce having a meaning, 2024 Ink, oil and oil bar on canvas 41 x 28 in 104.1 x 71.1 cm
      Hiba Kalache
      I renounce having a meaning, 2024
      Ink, oil and oil bar on canvas
      41 x 28 in
      104.1 x 71.1 cm
      Inquire
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