The Other Art Fair
Inside the Studio with Fair Director’s Pick Jay Chung
As part of our ongoing series highlighting exceptional artists showing at The Other Art Fair Dallas, I caught up with artist Jay Chung, one of the exhibitors I’m most excited for people to discover. This week, I visited his studio to preview the works he’ll be showing at the Fair and other works in progress. Take a peek behind the scenes in my photo diary below.
The Other Art Fair Dallas
Fair Director’s Pick
Jay Chung
Fair Director Nicole Garton with artist Jay Chung in his studio, standing in front of two paintings from his “Code Red” series
As noted in my Fair Director’s Picks post, Jay Chung explores the complex interplay of physical realities and interior states of being in his paintings, deftly employing both figuration and abstraction to present, as he says, an “alternative” to the human figure which expresses “our conscious and unconscious experience of being in the world.”
In his most recent series, “Code Red,” previewed below, Jay presents a commentary on climate change with new paintings that depict figures confronting the wildfires ravaging his beloved Yosemite—a family vacation destination he’s been visting for years. The intensity of the paint colors is matched only by the deeply arresting emotions that the figures in each painting represent.
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In the first painting in this series, an abstracted firefighter—only the helmet is conventionally conveyed—stares into the orange flow of a forest ablaze. In another, an abstracted figure—a roiling blur of greys and blues—stands in front of a smoldering, dusky mauve sky with a few scrubby trees.
A scene from Jay’s studio featuring his materials and several works from his “Cosmos” series
As I’m forming my recommendations, I’m considering key aspects of an artist’s work that demand special recognition—whether it be a fully articulated style that is unique and arresting, a mastery of technical skill that reveals an uncommon talent, or a strong underpinning of ideas that is fresh and provocative.
Click here to discover more of my Fair Director’s Picks.
With Jay’s work, both his unique style and the ideas he’s exploring—from the emotions embodied in refugees fleeing a Greece in economic crisis to friends grappliing with the pandemic—are important contributions to any discussion of contemporary art today. In addition, Jay has recently been recognized by the curators at Saatchi Art as a 2021 Rising Star. It is my hope that this series will help you discover an artist whose works you really love.
Click here for tickets to see Jay’s latest works at The Other Art Fair Dallas
Come see us this week in Dallas, or wisit The Other Art Fair Online Studios, an online platform offering art lovers around the world access to over 800 Fair artists. The Online Studios is keeping our community feeling inspired and engaged—wherever in the world you may be.
About the Author
Nicole Garton is Fair Director at The Other Art Fair. See what she's up to behind-the-scenes at @nicolegarton.
