Line Dot and Vertical Gallery are very proud to present “Looking for Dreams in a Kan of Soup,” a solo exhibit spotlighting Chicago painter and sculptor Sergio Farfan.

VIEW EXHIBITION IN 3D

“Looking for Dreams in a Kan of Soup” — which runs Oct. 3-17 at Line Dot Editions, located at 1023 N. Western Ave. in Chicago — assembles 12 canvases and 30 hand-painted sculptures heralding a bold new chapter in Farfan’s creative evolution. The artist will be in attendance for the exhibit’s opening-day event, taking place at Line Dot on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm; standard social distancing guidelines will be enforced.

The pieces making up “Looking for Dreams in a Kan of Soup” directly address Farfan’s complex relationship with his hero Andy Warhol, acknowledging the pop art pioneer’s enormous influence on Farfan’s work while at the same time forging a distinctly original, deeply personal style that escapes Warhol’s shadow altogether. The “Kans” namechecked in the exhibit’s title are original characters created by Farfan; each of the 30 sculptures depicts a different Kan stuck headfirst in a can of Campbell’s Soup, the kitchen cupboard staple whose red-and-white label remains synonymous with Warhol nearly 60 years after the release of his landmark “Campbell’s Soup Cans” silkscreen series. The accompanying paintings tell the story of Farfan’s growing realization that he must abandon Warholian ideals and aesthetics in order to continue advancing his own career and craft.

“A lot of people mimic their idols. They think that’s what they should be doing. But in reality, you have to follow your own path and your own heart. That’s the whole point of the show,” Farfan says.

The autobiographical narrative driving “Looking for Dreams in a Kan of Soup” also explores Farfan’s sometimes tumultuous inner world. “The Kans are all based on me. Each is based on the personality I feel when I’m drawing that character,” he explains. “‘Kans’ come from Cancer, the horoscope sign — I’m a Cancer, and we’re known to be really emotional. The crazier the character is, the crazier my mind is. In high school, I went to art therapy, and that’s where I started to learn how to put meaning into what I was drawing. Everything I do, I want it to have meaning. I don’t want to paint something just because it looks cool.”

Farfan was born in Peru, at age 7 relocating with his family to the U.S. A largely self-taught artist raised on a steady diet of cartoons (whose reality-bending characters and colors continue to exert a profound impact on his work), Farfan first achieved notoriety while in high school, claiming first-place honors in the 2013 Congressional Art Competition. From there he briefly studied graphic design at the American Academy of Art but gravitated to fine art after attending a gallery show headlined by his instructor and mentor Anthony Adcock.

While Farfan followed a journey similar to many fledgling artists, painting murals across the Chicagoland area and presenting work in gallery group shows, he also built a reputation on the strength of live painting demonstrations at a series of public and private events, including performances featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and rapper Gucci Mane. He has participated in several exhibitions at both Line Dot and Vertical Gallery over the past couple years.