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Vertical Gallery is very proud to present ‘Larger Than Life,’ a solo exhibit featuring Chicago painter Joseph Renda Jr. ‘Larger Than Life,’ which runs from June 4-25 at our 1016 N. Western Ave. location, assembles two dozen paintings and watercolor studies exploring the outsized impact of humankind on the natural world. In conjunction with the show’s opening, taking place Saturday, June 4 from noon to 6:00 pm, Vertical will release two new prints by Renda as well as a book, also titled ‘Larger Than Life.’ Renda will return to the gallery Saturday, June 18 for an artist talk beginning at 11:00 am.

VIEW THE EXHIBITION HERE

‘Larger Than Life,’ which follows two years after Renda’s first solo Vertical showcase, ‘Biophilia,’ contrasts the vastness of nature with the relative triviality of the humans who nevertheless pose Earth’s greatest threat — an imbalance the artist portrays via human figures dwarfed by surrealistic landscapes (the first time he has incorporated landscapes and backgrounds into his work).

“The title ‘Larger Than Life’ speaks to the feeling of walking in nature, looking out into the wilderness and feeling engulfed by your surroundings,” Renda explains. “Some of these pieces touch on eco-activist themes, while others focus on our connection to nature in a more whimsical way. Having the human element in these pieces means viewers can relate to the ideas more directly. Conceptually and visually, this is my most cohesive body of work to date.”

Highlights of ‘Larger Than Life’ include “Through Innocent Eyes,” created in conjunction with Renda’s 12-year-old brother Reagan. “I asked him to draw a house and a tree, and then I created a trompe-l'œil version that looks like crayon,” Renda says. “The way kids draw trees and houses is very innocent. They look at nature as something to explore — something to interact with. Half of the pieces in this show encourage people to recapture their childlike innocence about nature; the other half is about our impact on nature, and how we use it for personal gain. It’s up to the viewer to choose how they want to interact, but if we keep going the way we’re going, there isn’t going to be nature anymore.”

Renda earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the American Academy of Art in 2018, a year after making his Vertical Gallery debut as part of an all-star holiday pop-up event. He has since shown in numerous group exhibitions both at home and abroad, and in 2021 curated two Vertical group shows, ‘Water the Plants’ and ‘Atomic Number 13.’ Renda has also created murals throughout the Chicagoland area, and owns and operates the art services and custom framing company ArtBuilds.

Joseph Renda Jr.
‘Larger Than Life’
June 4 – 25, 2022
Opening Day: Saturday, June 4^th, noon-6pm
Vertical Gallery, 1016 N Western Ave.

Vertical Gallery is very proud to present ‘Hybrid 2.0’, a new solo exhibition from New Zealand artist Brad Novak. ‘Hybrid 2.0,’ which runs from June 11 – July 3 at Vertical Project Space’s West Town location (2006 W. Chicago Ave. #1R; enter via the alley off Damen Ave.).

VIEW THE EXHIBITION HERE

Brad Novak (b. 1976) was born and currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand. He transitioned from being a medical doctor specializing in Public Health to a world-recognized urban artist over the past several years. Passionate study of the genesis of Pop art, combined with respect for the gritty street art aesthetic, resulted in the development of Novak’s personal urban Pop art style – his one-of-a-kind, hand-collaged, and spray-painted works.

‘Hybrid 2.0’ is Novak’s first USA solo show. It features 12 shield/arch shaped works in which he explores identity through charismatic animals fusing with humans to create engaging hybrid figures. Many of the central subjects are birds, which have always had a special place in both the history and modern-day life of Aotearoa, New Zealand. And the warrior aspect of the pieces reflects the fight that we all must undertake to break our own self-limiting beliefs.

Novak currently shows internationally with galleries in the USA, UK, and NZ. He has been showing with Vertical since 2014.

Brad Novak
‘Hybrid 2.0’
June 11 – July 3, 2022
Opening weekend, Sat & Sun June 11 & 12, noon-5pm
Vertical Project Space

Vertical Gallery, Chicago’s premier urban-contemporary art gallery, is very proud to present ‘Enjoy the Silence,’ the debut U.S. solo exhibition from Norwegian stencil artist Hama Woods.

‘Enjoy the Silence’ runs from May 7-28 at Vertical’s 1016 N. Western Ave. location, with an opening-day reception on Saturday, May 7 from noon to 6:00 pm. The exhibit features a series of original canvases continuing Woods’ long-running preoccupation with consumerism’s effects on the world we inhabit, a theme she explores via black-and-white mammals and birds painted into colorful but unnatural geometric environments. 

Woods’ art is characterized by her use of hand-cut, multi-layered stencils and spray paint. Since beginning her career in 2009, her work has consistently challenged viewers to contemplate the choices they make and the impact of their decisions on both the present and the future. In addition to exhibits and murals across Europe and the U.S., Woods has participated in multiple Vertical Gallery group shows over the years, most recently 2021’s ‘Atomic Number 13.’

Hama Woods
'Enjoy the Silence'
May 7 - 28, 2022
Opening day: Saturday, May 7th, 12-6

VIEW THE EXHIBITION IN 3D

We are very excited to partner with Frame Chicago for a special Kayla Mahaffey print release!

All details are listed here:

Kayla Mahaffey
Safe Haven, 2021
45-color Hand-Pulled Screen Print on Mohawk Superfine UltraWhite, 160 lb Cover with Deckled Edges
27 1/2 x 24 in.
Edition of 100, signed and numbered by Kayla
Printed by POP!NK Editions
$800

PURCHASE HERE



Kayla Mahaffey
Safe Haven (variant edition), 2021
45-color Hand-Pulled Screen Print on Mohawk Superfine UltraWhite, 160 lb Cover with Deckled Edges
27 1/2 x 24 in.
Edition of 50, signed and numbered by Kayla
Printed by POP!NK Editions
$975

• 50 of the regular edition, and 25 of the variant edition will be available in-person at Vertical Gallery on Friday, April 15th at noon.
• Limit of one print total per person.
• Credit card or cash accepted for payment. 10.25% sales tax is added to the order.
• Special framing choices from Frame Chicago will be available. 
• A limited number of prints will be available in-person at Frame Chicago on Friday, April 22. 

We understand that many can not make it to Chicago. Email us on Sunday April 24, and if there are any prints available after our in-person launch and Frame Chicago's event, we will fulfill requests on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please email us at sales@verticalgallery.com if you have any questions.

Vertical Gallery is very proud to present ‘GANG,’ a new solo exhibition from Chicago-based street artist Joseph “Sentrock” Perez.

‘GANG,’ which runs from April 16 to May 15 at Vertical Project Space’s West Town location (2006 W. Chicago Ave. #1R; enter via the alley off Damen Ave.), features more than two dozen illustrations and mixed-media pieces exploring life, love and loss through the lens of a young Latino male in 21^st-century America — a deeply personal, bravely confessional body of work representing Sentrock’s boldest achievement to date.

‘GANG’ (an acronym for “God’s Angels Never Gone”) draws extensively on Sentrock’s relationships with family and friends in his native Phoenix, Ariz., channeling their triumphs and tragedies to address the realities facing Latino culture and community.

“A lot of my family members are struggling to deal with the system, and I’ve been struggling with survivor’s guilt and feeling like I haven’t done enough for them,” Sentrock says. “Much of my work speaks to seeking freedom — seeking hope, or some sort of escape. But this body of work reveals what I was trying to escape from. There was a lot of reflection during the process of creating this work. It’s very raw, very organic.”

Sentrock’s bird-mask character — a recurring symbol of freedom throughout his career — is largely absent from ‘GANG.’ In its place is a motif depicting a ski mask with mourning doves emerging from its eyes. “It’s still me, still my work, but it doesn’t have my signature character,” Sentrock says. “Even when I take the bird mask away, the narrative is still the same. It’s an authentic representation of a young Latino and his environment.”

The self-taught Sentrock began writing graffiti as a teen, initially crediting his efforts to “Sent” (a derivative of “heaven sent”) before adopting his current alias, which also references his passion for breakdancing culture. In addition to murals across Chicago and throughout the U.S., Sentrock has collaborated with brands including the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, Converse and Toyota. He has also contributed work to many previous Vertical Gallery group and anniversary shows, including 2021’s ‘Atomic Number 13,’ with Vertical owner Patrick Hull stating that Sentrock will return to the gallery in the near future.

“I’ve known Sentrock since the gallery opened, and over time we’ve slowly incorporated him into the Vertical family of artists,” Hull says. “These new paintings remind me of splash pages from comic books — each piece tells its own story. There’s so much in this show to look at and discover.”  

Sentrock
“GANG”
April 16 – May 15, 2022
Opening weekend, Sat & Sun April 16 & 17, 12-5
Vertical Project Space – 2006 W. Chicago Ave. #1R