Ravi Zupa: The Turmoil of Being @ Hashimoto Contemporary

September 1, 2016

The incredible work of Ravi Zupa, intricate and almost historical works drawn and painted by hand. It is almost hard to believe that Ravi is entirely self taught, starting at home with this family and then continuing at his local library. He found his inspiration and also study for his works from German Renaissance printmakers, Flemish primitives, abstract expressionists, Japanese woodblock artists, Mughal paintings, religious iconography from Europe, Asia and Pre-Columbian Latin America and revolutionary propaganda the world over. His current solo show at Hashimoto Contemporary brings together all these inspirations beautifully.

These ornate works are a must see in person to be able to fully appreciate the amount of detail in each piece. Ranging from sculpture to drawings and large installations, if you are lucky enough to be in the San Francisco area during this show, take the opportunity to delve into Ravi Zupa’s world as it is intended. For those of us not lucky enough, we will have to admire these images from afar! For more information on Ravi Zupa please visit his website and Instagram.

Ravi Zupa: The Turmoil of Being – a solo exhibition

Exhibition dates:

September 1 – September 24, 2016

Hashimoto Contemporary

804 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

The exhibition will be on view until Saturday, September 24th. For more information, additional
images, or exclusive content, please email the gallery at info@hashimotocontemporary.com.

Press Release:

Hashimoto Contemporary is pleased to present The Turmoil of Being, a solo show of new works by Colorado-based artist Ravi Zupa. Highlighting Zupa’s multifaceted studio practice, the exhibition features new works on paper, fabricated sculptures and a large scale installation. Zupa utilizes a broad range of techniques to interweave imagery from a myriad of cultures. Taking cues from Renaissance portraiture, totalitarian propaganda and Eastern iconography, Zupa creates a unique universe of historic characters and anthropomorphic creatures. Figures are precisely rendered to emulate the stylings of Japanese wood-block illustrations, Medieval religious art, and zoological drawings. However, each pastiche is intervened with bold reference to modernity and a looming dystopian future.
The Turmoil of Being brings together several of Zupa’s ongoing bodies of work. His series, Age of Enlightenment, display his mastery of combining traditional methods of printmaking, assemblage, and painting. Zupa’s ornate work seems as it were unearthed from centuries ago, yet it contains traces of our contemporary age. Dreamlike, unsettling and mysterious, these works unify what is seemingly unrelated, to strive towards something universal. In his continuing series, Mightier Than, Zupa dismantles and welds together pieces of antique typewriters to create realistic depictions of modern assault rifles. Upon closer inspection, barrels and triggers are merely carriages and keys. Each weapon is even loaded with ammunition meticulously crafted from discarded pencil stubs and fountain-pens. This work confronts the violent and absurd by re-interpreting the old adage “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Zupa’s exhibition culminates in a life sized sculptural installation. An elaborately costumed Samurai rides on horseback, wielding an assembled typewriter rifle. This monumental work provokes viewers to be physically immersed into Zupa’s milieu.

ABOUT THE GALLERY:

Hashimoto Contemporary is located in San Francisco, CA. Our roster consists of an eclectic blend of new contemporary artists. With monthly rotating exhibitions, our programming focuses on a range of painting, sculpture and installation-based work. You can also visit us at a variety of international art fairs in Miami, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Ravi Zupa is a self-taught, multidisciplinary artist. He has worked as teacher, animator and music video director. His work has been exhibited internationally in galleries and art fairs, including at Shepard Fairey’s Subliminal Projects in Los Angeles and at Lazarides in the United Kingdom.