FOG Design+Art 2025: Booth 305
Past exhibition
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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.
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Joan Brown, Let’s Dance (detail), 1976
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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.
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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 They seek beauty and rebirth in the midst of turmoil, pulling from historical references and challenging us to move forward with empathy and find connection through our shared humanity.Kalache’s process yields to artistic expression, usually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.
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