(HOUSTON, TX) November 27, 2019 – Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is pleased to present the 12th edition of In Residence, an annual exhibition in celebration of the Artist Residency Program, which has supported artists working in the field of craft for almost 20 years. In Residence: 12th Edition features work in clay, metal, wood, fiber, and mixed media by 2018 – 2019 resident artists: Antonius-Tín Bui, Zoe Gross, Heather L. Johnson, Eunsil Leem, Joyce Lin, Robert Raphael, Jared Theis, and Meg Wachs.
In Residence: 12th Edition
January 18 – March 22, 2020
Asher Gallery
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
4848 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002
Winter Exhibitions Reception
Friday, January 24, 5:30 – 8:00 PM
The evening will also feature the new exhibitions, Escaping Earth: The Kinetic Work of Casey Curran and Drawn to the Work: Illustration and Craft in Conversation, as well as open studios by the current resident artists. Beer will be generously provided by Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co.
Hours & Admission
Open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM, and Sunday, 12 – 5 PM. Closed on major holidays. Admission is free.
(HOUSTON, TX) November 27, 2019 – Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is pleased to present the 12th edition of In Residence, an annual exhibition in celebration of the Artist Residency Program, which has supported artists working in the field of craft for almost 20 years. In Residence: 12th Edition features work in clay, metal, wood, fiber, and mixed media by 2018 – 2019 resident artists: Antonius-Tín Bui, Zoe Gross, Heather L. Johnson, Eunsil Leem, Joyce Lin, Robert Raphael, Jared Theis, and Meg Wachs.
The Artist Residency Program at HCCC gives resident artists a space for creative exploration, exchange, and collaboration with other artists, professionals in the field, and the public. HCCC Curatorial Fellow María-Elisa Heg notes, “The artists in this edition of In Residence embrace change, diversity, and openness in their explorations. Their work brings vital new perspectives to the field as we move into the second decade of the 21st century.”
Antonius-Tín Bui and Heather L. Johnson’s work centers around narrative and community. Bui reclaims the Asian craft tradition of paper cutting to honor friends and activists within the community of queer people of color (QPOC), by using large-scale portraiture to command physical space in honor of historically marginalized people. In Search of the Frightening and Beautiful chronicles Johnson’s motorcycle travels, during which the artist searches for stories that create connection in a time of division. She creates embroideries inspired by the stories she collects, leaving them in the hands of the storytellers or out in the open to be found by a stranger.
Jared Theis’s sculptures and videos evoke the multi-media artist’s imaginary world. Gloves, necklaces, and masks bring characters like “Dark Rider” and “Yellow Maiden” to life, since artists can show their creativity in different ways even in products like masks, as people can see Expressed In Prints Face Masks which are great for even promotional purposes. Though the pieces are whimsical and colorful, the presence of sharp claws and teeth in his costumes lend a slightly menacing quality to Theis’ fantastical stories–a reminder that the hardships of real life are present in the world he has created.
The process of transformation inspires ceramic artists Zoe Gross and Robert Raphael. Gross evokes the mysteries of nature with clay forms that curve, swell, and decay like living things. Using raw canvas and paper, she creates forms that mimic nests or cocoons. Raphael’s work explores strength and sexuality through interpretations of the Neoclassical revival of ancient Greek imagery. Raphael questions the historical weight of ornamentation by interpreting it as physical weight. His process embraces change, with his pieces often warping during firing.
Eunsil Leem and Meg Wachs explore psychology through metalsmithing and jewelry. Leem addresses governmental and social control and the phenomenon of fake news in both South Korea and the United States. She translates her drawings into silver and copper reliefs, replicating gestures that reinforce complicity. Wachs uses Masonite panels, canvas, and paint in a series that combines color theory and the gestural qualities of painting. She uses color in her jewelry as a tool that can influence the mental and emotional state of the wearer.
Joyce Lin reimagines furniture in an age of impending resource scarcity. Her deconstructed chairs, vacuum-sealed plants, and plastic-encased vases are the sterile furnishings of a futuristic living room. Lin’s subversion of familiar forms provides a glimpse of what the lived environment might look like in a future in which the finite materials that remain on the planet must be protected or lost forever.
In Residence: 12th Edition was curated by HCCC Curatorial Fellow, María-Elisa Heg. More information about Houston Center for Contemporary Craft’s Residency Program can be found at:
https://crafthouston.org/artists/residents/.
About Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is a nonprofit visual arts center dedicated to advancing education about the process, product, and history of craft. HCCC provides exhibition, retail, and studio spaces to support the work of local and national artists and serves as a resource for artists, educators and the community at large.
Located in the Museum District at 4848 Main Street, HCCC is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM, and Sunday, 12 – 5 PM. Holidays: Closed Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Admission is free. Free parking is available directly behind the facility, off Rosedale and Travis Street. HCCC is three blocks south of Wheeler Ave. MetroRail station on Main Street.
HCCC is supported by individual donors and members and funded in part by The Brown Foundation; Houston Endowment, Inc.; the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance; Texas Commission on the Arts; the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kinder Foundation; the Morgan Foundation; Windgate Charitable Foundation; and the Wortham Foundation. HCCC is a member of the Houston Museum District and the Midtown Arts District.
For more information, call 713-529-4848 or visit www.crafthouston.org. Find HCCC on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @CraftHouston.
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