Alou Dia

Surfacing, 2019

Acrylic mixed media

48 x 48"

This piece will be auctioned at the opening night event.

Artist Bio:

Alou XII (b. 1986) hails from Dakar, Senegal. His childhood, unbeknownst to him at the time, was the very beginning of his introduction to the arts. In a place devoid of water, electricity and Internet, he and his friends relied on their imaginations. This scarce and unforgiving environment awakened his mind to the ability to create art from deprivation.

He went on to study art and architecture at École d'Art Appliqué de Lyon, École des Beaux Art de Marseille, and University of Montreal.

Alou XII's body of work investigates the dynamics of landscape and limits of perception. His art does not reference recognisable form. Negotiating the concept of landscape through the lens of nostalgia, he aims to approach a wide range of subjects in a multi-layered way to involve the viewer in a manner that is sometimes physical. The results are deconstructed to the extent that meaning is shifted and possible interpretation becomes multifaceted.

Cey Adams

Jack & Jackie, 2019
Mixed media collage on paper
30 x 22"

*This piece will be auctioned at the opening night event.

Artist bio:

Cey Adams, a New York City native, emerged from the downtown graffiti movement to exhibit alongside fellow artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. He appeared in the historic 1982 PBS documentary Style Wars which tracks subway graffiti in New York. As the Creative Director of hip hop mogul Russell Simmons' Def Jam Recordings, he co-founded the Drawing Board, the label's in-house visual design firm, where he created visual identities, album covers, logos, and advertising campaigns for Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G., Maroon 5, and Jay-Z. He exhibits, lectures and teaches art workshops at institutions including: MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, Museum of the City of New York, New York University, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Walker Art Center, MoCA Los Angeles, Pratt Institute, Stamford University, Howard University, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, High Museum, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Mount Royal University and The University of Winnipeg in Canada. He co-authored DEFinition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop, published by Harper-Collins; and designed Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label, published by Rizzoli. Cey's work explores the relationship between transformation and discovery. His practice involves dismantling various imagery and paper elements to build multiple layers of color, texture, shadow, and light. Cey draws inspiration from 60's pop art, sign painting, comic books, and popular culture. His work focuses on themes including pop culture, race and gender relations, cultural and community issues.