Artist Features
Virtual might be the current name of the game, but there's nothing like seeing artwork in person. So, we wanted to round out our sassy, tumultuous 2020 by "visiting" some artists who participated in our September open house show. We asked for images of their work and workspace to give more context to their process and how they've been doing since the pandemic.
Please visit the artists’ websites and Instagram pages, and consider supporting small-time creators this holiday season. LAC takes no commission off sales made from these feature posts.
Raili Jänese
Raili Jänese, originally from Estonia, works out of her studio in Woodinville, Washington. Raili has found fascination in the coexistence of people and wild animals. She crafts her urban animals series, reflecting on different species who live in cities and observe people from a distance.
Working on multiple pieces at a time, she captures likeness through careful layering with text and color pairings.
Since the pandemic, her attention has been more acutely drawn to her animal subjects, as emptier streets create more possibility for urban wildlife growth. She has been experimenting on different surfaces, creating works on paper and wood in addition to the usual canvas.
Follow Raili’s process on Instagram @railijanese or visit her website.
S.T. Rivera
The work of Shamika Taisha (S.T.) Rivera is thoughtful, evocative of our current time, and inexplicably skillful in mark-making application. She dubs her process "circlism", a practice of fine craftsmanship conceived through obsessive repetition and meditation. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic began, Shamika, a Seattle-based Nuyorican artist, spent most of her time indoors, reading encyclopedias, dictionaries, and fantastical works of fiction. She uses a corner of her apartment as her studio.
He Sleeps on Pink Sheets, 2019.
Father of All Lies, 2019.
Her new wave of work explores different facets of the social, mental, and emotional branches of the pandemic, achieved via the process of chaotically organized doodles.
coming out of the fog, 2020.
Find a window into the artist's experience through pieces like coming out of the fog, which applies the passage of time to the negligence of those claiming that the pandemic exposed racial inequality in the United States. In her words, "[T]hose of us in Black and Brown communities are consistently vocal about systemic racism and oppression." While creating the piece, she reflected on the year since the murder of Elijah McClain, the three months since the murder of George Floyd, and the two days since the attempted murder of Jacob Blake.
outside my window / inside my mind, 2020.
As addressed in another of her pandemic works, outside my window / inside my mind, Shamika has been celebrating having an outdoor space that isn't a fire escape for the first time in her life. She's taken the opportunity to educate herself about the birds, squirrels, mice, and other creatures who also call the land around her home. They give her hope, and a break from the news.
behind the curtain / that day at the hospital, 2020.
quarantine connection, 2020.
Follow Shamika’s process on Instagram @shamiferngully or visit her website.
Daniel Marin
Daniel Marin (working under the artist moniker Dept M) had a piece in our September open house show called The King is Dead, an artwork that most visitors named as one of their favorites in the show. That can be attributed not only to the color and word choice, but the texture and sheer physical presence in the space. The solid wooden frame hints at the weight of the piece, a commonality across his body of work.
The King is Dead, 3’x4’. Photo by Marissa Sohn.
Daniel layers a variety of techniques including silk-screening, freehand painting, hand cut stenciling, and collage work to produce each comic book-inspired graphic story.
Love Birds, 3’x3’
Sip & Savor, 2’x3’
He says his process has taken a turn due to the pandemic. In his words, it used to be "very structured, following a process of giving each layer on the canvas the time and detail it required before moving [promptly] on to the next..." The new stay home requirements created "monotony and uncertainty [that] chipped away at the hustle and bustle [...] There was time now, and it began to show itself in my work."
Show Pony, 6’x4’
Even larger scale pieces than normal-5 and 6 foot-are coming out of his pandemic work, allowing Daniel to "revisit a specific area, layer, texture or figure on any part of the canvas, instead of sticking to a strict pattern of moving across phases. I’m learning to appreciate the process of creation more, focusing on fewer pieces at a time and enjoying myself more knowing it will likely be a while before anyone from the outside world gets to see it.”
Wish You Were Here, 4’x4’ each
Follow Daniel’s process on Instagram @departmentm or visit his website.
Thank you so much to the artists for allowing us to feature their work. It has been a lovely experience diving into each of their practices and looking at each of their skillful work.
Keep an eye out for updates via our Instagram @livingartistscollective, and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear updates. Exciting things are coming in 2021; we can’t wait to share with you!
Alaina