Hashimoto Contemporary is pleased to present Very Rare, a two-artist exhibition by Mojave Desert, California-based artists Katie Kimmel and Lorien Stern. Very Rare will be both artists second exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary, following Stern's 2018 and Kimmel's 2019 solo exhibitions. For Very Rare, the artists created a collection of whimsical ceramic artifacts, oddities and trophies for unique situations, the imagined content found in an older, wealthy patron's curiosity room.
Drawing on their mutually playful sense of humor, Kimmel and Stern contemplated what is considered 'very rare', and how we come to define and categorize something as such. For Lorien Stern, this theme was utilized to place a spotlight on exotic, extinct and near extinct animals, as well as rare versions of the artists well known ceramic shark heads, finished in gold luster. One notable work is a 2+ foot tall albino Komodo dragon, standing upright, tail wrapped around itself and tongue sticking out, while cheekily displaying its long, light blue perfectly manicured finger and toe nails.
Alternatively, Katie Kimmel created a series of ceramic awards and trophies, "haunted fruit", as well as collectible items such as kitschy memorabilia reminiscent of card store trinkets and stamps. Patron Saint of Friday's, a large ceramic bust, pays tribute to the working class chain-restaurant waitress, suspenders full of "flair", proudly carrying a grinning cheeseburger and fries to her next table.
In conjunction with the exhibition, Hashimoto Contemporary will have a selection of unique works and merchandise from each artist made especially for Very Rare. In addition, a collaborative limited edition print will be released titled You Are Good. $10 from each print sale will be donated to No Kid Hungry, who are working with schools and food banks to ensure children don't miss meals due to Coronavirus school closures. Merchandise and the limited edition print will be available for purchase on our website on Thursday, April 9th at hashimotocontemporary.com
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, there will be no opening reception for the exhibition, and the gallery will be closed to the public. The exhibition will be on view through the gallery website. An Instagram live walk through of the show is scheduled for Saturday, April 4th at 5pm est. Both Katie Kimmel and Lorien Stern will participate in the live stream.
For more information, additional images, or exclusive content, please email Jennifer Rizzo at nyc@hashimotocontemporary.com
