The Best Young Artists to Collect in 2021

Since 2013, every fall our curators scour the globe to publish their definitive list of promising up-and-coming artists you should know right now. This year they’ve found 27 trailblazing emerging artists—many of whom have recently graduated from BFA and MFA programs—who represent the future of art today.
Some are tackling contemporary social issues in their work, others are experimenting with new technologies, many are redefining traditional art styles, and all are creating powerful work that challenges the status quo and has a strong potential to increase in value. Discover them, support them, and collect their work today.
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Curator Monty Preston discusses themes explored by this year’s class of Rising Stars artists.
Meet several of the 2021 Rising Stars artists, and hear the story behind their works.

Collect New Artwork by Rising Stars Alumni

Many of our Rising Stars alumni have gone on to achieve significant acclaim, making work that is part of public collections, exhibited internationally, and sought after by private collectors around the world. Discover and their collect their work below—while you still can.

Shailee Mehta
Radim Langer
Anna Wehrwein
Lorella Paleni

ALUMNI — 2013

Lorella Paleni’s paintings mix lush colors and heightened textures to transport viewers to an ephemeral, dreamlike world. In her latest series, Lorella explores the lineage of brujeria, or witchcraft, in Latin American and Afro-Carribean cultures, to both shed light on underrepresented figures from history, and comment on issues facing women today.

Lorella earned her BFA in Painting from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia in Italy, followed by a summer residence at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She earned her MFA in Visual Arts from Columbia University in New York City.

— Lorella is the recipient of numerous awards, including the TOMS Visual Arts Scholarship at Columbia University and the Public Jury Prize for the International Art Prize in Bozzolo, Italy.

— Since being named a Rising Star, Lorella has held solo exhibitions at Galerie de L’OpenBach in Paris, E.Tay Gallery in New York City, Magic Beans Gallery in Berlin, and HB55 Kunstfabrik in Berlin.

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Intruder, $10,600

Katie Burdon
Benjamin Stephenson
Tania Alvarez
Kirsty Sim
María José Chica
Laura Valeria Manino
Nina Mae Fowler
ALUMNI — 2013

Since her Rising Stars feature, Nina Mae Fowler has achieved wide acclaim: in 2015, a monograph of her work entitled Nina Mae Fowler: Measuring Elvis was published by Cob Gallery in London; in 2018, David Lynch’s Silencio Club in Paris hosted a retrospective of her work; and in 2019, Nina won a major portrait commission for the National Portrait Gallery, which resulted in her series Luminary Drawings. Fascinated by the Golden Age of Hollywood, Nina draws on the glamor and bacchanalia of the era to examine perennial themes of celebrity, sexuality, and power. Renowned for her meticulously detailed drawings, often of a large scale, Nina also works across sculpture and installation.

Nina holds a BFA in Sculpture from Brighton University in East Sussex, UK. She has exhibited widely across Europe, with shows in Berlin, Paris, and Leipzig.

— Nina’s work is held in public collections around the world, such as the National Portrait Gallery in London; Colección Al Limite in Santiago, Chile

— Private collectors of Nina’s work include Jude Law, Sir Ridley Scott, and Luciano Benetton.

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A Fan of her Own Performance, $1,700
Abigail
Albano-Payton
Madeline Peckenpaugh
Lukey Agnes Walden
Omar Lalani
Aryana Minai
Alina Ada Lungu
Felix Carr

ALUMNI — 2017

Felix Carr’s paintings examine figure and form through an emphasis on gesture, physical expression, and mark making. Combining references to the figure with elements of writing, Felix pulls the viewer in with his frenetic compositions. Ultimately, Felix’s densely layered works investigate sensory experience and the limits of representation. Since his Rising Stars feature, Felix has been honored with numerous awards, including the Royal Scottish Academy’s Stevenston Painting Prize, the Steven Campbell Hunt Medal for Poetic Creativity, and the Glasgow School of Art Dissertation Prize.

Felix received his BFA (Hons) in Painting and Printmaking from the Glasgow School of Art. Felix is now based in London, and his works are held in private collections across the US and Europe.

— Felix has been honored with numerous awards, including the Royal Scottish Academy’s Stevenston Painting Prize, the Steven Campbell Hunt Medal for Poetic Creativity, and the Glasgow School of Art Dissertation Prize.

— In 2019, Felix had the privilege of being selected for the Carpenters Wharf Studio Residency in London.

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Everything That Accepts Us, Lifts Us Up, $3,460
Jay Chung
Salenia Sanchez
Jonah Fried
Damien Cifelli
Roxana Ajder
Taedong Lee
Ioana Manolache
ALUMNI — 2015

Ioana Manolache began her career as a Byzantine icon painter, an experience that fed her interest in symbolic objects such as flags and religious figures. Working from observation, her painting practice is both a formal exploration of objects and space, as well as a meditation on the emotional and cultural dimensions of everyday items. Since her inclusion in the Rising Stars report, Ioana received the Columbia University Leroy Neiman Gallery Curatorial Project grantee and was featured in the MFA edition of New American Paintings.

The Romanian artist currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She completed her BFA at the Cooper Union in New York, and earned her MFA from Columbia University.

— Ioana has exhibited prolifically in New York, with recent exhibitions at Nars Foundation and Wendy’s Subway.

— She is the recipient of several awards and recognitions: in 2015, she was a Columbia University Leroy Neiman Gallery Curatorial Project grantee, and in 2017, she was featured in the MFA edition of New American Paintings.

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Mother’s Knot I, $5,350
Jack Dunnett
Nooka Shepherd
Preston Paperboy
Julien Spianti
ALUMNI — 2014

Julien Spianti’s surrealist paintings depict gestural figures situated within deconstructed scenes that give way to otherworldly, atmospheric landscapes. Realistic details are contrasted against emphatic brushstrokes and untouched portions of canvas.

Julien acquired an MA in Philosophy and Esthetics from Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris, France, where he continues to live and work.

— Julien has exhibited his work at numerous art fairs, including The Other Art Fair, London; the YIA Young International Art Fair in Maastricht; Art on Paper in Brussels; and SCOPE Miami.

— Since his inclusion in Rising Stars, Julien’s paintings have been exhibited at Galleri Oxholm in Copenhagen, Marie Vitoux Gallery in Paris, and Fred Lanzenberg Gallery in Brussels.

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Midi (from the serie ‘Demain la Veille’), $12,750
Duarte Burnay
Henry Hong
Ming Siu
Kaili Smith
Ed Burkes
ALUMNI — 2016

Ed Burkes’s paintings elevate everyday subjects with delightfully relatable pop culture and historical references. By mixing quirky scenes with familiar phrases, Ed’s offbeat compositions offer a re-examination of today’s social norms. After his inclusion in Rising Stars, Ed went on to participate in exhibitions at BEERS London, Saatchi Gallery in London, and Arusha Gallery in Edinburgh.

Ed graduated with a BFA (Hons) from Falmouth University in the UK. While in school, Ed received the Wilhemina Barns-Graham Award, and the Falmouth School of Art Purchase Prize. In 2019, Ed won the Vickers Fine Art Award.

— This year, Ed’s first solo show, Dandelion, the result of a nine-month studio residency in Derby, UK, exhibited at Derby Museum and Art Gallery before moving to Mall Galleries in London.

— Ed has shown his work at notable art fairs, including the London Art Fair, Manchester Art Fair, and The Other Art Fair, London.

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Light Years, Limited Editions from $250

This Year’s Selection Committee

MEET OUR CURATORS

Our curators draw on more than 50 combined years of experience to identify recent graduates from the best art schools around the world who are on the rise and garnering international acclaim.
Rebecca Wilson
Chief Curator & VP Art Advisory, Saatchi Art
Rebecca Wilson was formerly a Director at the Saatchi Gallery, London, where she was instrumental in the launch of the gallery’s online presence. In 2007 she created New Sensations, a prize for art students which identifies and supports the most exciting emerging artists in the UK. Prior to joining the Saatchi Gallery, Rebecca worked for 14 years in book and art magazine publishing: she was editor of ArtReview, and before that deputy editor of Modern Painters.
Monty Preston
Manager of Art Advisory & Curation
Monty Preston graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Linguistics and Spanish Culture Studies from the University of Toronto, Canada. Prior to joining Saatchi Art in 2018, she worked at female-led, industry disrupting startups including Beauty Pie in London, where she managed content and creative, and The RealReal in San Francisco, where she specialized in luxury estate management with a focus on designer apparel and fine art. As an artist and photographer, Monty has collaborated with renowned talents in the fine art and fashion industries, providing her with the unique insight into the creative process that she brings to her curatorial practice.
Aurora Garrison
Associate Curator
Aurora Garrison has a B.A. in Art History and International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and an M.A. in World Heritage Studies from the University of Turin in Italy. Prior to joining Saatchi Art in 2018, Aurora worked at auction houses, museums, and galleries, including Christie’s in San Francisco, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Paddle8, and Revolver Gallery in Los Angeles. With a focus in world heritage preservation and conservation, Aurora has presented research on protecting cultural heritage in times of conflict at academic conferences in the US and Italy.
Bethany Fincher
Assistant Curator
Bethany Fincher graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Art History and Philosophy from the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. Before joining Saatchi Art in 2019, she worked in myriad commercial gallery, museum, and editorial positions, including at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art and Charleston Magazine, where she wrote on art and culture. With a background in aesthetics, she has presented research on innovative contemporary art practices at academic conferences across the United States.

Discover Past Classes

RISING STARS ALUMNI

Since the 2013 publication of our very first MFA graduate feature—formerly titled “Invest in Art”—many of the featured artists have gone on to achieve significant acclaim. Discover these talented artists by revisiting past editions of the guide.

EDITION 2020

EDITION 2019

EDITION 2018

EDITION 2017

Shailee Mehta’s artistic practice explores femininity compounded by the experience of otherness. She describes her scenes as “mundane acts within uncanny spaces” that highlight life’s quotidien moments, from comfort and intimacy to awkwardness and solitude. Drawing on mythology and historical storytelling traditions, Shailee’s narratives are thoughtful explorations of womanhood and subjectivity.

— Born in Indore, India, Shailee completed her Foundation Diploma from University of the Arts, London, and earned her BFA from The Slade School of Fine Art in London.

— Her work has been part of various group shows including in London, Spain, and Mumbai.
Shaihlee’s multidisciplinary practice includes photography, printmaking, and digital collage.

An Ordinary Spectacle, $4,950

Radim Langer’s process-driven, expressionist works tap into our primordial desire for balance and harmony. In a labor-intensive process of scraping and repainting, Radim creates highly abstracted, layered tableaux of symbols and forms that emerge organically from the canvas.

Radim is currently based in Prague, where he attended the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design and achieved both his MFA and PhD.

— Radim has participated in residencies in Romania, Greece, and the Czech Republic.

— In 2020, Radim presented a solo exhibition of his works at Pragovka Gallery in Prague.

Sisters of the Jungle, $1,500

Using saturated and bold colors, Anna Wehrwein’s figurative paintings depict everyday scenes — from families lounging on the couch to friends giving each other makeovers. By focusing on intimate scenes among friends and families, and approaching her subjects from unique angles, Anna’s paintings create an illusion of closeness and give viewers a snapshot of daily life.

Anna received an MFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, and has participated in various residency programs at the Vermont Studio Center, Anderson Ranch Art Center in Colorado, and MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire, for which she was awarded the 2019 Josephine Mercy Heathcote Fellowship.

— Anna’s work has been featured in notable publications such as New American Paintings, Friend of the Artist, and West Branch Literary Journal.

— Anna has participated in various residency programs at the Vermont Studio Center, Anderson Ranch Art Center in Colorado, and MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire.

Face Painter II, $4,350

Katie Burdon’s figurative photography captures the complexities of the physical human condition. Through images that emphasize both active movement and motionless contemplation, Katie’s work demonstrates the interconnection between the self, the other, and the natural world. Katie ultimately uses her practice to capture the human body through the historically underrepresented female gaze.

Katie received her BA (Hons) in Photography from Arts University Bournemouth in Poole, UK. Originally from Cornwall, Katie now lives and works in London.

— Katie’s work was exhibited at the 2018 Photo Vogue Festival in Milan, Italy.

— In 2019, she received the Palm Photo Prize at The Print Space in London.

Persistence 2, $810

A British artist currently based in Mexico, Benjamin Stephenson deconstructs colonialism and the notion of the “exotic.” The artist aims to reimagine narratives surrounding these themes and their subsequent motifs, which have been mystified and romanticized in the Western canon. Drawing on the styles of Henri Rousseau and Paul Gauguin, Benjamin describes his practice as self-reflective, critical, and sometimes humorous, questioning and reimagining the myths of the Western explorer.

Benjamin earned his BA (Hons) in Painting from the Wimbledon College of Art in London.

— In 2021, Benjamin exhibited at El Museo de la Ciudad and Outsiders Gallery in Queretaro, Mexico, and completed a residency at BEMA Espacio Cultural in Queretaro.

— Benjamin has worked with the RYDER Projects in Madrid and Hauser & Wirth in London.

The Lovers, $4,950

Mixed-media artist and painter Tania Alvarez explores memory and the isolation of living with chronic illness in her paintings of interior spaces. Tania reinvents the traditional still life genre, rendering hospital interiors in close-cropped perspectives and in 1970s-inspired color combinations.

Tania was born in Seville, Spain, and now lives and works in Germantown, New York. She earned her MFA at the New York Academy of Art and her BFA at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

— This year, she participated in group exhibitions at The Killburn Mill in Massachusetts, Woodstock Artists Association and Museum in New York, and the Deanna Evans Projects in New York.

— Tania is a Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant recipient, and has been awarded residencies at the Sam and Adele Golden Foundation in New York, the Studios at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Central Academy Of Fine Arts Residency in Beijing, China.

Flight, $2,730

Concerned with the toxicity of social media and developments in artificial intelligence, Kirsty Sim’s photography hints at humanity’s fragility in today’s digital age. In her recent series Ambient, Kirsty uses the theme of daydreams to explore how different cultures and modern technologies can subvert the aspirations of young adults.

Kirsty was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She earned her BA in Industrial Design at the Korea Polytechnic University in Siheung, South Korea. She is currently pursuing her MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art in London.

— Her works have been exhibited internationally at exhibition spaces such as the South London Gallery and the New School in New York City.

— Kirsty’s works have been featured in various publications, including Refinery29.

Bush Piccolo No. 5, $1,040

Predominantly working on a large scale, María José Chica makes imposing paintings exploring issues surrounding female identity, domestic life, and human relationships. Using various symbols, objects, and patterns in her fluid designs, María illustrates an ever-changing narrative of human interactions within constructed, domestic spaces.

She received her BFA from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá and her MFA from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.

— María was an artist in residence at Arteles Creative Center.

— Her work has been featured in individual and group shows in Bogotá, Santiago, and London.

Mental Diorama 7, $3,970

Laura Valeria Manino’s extensive practice spans painting, drawing, and installation. Laura’s work is characterized by delicate lines used to create movement and dizzying forms that challenge the perceptual abilities of her viewers. Her freehand creations composed of pencils, graphite, and chalk are methodologically layered to emphasize negative space, giving her works palpable three-dimensionality.

Laura was born in Mendoza, Argentina, and is currently based in Buenos Aires. After attending the Universidad Nacional de las Artes in Buenos Aires, she received her BFA from the School of Fine Arts in Mendoza.

—In 2020, her work was selected for inclusion in the Public Programme of Individual Exhibitions at the Municipal Hall Lidaura Chapitel in Buenos Aires.

—In 2018, Laura’s work was selected for inclusion in the 9th Painting Surveying Contest at the Nordelta Art Studio in Buenos Aires.

Expansión Tropical , $1,710

A young Afro-Filipina artist working in Laguna Beach, California, Abigail Albano-Payton pays homage to her community and heritage through richly textured figurative paintings. With a focus on exploring BIPOC experiences, Abigail aims to repurpose the traditionally Eurocentric tools of representation and portraiture to highlight underrepresented subjects. Abigail approaches her paintings and collages with both formal and conceptual sensitivity, resulting in emotive reflections on everyday social norms and practices.

Abigail attended Laguna College of Art and Design, and earned her BFA in Drawing and Painting in 2021.

— Abigail’s work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times and exhibited at Salt Fine Art Gallery in Laguna Beach.

— She has participated in group shows with Fusion Art in Palm Springs, and her work was featured in Straight Lick, the Black Art Sessions’s inaugural exhibition.

Kaelon, $2,170

Madeline Peckenpaugh’s fragmentary landscapes push the limits of visual space, proposing a natural realm half-remembered and half-imagined. Humans are visually absent in Madeline’s scenes; however, their presence is implied by hard-edge and geometric interferences in the natural landscape. With an interest in how we engage with our surroundings, Madeline’s paintings push the viewer to the very edge of reality.

Madeline was first trained at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in Wisconsin and went on to receive her BFA at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. She recently earned her MFA in Painting at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island.

— Her work is held in the public collections of Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia and Brown University in Providence.

—Madeline has exhibited her work widely across the US, with shows in New York City, San Francisco, and Boston.

Shipwreck, $6,200

Providence, Rhode Island–based artist Lukey Agnes Walden contemplates exploitation and lack of representation through a portrait practice centered on trans subjects. With each painting, Lukey seeks to correct the overlooked and antagonized history of trans life in the US. Trading the legible for the inscrutable, Lukey has developed their own visual vocabulary of rapid brushstrokes, restricted color palettes, and blurred forms, resulting in enigmatic figures that exist beyond the traditional constraints of representation.

After obtaining their BA in Studio Art at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Lukey pursued their MFA in Painting at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence in 2020.

— In 2020, Lukey was an Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant recipient.

— Lukey currently serves as Assistant Professor of Drawing at Rhode Island School of Design.

Francis, $595

Omar Lalani’s abstract paintings center on our basic instincts, namely pleasure and sensation. In what he describes as an autopoietic, or self-perpetuating process, Omar integrally builds up and scrapes away layers of color and texture, prioritizing tactility in his work. His unexpected color combinations and palpable, at times bodily forms become visceral invocations of sensory experiences.

Originally from Calgary, Canada, Omar is currently based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He obtained his BA in Design at the Alberta College of Art and Design, and is currently pursuing an MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence.

— Omar served as the Programming Director for the Pushmi Pullyu exhibition space in Toronto from 2016 to 2018.

— He has participated in a number of group and solo exhibitions across Canada, exhibiting his work in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.

Prism Spasm, $5,410

Working with handmade paper, Aryana Minai creates subtle monotypes that explore the evolution and memory of architectural spaces. Inspired by the Islamic and vernacular architecture of her childhood home in Tehran, Aryana uses found materials like reclaimed wood and bricks to infuse her work with the history of built spaces.

After moving to Southern California as a teenager with her family, Aryana went on to earn her BFA at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. In 2020, she achieved her MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Yale School of Art in New Haven, Connecticut.

— While working toward her MFA, Aryana earned the Dean’s 2020 Critical Research Grant.

— Since 2015 she has had five solo exhibitions in Pasadena, Los Angeles, and New Haven.

Echo III, $1,200

Influenced by the Surrealism and Fauvism art movements, Alina Ada Lungu’s dynamic portraits play with form, movement, and color. Though many of her subjects are sourced from personal photographs, Alina obscures and distorts these figures, adding layers of color and organic shapes. The artist’s final portraits are fragmented and abstracted, inviting the viewer to escape from reality.

Alina attended the National University of Arts in Bucharest, Romania, where she received her BFA and MFA.

— Alina’s works have been exhibited in solo and group shows across Europe and are held in private collections in the US and France.

— She is currently pursuing her PhD in Visual Arts at the National University of Arts, Bucharest.

21 – Retro, $2,870

Jay Chung challenges conventional representations of the human figure through fantastical, highly distorted bodily forms. Jay’s compositions operate on the psychological plane, subverting visual expectations and prompting the viewer’s unconscious interpretation.

Jay received a BA in Architecture and Engineering before going on to earn a BFA from Tufts University and School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. Jay was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and is now based in Dallas, Texas.

— Jay has exhibited widely throughout North Texas, with exhibitions at the Fort Worth Art Center, Awake Art Show, and Artwalk Dallas.

— Jay’s work is held in private collections throughout the US and Europe.

Fluctuation, $2,810

Painter Salenia Sanchez explores the natural world and our ever-changing relationship with new places. Her whimsical compositions make use of vibrant colors, varying textures, and destabilizing compositions to evoke her own emotional and physical journey navigating unfamiliar surroundings.

Born in the Bronx, New York, Salenia was raised in Florida. At sixteen, she relocated to Tennessee, a move that spurred a sense of displacement and alienation, and ultimately shaped her visual and conceptual approach to the landscape genre.

— This year, Salenia exhibited her first solo show, Lost-Found, at the Pratt Institute in New York City.

— She received her BFA from the Pratt Institute in Painting, and is pursuing an MFA in Creative Arts Therapy.

Miami Spring Trees, $1.080

Jonah Fried utilizes digital printmaking and mixed media to explore the division between unique and mass-produced images. Through a process of repeating patterns interrupted by random mark making, Jonah’s practice conceptually addresses the relationship between the collective “whole” and the “self,” and our simultaneous importance and insignificance as individuals.

Jonah received his BFA (Hons) from the Chelsea University of the Arts in London, where he now lives and works.

— In 2016, Jonah was a recipient of the Phylis Hodgers Prize for Art Excellence in Edinburgh.

— Jonah’s solo exhibitions include his 2017 show, Isolated, at the Cairns Gallery in Edinburgh and I VS WE, an online exhibition with Exhibbit in 2020.

Unit 15498, $2,750

With an interest in anthropology and storytelling, Damien Cifelli utilizes the large scale and imposing compositions of history paintings to explore his fictitious world dubbed Tarogramma. In his uncanny paintings, Damien depicts the detailed narratives and aesthetics of this other world, which are both foreign and strangely familiar.

Damien holds an MA in Architecture from Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. He has had two solo exhibitions at the Dundas Street Gallery in Edinburgh and the Italian Cultural Institute in conjunction with the Edinburgh Art Festival Program.

—Damien’s work has been exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh and at galleries in London such as D Contemporary, Mayfair Gallery, and Mall Galleries.

—In 2020, Damien was a finalist for the Foundwork Artist Prize and the Fashion Illustration Drawing Awards.

The Architect’s House, Late Afternoon, $10,875

Roxana Ajder’s figurative paintings are based on photos of people, primarily women, involved in the social nudity and naturalism movements.

Her richly textured, sundrenched paintings contemplate our cultural ambivalence towards nudity and concepts of beauty and femininity. With ebullient nude figures set against natural backdrops, Roxana paints a vision of women with agency, imbued with freedom.
Born in Galaţi, Romania, Roxana is currently based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She earned her BA and MA at the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca, where she is currently pursuing a PhD.

— In 2019, Roxana was named a finalist of the Biennale Jeune Création Européenne.

— Roxana is a co-founder of the Galeria de Sprijin, a charitable art donation platform established in 2020, working to assist hospital workers managing the COVID-19 health crisis.

The Swimming Pool, $3,600

Taedong Lee’s semi-abstract compositions fluidly incorporate realism and figuration with imaginary landscapes. Taedong has described his artistic process as memory-based, referencing physical environments while considering emotions associated with these lived experiences. Influences of Impressionism are clear, as thick brushstrokes and eccentric tones reconfigure his landscapes upon the canvas.

Taedong is currently based in Seoul, South Korea. After earning his BA in Painting from Gachon University, Taedong then pursued his MA in Fine Art Painting at the Camberwell College of Arts, University of Arts London.

—Taedong’s works were exhibited at the Bowes-Parris Gallery in London for the show All These Gestures in 2020.

—His works have also been shown at Gallery Iang in Seoul and the Saatchi Gallery in London.

Across the Window, $1,039

With an interest in the ways people interact with their surroundings, Jack Dunnett primarily paints his figures in intimate interiors. Working on a small scale, Jack carefully maps his compositions to build a detailed narrative, allowing the room or surrounding architecture to frame his main subject. Jack chemically manipulates his pigments and materials to build up texture in his work, a practice that balances traditional figuration with the unexpected and chaotic surface of the canvas.

Jack earned a BA (Hons) from Gray’s School of Art at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland.

— Jack was the recipient of the 2018 Royal Scottish Academy’s David & June Gordon Memorial Trust Award.

— Since 2014, Jack’s work has been featured in over twenty group exhibitions throughout the UK and Europe.

Re:Publicanism, $1,530

Nooka Shepherd’s figurative works aim to cultivate harmony with nature. Drawing on regional folkloric imagery and styles, Nooka combines the human form with elements of nature to create haunting images that take on a sacred aura, and spur us to consider our symbiosis with our natural environment.
Nooka was born in Brixton, London, and is now based in the West Country, UK. They received a Foundation Diploma from the Arts University Bournemouth in Poole, UK, and earned their BFA (Hons) in Painting at the Slade School of Art in London.

— Nooka was a recipient of the 2020 Cass Art Prize and the 2017 Thomas Epsley Painting prize.

— Nooka has participated in shows across London, including at the Hari Hotel, Underground Flower Offspace, and Asylum Chapel.

The Swarm, $1,330

Preston Paperboy’s paintings fuse fragmented, realist figures with expressionist mark making to explore the human form. Peppered with brand logos and pop cultural references, these mixed-media works reflect on the complexity of the self against a postmodern backdrop.

Preston was born in England and studied architecture at Brighton University. He has since developed a prolific fine art practice.

— Preston presented his first solo show, Wall Friends, at Belhaus in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2021. He has also participated in several group exhibitions, including at the Marcel Marcel Katz Art Gallery in Miami and the ABV Gallery in Atlanta.

— In 2019, his work was featured in an interview with Forbes magazine.

Antidote, $5,500

Using muted colors, Duarte Burnay’s paintings occupy the boundary between realism and abstraction. Everyday objects and spaces are rendered in sparse detail and dim lighting, resulting in nebulous and obfuscated compositions. Duarte’s work focuses on what he describes as “the place where the field of imagination and dreams take place, the beginning of the unknown.”

Duarte earned a BFA in Painting with a minor in Model Drawing from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Lisbon, Portugal.

— Duarte’s work has been shown in group exhibitions across Lisbon, including at the Arte Periférica Gallery, Campo Pequeno Gallery, and Maria Dezasseis Space.

— His work is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of the Arts in Sintra, Portugal.

Untitled, $1,080

Multidisciplinary artist Henry Hong Ming Siu creates an imaginary world as an escape from the industrialization and political instability of the present. Working across drawing and sculpture, Henry distills concepts of nature and the invented objects of a utopian world into highly abstracted compositions.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Henry earned his BA in Visual Arts from Hong Kong Baptist University. He then went on to earn his MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art in London.
Traveler’s Blueprint

— Henry has participated in group exhibitions in both London and Hong Kong, including at Saatchi Gallery and FOLD Gallery in London, and Book Punch in Hong Kong.

— In 2020, he was shortlisted for the Bloomberg New Contemporaries.

Nutshells, $1,860

Painter Kaili Smith reflects on the inner-city youth culture of his childhood and critically examines the social construct of “youth criminality” in his work. Borrowing the large scale and gravitas of the Dutch Golden Age Masters like Rembrandt, Kaili paints his subjects with reverence, offering alternative perspectives into the worlds of children surrounded by crime. Donning both baroque costume and streetwear, the children in Kaili’s paintings exude personality and resilience.

Kaili earned his MFA from Parsons School of Design after completing his BFA at the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam. In 2021, he was shortlisted for the Royal Award for Modern Painting presented by the King of the Netherlands.

—His work has been featured in several solo and group exhibitions, including at Miami Art Basel, Next Street Gallery in Paris, and the Antler Gallery in Portland.

—Sold-out shows include his undergraduate thesis exhibition at the Willem de Kooning Academie, as well as his debut UK show at Moniker Art Fair.

Prince Xavier, $10,600