Andrew Hem : Epitome
Nicolas Chenus and Samantha Longhi from Galerie Chenus Longhi are delighted to invite you to Epitome, the new exhibition by Cambodian- born Californian artist Andrew Hem, which opens on October 14, marking the grand re-opening of our Oberkampf gallery.
Andrew Hem previously exhibited at Galerie Chenus Longhi (then Openspace) in 2019. Fragmentz unfolded from room to room like a travel diary of paintings on canvas, wood and paper.
With Epitome, his second Paris exhibition with Galerie Chenus Longhi opening in October 2023, Andrew Hem continues to explore the poetic tension between the real and the imaginary, cha- racteristic of his work with a balance between natural and urban landscapes, inhabited by often enigmatic characters, drawing inspiration from his cultural heritage. This dimension has become all the more important as Andrew Hem is now the father of two children. The question of transmission becomes central. The title of the exhibition, Epitome, speaks to us of the idea of a model to follow, adorned with his attributes and qualities, and thus refers to the example he wishes to set his children as a father and as an artist.
“I just had my second baby one week ago. Being a parent has changed my work in many ways. I grew up in an area where I was one of the only Asians attending. And because if this I was bullied constantly. Being a parent now one of the major things we looked for when moving was diversity. I didn’t want my kids to experience the Racism I had to deal with growing up. And the only thing I can do is to paint role models they can relate to. I am not a director who can cast Asian actors in a movie. The closet thing that I can do is showcase diversity and characters who look like my kids so they will always feel like they belong.”
With an unparalleled alchemy of color, Andrew Hem manages to depict fantastic scenes in which water almost always predominates. It is said that in Cambodia, water and earth are one. It was from this nourishing water that the power of the Khmer empire was born. Through some twenty paintings on canvas, wood and paper, we as viewers are plunged into a unique pictorial universe. Our sensibilities are heightened, our focal point is challenged and our senses are sometimes turned upside down, between immersion and levitation.
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Logan, 2023Acrylic on canvas60 x 45 cm€ 4,250.00
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Remember it, 2023Acrylic gouache on wood panel40 x 30 cm€ 3,800.00
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Valentine, 2023Acrylic gouache on wood panel25 x 25 x 5 cm€ 2,800.00
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Vizions, 2023Acrylic on canvas92 x 61 cm€ 8,500.00
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Vizualize, 2023Acrylic gouache on wood panel25 x 25 x 5 cm€ 2,800.00
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Wish it Would Rain, 2022Acryla gouche on acid free paper28 x 22 cm (18x 13 cm on view)
37 x 29 cm framed€ 480.00 -
6th and Western, 2023Acrylic on canvas75 x 55 cm€ 7,600.00
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Ancestors, 2023Acrylic on canvas61 x 95 cmSold
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Elevated, 2023Acrylic on canvas70 x 95 cm€ 9,000.00
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Glitter ain't Gold, 2023Acrylic on canvas80 x 60 cm€ 8,000.00
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Kohina, 2023Acrylic on canvas90 x 60 cm€ 8,000.00
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New Orleans [Jump], 2023Acrylic on canvas75 x 110 cm€ 9,000.00
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One Quarter, 2023Acrylic on canvas60 x 97 cm€ 8,500.00
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The Dealer , 2022Acrylic on canvas85 x 60 cm€ 8,000.00