Dim Sum Then Some
Sept. 7th-29th
Hours: Sat & Sun,12 – 5p.m.
Reception Party: September 20th at 7p.m.
Location: 230 Madison St, Oakland
Blackball Universe is a creative collective near Jack London Square in downtown Oakland. Every month, the company hosts a new exhibit showcasing local artists. This months show, Dim Sum Then Some, opens September 7th and runs every Saturday and Sunday from 12–5pm.
The show features the work of Jackie Lo, Tamara Chang, Tracy Piper, and Mary Luong. Though they were born in different cities and circumstances, these four artists, with their diverse styles and characters, are tied together by their common experience as young women living in the Bay Area. Their work examines universal concepts of youth, love, and self-exploration.
Jackie Lo is from Oakland, and recently graduated from the California College of the Arts in Illustration. Fascinated from a young age by Japanese comics, one of her life goals is to bridge the world of Japanese and American comic artwork. Her series in this exhibit was inspired by her constant self-emersion in Japanese culture, including manga comics, blended with themes from her own life experiences.
Tamara Chang is a painter, illustrator, and designer. She finds her main source of inspiration in small, household objects that you might see and use every day. Chang arranges these seemingly mundane objects in ways that evoke a narrative, a sense of drama, and excitement. In her series, Cloth I, Soda Crackers, and Sharps, she employs repetition and high contrast to create a sense of drama.
Tracy Piper is a multi-disciplinary artist. She brings a unique perspective on all things empirical and contemporary. As a child, she performed as a contortionist at circuses. In this often-titillating series, Piper attempts to capture personalities of San Francisco in repose. Her subjects range from local circus performers, to famous drag queens, to tech entrepreneurs. Tracy recently graduated from the Illustration program at California College of the Arts with distinction, and is currently working at Protoscape.
Mary Loung is a recent graduate of Humboldt State University. In this exhibit, she focuses on intimate moments, exploring themes of sexuality, desire, shame, pride and the exploration of relationships. Identifying as genderqueer, Loung says her art is about a rejection of policing each other through the critique of the body. She instead focuses on themes of self-acceptance, self-empathy and overcoming insecurities.
On September 20th we will be holding an art party with music, live painting drinks. Come join our party at 230 Madison St, Jack London Square, Oakland.
