"Kisses Between Universes"
Okuda San Miguel

OPENING RECEPTION
April 6, 2024 | 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm

ON VIEW
April 6 – May 11, 2024

Okuda’s unique iconographic language of multicolored geometric structures and patterns on the streets, railroads, and abandoned factories around the globe has made him one of the world’s most recognizable street artists today. His work merges elements of the 90s with social critique and reflects on the influence of capitalism on the artist's life. Together, these elements invite reflection on the complexity of human relationships and contemporary society.

In this exhibition, the artist delves into the metamorphosis from the physical to the virtual world that his generation is experiencing through technology, which is transforming communication between people and their way of relating. Okuda’s new works address the transformation of communication in the digital era, where the visual representation of this evolution serves as a starting point for exploring interpersonal connection and the dichotomy between the traditional and the virtual. The kiss stands out as a symbol of this connection, addressing contemporary themes such as diversity and social challenges, like the impossible kisses (such as those denied to us during the pandemic) that represent the importance of human connection. Furthermore, it relates to the duality in facing faces, symbolizing diversity, and the lack of connection in contemporary society.

Open to the public and free of charge, Kisses Between Universes is set to debut on Saturday, April 6^th, from 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm in the Main Gallery and a solo show by Chicago-based artist, illustrator and toymaker Travis Lampe, titled Small Time Buffoonist, in Gallery 2. Both shows will be on view through May 11^th. 

About Okuda San Miguel:

Okuda’s distinctive style of geometric harmonies emboldened with intense colors can make his artworks feel like they’re from a parallel universe. In his work, rainbow geometric architectures blend with organic shapes, bodies without identity, headless animals, and symbols that encourage reflection in artistic pieces that could be categorized as Pop Surrealism with a clear essence of street forms. His works often raise questions about existentialism, the universe, the infinite, the meaning of life, and the contradictions of society’s false freedom, showing a conflict between modernity and our roots, ultimately, between man and the same. 

CHG hosted Okuda’s debut U.S. exhibition, titled Mayan Renaissance (Apr. 2017), followed by another solo show, The New Digital Love (Aug. 2020), a mini-solo as part of the gallery’s four-artist show, Animalia (Aug. 2021), and I Don’t Wanna Be, I Am (May 2022) an international touring group exhibition curated by the artist’s management team Ink and Movement.