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- 10 - 19
Dorothy Circus Gallery London is delighted to present “Refuge” the first UK solo-exhibition by Andrew Hem, painter and street artist, born in Cambodia and raised in Los Angeles.
The exhibition will feature 15 brand new paintings that will carry the DCG’s viewer into a deep reflection on the meaning of unity.
Into a journey between memories and dreamscape through his iconic figurative style, Andrew Hem involves us in his experience as refuge, making us all part of his survival.
The iconic figurative style of Andrew Hem, which combines a vivid colour palette with luminous loose brushstrokes, has gained him great national recognition in the USA and in Europe.
Once again, Hem's compositions are evocative landscapes of the city and nature, where introspective protagonists observe themselves and the viewer. The artist draws on the influence of impressionism and surrealistic techniques to create a unique, yet captivating work. In this new series, the colour palette takes on richer and warmer shades than before —resulting in an even more dreamy atmosphere that coexists with elements of realism and surrealism immortalised through impressionist brushstrokes. His paintings convey visions and memories able to carry us through a time and place suspended between reality and dreams.
Andrew Hem is a traveller that paints both from observation and memory. In an increasingly globalised world, his works is founded on the need to understand the transience and fluidity of cultures from around the globe. Because of his dual Asian and American background and his numerous journeys, Hem is able to offer insight into this phenomenon as he documents people’s experiences within their respective urban and natural environments around the world and particularly in Asia, depicting scenes through an international lens while paying close attention to cultural intersections and transversal spheres.
The artist also touches on the aspect of social interaction as part of humanity’s experience. Crowds and lone figures are alternated in his canvases, meditating on how we relate to ourselves and those around us; reminding us that we're more than just our individual selves but rather a global community with shared dreams and empathy for one another— especially during this recent pandemic crisis which has struck many countries across the globe.
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Andrew Hem was born during his parents’ getaway from Cambodia in the wake of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Hem developed his artistic imagery between the culture of the rural animistic society of his Khmer ancestors and the dynamic urban art of the tough Los Angeles neighbourhood where his family settled. Fascinated by the Graffiti art movement from a young age, he honed his graphic, figurative and compositional skills on the walls of LA, before the walls of the city before following a passion for figure drawing to a degree in illustration from the Art Center College of Design, where he received a BFA in 2006. His artworks, made recognisable by the evocative palettes and the impressionist brushstrokes, convey visions and memories able to carry us through a time and place suspended between reality and dreams, in a spiritual landscape where the city and nature blend together as introspective protagonists. Hem has been exhibited in the most prestigious galleries in California, New York City and in Europe with Dorothy Circus Gallery.
35 Connaught Street, London, W2 2AZ
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