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Opake + Haris Nukem Artist Talk
‘Dopamine + Disintegration’ presents the powerful U.S. debut of British artists Haris Nukem and Opake, whose provocative works blend raw emotion, vibrant rebellion, and sharp social critique.
Nukem’s striking portraits explore the highs and lows of modern identity and youth culture, while Opake’s fragmented reinterpretations of pop culture icons address addiction, mental health, and the erosion of collective memory, creating a raw dialogue between decay and reinvention.
Bob Gruen Artist Talk
It was our privilege to host Austin radio legend, Jody Denberg, in conversation with Bob Gruen, the celebrated rock and roll photographer whose iconic images have captured the essence of music history for over five decades.
Known for his intimate portraits of rock's most influential figures—such as John Lennon, Led Zeppelin, and the Sex Pistols—Bob’s work has immortalized the raw energy and spirit of the genre. His candid, often behind-the-scenes shots provide an unparalleled glimpse into the world of rock and roll.
Roberto Dutesco Artist Talk
It was our immense pleasure to host internationally recognized photographer and filmmaker Roberto Dutesco in conversation during the opening of ‘Through the Lens: Featuring Roberto Dutesco & The Wild Horses of Sable Island®’
Renowned for his iconic work capturing the untamed beauty of The Wild Horses of Sable Island®, Dutesco’s photographs embody the raw beauty and untamed spirit of these majestic creatures, offering a profound connection to nature’s resilience and freedom.
His art blends technical mastery with emotional depth, inspiring not only admiration but also action—his nonprofit IAMWILD® furthers conservation efforts and has raised millions for environmental causes.
Dutesco’s works, exhibited globally in prestigious venues from New York to Japan, stand as timeless pieces of visual storytelling, combining fine art with a vital message of ecological preservation.
Christine Argillet Artist Talk
To celebrate the opening of Salvador Dalí: Masterpieces from the Argillet Collection Archives WCC hosted Christine Argillet in conversation. Christine Argillet is the esteemed curator and steward of the Argillet Collection, renowned as the most authenticated assemblage of Salvador Dalí's works. As the daughter of Pierre Argillet—Dalí’s publisher, collaborator, and lifelong friend—Christine Argillet offers a unique perspective on the profound partnership that gave rise to the exceptional artworks within the Argillet Collection.
Austin-based contemporary artist Ash Almonte creates mixed media pieces that combine abstract expressionism with figurative elements, capturing an energetic and optimistic spirit. Inspired by music, color, and fashion, her artwork features bold, vibrant brushstrokes, infusing each piece with a luminous quality.
To celebrate the opening of Concrete to Canvas, our reimagined annual blockbuster exhibition exploring the powerful intersection of street art and high-end interior design, our collectors joined us for an artist talk with Joe Iurato.
As an internationally recognized artist, Joe Iurato shared insights into his journey, the evolution of his work, and his unique approach to blending urban expression with interior design.
Charlotte Rose, an emerging voice in British pop art, is renowned for her colorful works that reflect on nostalgic branding and the deceptive allure of advertising. She works predominately large-scale wooden panels and canvases, dancing between the mediums of acrylic and oil paint.
Rose's works juxtapose seductive visual aesthetics with darker themes, such as the harmful realities behind advertising’s glossy façade. Her work prescribes new truths to an old illusion, each painting an exploration of the 'dream' sold by companies to push poisonous goods. Influenced by pop culture icons like Andy Warhol and Harland Miller, Rose plays with repetition and branding in her bold and striking designs to reveal themes of mortality, fate, and desire.
Join us in conversation with internationally acclaimed sculptor Gil Bruvel. Born in Australia and raised in the South of France, Bruvel now lives and works in Wimberly, Texas.
Celebrated for his ability to translate profound reflections on the human condition into striking, meditative works of art, Bruvel uses thousands of wooden shafts to create his neo-surrealist and abstract sculptures. His innovative works have been exhibited worldwide in prestigious venues such as the Musée des Baux-de-Provence, France, and the Furisalone Milan Design Week, Italy. With a strong global presence, Bruvel’s art is represented by galleries in France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, China, Qatar, Dubai, and the United States, underscoring his significant impact on the contemporary art scene.
JM Rizzi is a Brooklyn-born and Dallas-based artist working in large-scale murals, public sculpture installations, and mixed-media canvases. A gestural expressionist since he started writing graffiti as a teenager in New York City in the 1990s, Rizzi’s ever-growing practice explores abstraction through illegal art forms and movement. He has painted murals in New York; Borås, Sweden; and Shenzhen, China; and produced limited-run collections with Infinite Objects and Detroit-based publisher 1xRun.
Rizzi’s practice skips, slides, and glides across surfaces, leaving behind polished paintings. His work produces exchanges between sight and sound and between positive and negative space, drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as jazz music, Robert Motherwell, Wu-Tang Clan, and Texas sunsets.
West Chelsea Contemporary is proud to present The World of Hunt Slonem, an immersive exploration of Hunt Slonem’s artistic universe. With over 100 works across media — from oil paintings and glowboxes to neon and blown glass — The World of Hunt Slonem is the most comprehensive display of the artist’s works in the United States.
The World of Hunt Slonem embraces the artist’s timeless sense of wonder and vitality. Blending the fantastic and the natural, Slonem’s use of vibrant colors, rich textures, and recurring motifs imbue his work with a sense of whimsy and enchantment. Each piece on display offers a window into the artist’s rich imagination and unparalleled mastery of form and color.
Explore the intersection between fashion, art, and interior design.
West Chelsea Contemporary was proud to host represented artist Gary James McQueen in conversation alongside some of Austin’s top interior designers, Fern Santini, Brady Mathews, and Avery Cox.
Gary James McQueen — found at the intersection of fine art, innovative technology, and high fashion — constructs the unexpected, weaving gilded worlds of dark, fantastical beauty. Within this exhibition, West Chelsea Contemporary affords visitors the opportunity to step into the macabre and romantic realm of GARY JAMES McQUEEN. Presenting nineteen new artworks — and situated within his exhaustive body of work — GARY JAMES McQUEEN is the artist’s first exhibition in the United States. These artworks pay homage to Gary James McQueen’s rich history and significant contributions to the world of fashion, highlighting the formative relationship between the artist and his late uncle, renowned fashion icon Alexander “Lee” McQueen.
Crafted with meticulous attention to detail and a powerful artistic vision, each work in GARY JAMES McQUEEN invites viewers into a world of its own. Displayed together these works create the world of Gary James McQueen — a world overflowing with lavish florals, gilded frameworks, and exquisite textures. In a collision of pioneering technology and traditional artistic values, the artist’s new body of work explores themes of the mystical, macabre, and romantic while highlighting the connection between humans and nature.
Join us for an unforgettable conversation diving into the world of Salvador Dalí with Christine Argillet.
Christine Argillet is the curator and caretaker of the Argillet Collection, the most authenticated collection of Salvador Dali's work throughout his career. She is the daughter of Pierre Argillet, Dali’s publisher, collaborator, and longtime friend with whom Dali debated artistic ideals, participated in the Surrealist community, and developed the artworks found in the Argillet Collection. And she is one of the few people who can say that they personally knew Salvador Dali.
Join West Chelsea Contemporary for a special talk with master of collage and represented artist Cey Adams alongside iconic hip-hop and graffiti photographers Martha Cooper and Janette Beckman as part of the exhibition Combinations.
This conversation highlights the release of three exclusive print collaborations published by WCC Editions and printed by master silkscreen printer Gary Lichtenstein featuring the work of Adams, Cooper, and Beckman.
Each of the three prints highlight the evolution of Adams’ artistic journey. CARWASH 1982 features one of Adams’ earliest Graffiti pieces captured in color film photography by Martha Cooper in the summer of 1982. Representing his storied career working with Hip-Hop greats is RUN-DMC MASHUP, a collaboration between Cey Adams and Janette Beckman. Finally, reflecting on his 40 years of art and design Def Jam Recordings takes an original mixed media collage created in 2023 and translates it into a limited edition silkscreen print.
Combinations is a celebration of artistic brilliance 40 years in the making! This exhibition celebrates the fusion of art, culture, and creativity. Adams' unique style combines elements of graffiti, pop art, and street culture, resulting in visually stunning and thought-provoking pieces. Weaving visual narratives of self-expression and storytelling through the historic lens of American pop culture, Combinations is Cey Adams’ most expansive body of work to date. Using mixed media collage Adams superimposes his 40 years art and design with iconography of the last seven decades.
The title, Combinations, captures the breadth and diversity of Adams’ acclaimed career and highlights his ability to integrate multitudinous styles, techniques, and influences. The resulting work transforms West Chelsea Contemporary’s 7,800 sqft exhibition space into a vibrant exploration and celebration of Cey Adams’ singular vision.
Combinations will be on exhibition from 10.21 - 11.19, don't miss your chance to witness history!
Video by: Cameron Connelly
“Def Jam Recordings Legend Cey Adams Riffs on Hip Hop and Pop Art Aesthetics in a New Austin Gallery Show” - ArtNet
This exhibition marks Cey Adams' first gallery solo show in Texas and features over 80 new works made exclusively for WCC over the past 9 months. Combinations is Cey Adams’ most expansive body of work to date! Using mixed media collage Adams superimposes his 40 years art and design with iconography of the last seven decades. The resulting work transforms West Chelsea Contemporary’s 7,800 sqft exhibition space into a vibrant exploration and celebration of Cey Adams’ singular vision.
Video by: Chop Em Down Films
Named one of ' The 8 Most Exciting Art Exhibitions Opening This Fall in Austin' by Tribeza
As part of his “Beauty In Destruction” solo exhibition at West Chelsea Contemporary, Simon Berger utilizes a hammer to masterfully impact glass, breaking it in various nuanced ways to form stunning portraits.
Contrary to expectations of how glass should be handled, Berger makes use of the material’s brittleness to develop his artistic language. When approaching the artworks closely, the captivating images disintegrate into an amalgamation of cracks and jagged-edged shards of glass.
Video by: Cameron Connelly
West Chelsea Contemporary hosted Austin-based musician Bob Schneider for an artist talk. A fixture in the Austin music scene, Schneider was previously the lead singer of the rock band Ugly Americans and has gone on to release over 10 albums and win 55 Austin Music Awards. In addition to being a musician, he’s also a prolific artist. Bob spoke with WCC Austin Gallery Director about his process and pieces.
Video by: Anthony Moreno
"Gallery Director Allee Beatty held an artist chat with Sketch to discuss her artwork, life, and inspiration for the AR art. Sketch started with AR after winning a Unesco Media Arts Exhibition Grant in 2019 through SXSW. Sketch calls it “An amazing opportunity,” expressing gratitude for the grant and the opportunity to stretch her creative muscles into new territory."
Tribeza, 2023
Video by: Anthony Moreno
West Chelsea Contemporary is thrilled to present for the first time in Austin renown contemporary artist JM Rizzi in celebration of From the Vault!
Video by: Anthony Moreno
West Chelsea Contemporary is proud to present Editions, featuring over two dozen modern and contemporary artists creating limited edition fine art prints and multiples.
Video by: Chop Em Down Films
WCC New York was pleased to welcome John "Crash" Matos for the opening weekend of "Editions" exhibition.
Video by: Chop Em Down Films
A pioneer of international street art and dubbed the “Father of stencil graffiti,” Blek Le Rat has a prolific practice that spans over four decades and four continents. This exhibition features Blek’s newest body of work, which presents two dozen works on canvas employing some of the artist’s most well-known imagery.
Video by: Chop Em Down Films
2021 Street Kings: Blek Le Rat + RISK highlights two masters, each who have catalyzed a movement within their respective international homebase—Paris and Los Angeles. Both Blek and RISK have a storied history within the street art movement. By pioneering innovative techniques, these artists have garnered international acclaim and acceptance.