Bruno Surdo

Reflections - Portrait of a Female Against Silvery Backdrop, Original Oil

2023

This piece is exploring the dominating and overshadowing presence that many parental figures can have upon their children. The boxer, Marcus, often brought his young son with him whe...

Victor Wang's subject is a female seemingly caught in a contemplative moment yet a war rages behind her. She dons a hat shaped as a boat and carries and oar as if to "Dream Away" these other thoughts. Wang uses a blend of luminous colors and buttery textures to evoke these enigmatic moments of meditation. Influence by the Renaissance Masters Titian and Rembrandt for their glazing and layering techniques respectively, the artist builds the surface using heavy paint, swirling and mixing the color on the canvas. The end result is a poetic and emotionally powerful representation of the human form. Victor Wang Dreaming Away, 2017 oil on canvas 42h x 56w in 106.68h x 142.24w cm VWG009 My path through life has been adventurous, exciting, and dream-like. My experience of settling into America in search of better opportunities has been both challenging and inspiring. I use the human face as a vehicle to paint human experiences - worry and wonder, sadness and pleasure - which reflect the emotional stage directly tied to my immigration experiences. I grew up amongst the sunflower fields in northern China. In my childhood years, I played under the bright, yellow sunflowers with my brothers everyday. China’s Cultural Revolution played an important part in my life. During that time, sunflowers were used as political allegories to depict how citizens of China should follow Mao who represented the sun, since sunflowers follow the sun’s movements. People eventually inferred the deception that this symbol masked. After graduating from high school, I was sent to a labor camp in the country for ‘reeducation’ during China’s Cultural Revolution. There, I was subject to grueling farm work. Often, I worked in corn and sunflower fields from sunrise to sunset. Thus, for me, sunflowers evoke both personal joy and sadness. Therefore, to deliver my complex feelings, I use sunflowers as a metaphor to connote my background and emotional stage. My incorporation of collages of figures from China’s Tang Dynasty represents my Chinese heritage and is a constant reminder of where I came from. The texture and earthiness on the canvas’s surface are inspired by the texture of the soil on the farm where I worked in China. Although I often gain great pleasure from the process of painting, it is most important to unfold expressively those feelings within myself. Wang belongs to a generation of immigrant painters from China, whose artistic background was defined by socialist realism but took advantage of their skills and broke away from that tradition to create new subjects in the U.S. “When I was a student during Cultural Revolution, Soviet realism art was among the dominant source of influence and it grabbed us like lightening rod...

"Bruno Surdo is a throwback to the spiritual achievements of the artists from the flamboyant tradition of figure painting." -Ed Paschke "I continually seek to create expressive monolithic works that explore the human condition. This can be seen with some of my recent works that examine the human psyche, with an awareness to the Freudian and Jungian archetypes and transcendent barriers of human sexuality, while expressing my paradigm of civil and personal freedoms for independence." -Bruno Surdo Bruno A. Surdo b. Chicago, 1963 EXHIBITIONS 2018 Liberation, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Blood Sport, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Art on Paper 2018, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Pier 36, New York, NY SOFA Chicago 2018, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 2017 POP!ARAZZI, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Coming Attractions, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2015 SOFA Chicago 2015, Ann Nathan Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Allegories, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2014 Bruno Surdo: Respond, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Modern Metaphors, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL 2013 Bruno Surdo: Revelations, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Vice + Virtue, Northern Illinois University Museum of Art 2012 Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN 2011 Bruno Surdo, University of St. Francis School of Creative Arts, Fort Wayne, IN Uncensored, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2010 Art Chicago 2010, Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2009 Art Chicago 2009, Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2007 Bruno Surdo, Art Institute of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 2006 Context/Content: Making Meaning with the Figure, University of Arkansas, Conway, AR Creative Imaginings, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL Bruno Surdo: Cycles, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2005 Art Chicago 2005, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2004 Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Richard M. Daley Center, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2004, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Group Show, Arcadia Gallery, New York, NY Drawings VII, Koplin Del Rio Gallery, West Hollywood, CA Armory Show, New York Armory, New York, NY 2003 Paintings & Drawings, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL The Art Show, New York, NY Bruno Surdo: New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2003, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003-10 International Show of Contemporary Artists, Chicago Art Open, Chicago, IL 2002 Bruno Surdo: Perception of Appearance, Frye Museum, Seattle, WA Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Richard M. Daley Center, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Transcendence, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2002, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 Magic Vision, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR 1998 Evanston and Vicinity Artists, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL 1996 Bruno Surdo: A Personal View, University of Wisconsin, Kenosha, WI 1995 Bruno Surdo: Recent Works, College of Lake County, IL AIDS in Our Society, Loyola University, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Life, Struggle, and Hope, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL 2001 Magic Vision, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR Bruno Surdo: Dualities of Life, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1999 Group Show, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1998 Group Exhibition, Fine Arts Building Gallery, Chicago, IL 1995 Spiritual Inquiries, Struve Gallery, Chicago, IL 1994 Recent Works, The 14th Annual Juried Exhibition for Lake County Artists, Grayslake, IL Go Figure, Figurative Works on Paper, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Chicago, IL SELECTED COLLECTIONS The Re-Birth of Venus, Temporary Loan, Fort Wayne Museum of Art Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR College of Lake County, Greyslake, IL Flashpoint Academy, Chicago IL John Robert Wiltgen Design Shoemaker Ruud Collection Julie & Thomas Danilek Michael Vozzella and Mike Silver Benjamin Fernandez Tom Braake Betsy Colburn Michael Diemand & Lor LaRose Michael Staab & Kathy Brock Bruce Leep Frank Tzurect Mary Foley Rosalyn Carlson Mimmy Turney Janet Long Halstead Billy Hunt Carol Galli Myles Kerrigan Honorable & Mrs. Edwin Berman Theodore Gage Northrop Art Museum Past Present & Future Company Dr. James & Peggy Kemmler Salvatore Monastero Nix & Virginia Lauridsen Joel Miller David & Marlene Zerkel Ann & Andy Abel Claudia Rush Marc Miller Leonard Goldberg Lawrence Pucci Howard Tullman Collection Susan & Manny Kramer James Rinnert Richar Interiors Michael & Nancy Colt Khalid Altijir Dr. Joe Grodman Beryl & Jack Gore Larry Wolf & Eric Naegle Chuck Wolandi Jack Schwab & David Sandelin Thomas Kaczmarek Marti Dinerstein Craig & Michael Golden...

Sometimes all that we need is to kick back and enjoy the peace that comes with just being close to one another. In Bruno Surdo's piece entitled "Inner Bliss", we can understand this...

The young male subject in Richard Gibbons' work simply entitled "Youth", is that of a curious young man with his head tilted. Dressed in clothing similar ...

Caleb O’Connor b. 1979 Honolulu, HI EXHIBITIONS 2018 BloodSport, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago 2017 Grand Opening: Coming Attractions, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chciago 2010 Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN 2008 “Art Chicago,” Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL “Palm Beach 3 Art Fair,” Ann Nathan Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL 2007 “SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art)” Park Ave. Armory, Ann Nathan Gallery, New York, NY “Art Chicago,” Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL “Palm Beach 3 Art Fair,” Ann Nathan Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL 2006 “Art Chicago,” Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2005 “Caleb O’Connor: Dreams to Reality,” Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL “Art Chicago in the Park,” Butler Field, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2004 “Introducing Caleb O’Connor,” Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL “Art Maui,” Annual Juried Exhibition, Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Maui, HI 2003 “Rustica,” The Palazzo Bonini, Fivizzano, Italy “Group Show,” Fondatzione ARKAD, Seravezza, Italy “Facing the Real,” the Artists House, Museum of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel “20/30 Vision,” Hui Noi Au, Makawao, HI 2002 “Summer Show,” Gallery K, Washington DC 2001 “Serving Youth,” Gallery K, Washington DC (solo) “New Works,” Caleb O’Connor, School 33, Baltimore, MD (solo) “Small Works,” Gallery K, Washington DC Juried Exhibition, Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD Juried Exhibition, MICA Fox Gallery, Baltimore, MD 2000 “The Nine from MICA,” Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Art Gallery, Baltimore, MD GRANTS AND AWARDS 2003 Fulbright Grant to Italy, Project: Painting and Sculpture Elizabeth Greenshields Award, Quebec, Canada 2001 Elizabeth Greenshields Award, Quebec, Canada 2000 Morris Louis 32 Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 1999 Painting Department Award, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 1996 Presidential Scholarship, Washington DC PUBLICATIONS 2002 Linda M. Grossman, “Meet an Emerging Artist, Caleb O’Connor,” American Artist Magazine “20/30 Show,” Maui News, Arts and Entertainments, October, Maui, HI 2001 Jessica Dawson, “The Beast Within,” The Washington Post, January 11, Washington DC Steve Purchase, “School 33 Opening a Great Show,” The Baltimore Guide Enterprise, MD “A Star is Born,” The City Paper, Baltimore, MD “Best Exhibition of the Year,” The City Paper, Baltimore, MD EDUCATION 2003 Studied under Israel Hershberg...

oil on canvas 48” H x 36” W Nicolas V. Sanchez received his BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, MI and his MFA from the New York Academy of Art. While at the...

oil on canvas 30” H x 40” W Nicolas V. Sanchez received his BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, MI and his MFA from the New York Academy of Art. While at the...

oil on canvas 16” H x 12” W Nicolas V. Sanchez received his BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, MI and his MFA from the New York Academy of Art. While at th...

Matthew Crane is a figurative painter whose work seeks to find a balance between violence and grace. As a self taught artist, Matthew merges abstract exp...

"Shinrin-Yoku", means "Forest Bath” in Japanese. It is an activity consisting of visiting a forest, immersing yourself in it with the five senses, in order to obtain well-being for t...

"Ikigai", means "Do what you love” in Japanese. This artwork is part of Ger Doornink's latest show 'Thoughts', where his mastery in portrait painting is reflected and makes evident ...