American Art Collector · January 2020 · Upcoming Show Preview — “Portraiture 2020,” Arcadia Contemporary, Pasadena (Daguan Gallery)

The new exhibition Portraiture 2020 at Arcadia Contemporary, California, explores what a portrait is considered to be. The artwork in the show, by five artists from around the world, highlights diverse styles that push the boundaries of the classic genre. It will hang from January 11 through 30.

“From the elegant and timeless works by the U.S.’s Will St. John to the mysterious and haunting works by Lo Chan Peng from Taiwan, the ‘rules’ are being re-written as to what artists and collectors should consider as a portrait,” says gallery president Steven Diamant. “The other artists in the exhibition include the Wales-based Mary Jane Ansell, whose hyper-romantic and flawlessly executed works are a radical contrast to the paintings created by Australia’s Loribelle Spirovski, whose frantic and hyperactive works are indicative of our contemporary, fast-shifting multimedia culture. Rounding out the group is London’s Ben Ashton, whose works might be mistaken for British portraiture of the 18th and early 19th century… but with a surreal and, perhaps, drug-induced twist.”

Among the paintings in the show is Lo Chan Peng’s The Fog. The artist explains, “My works reflect different circumstances men face in life, including history, war and cross-cultural events. The Fog indicates the complex feelings one feels and how they reflect on one’s appearance; it can also be seen as my self-portrait.”