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    ‘Companions’ Celebrates Our Animal Friends and Colleagues

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    Misato Sano, “なるほど！ /  Oh, I see!” (2025), camphor wood and oil paint

    ‘Companions’ Celebrates Our Animal Friends and Colleagues

    September 22, 2025

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    Joy Machine

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    “Play between humans and pets, as well as simply spending time peaceably hanging out together, brings joy to all the participants. Surely that is one important meaning of companion species.” –Donna Haraway, ‘Companion Species Manifesto‘

    Companions is a group exhibition celebrating our closest animal friends and colleagues. Featuring works across media by Lola Dupre, Debra Broz, Roberto Benavidez, Misato Sano, William Mophos, and Nicolas V. Sanchez, this show revels in the ways we share our lives with non-human species.

    Debra Broz, “Horse Boxer” and “Boxer Horse” (2025), secondhand ceramic figurines and mixed media

    Each artist translates their furry and feathered subjects in a distinctively human way: Dupre and Broz distort any realistic likeness in favor of surreal, exaggerated amalgamations, while Benavidez translates a small kitten into the celebratory form of a piñata. Sano similarly gouges small pieces of camphor wood to carve a range of expressive pups, which she then paints in oils.

    Although their renderings take a more realistic approach, Sanchez and Mophos utilize substrates embedded within human life, the former gravitating toward the blank pages of a sketchbook and the latter scouring the streets of São Paulo for architectural remnants that become small jagged canvases.

    In this way, these artists present companionship as a bridge between nature and culture. They see their companions as being both of their own making–in that any relationship is influenced and created by both parties– and as independent beings with big personalities all their own.

    Companions opens on September 27, 2025. RSVP to our opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

    Roberto Benavidez, “Medieval Kitten” (2025), paper, paperboard, wire, glue, crepe paper, fallen cat whiskers, 5.5 x 6 x 3 inches

    Lola Dupre, “Geordi” (2025), paper collage, 12 x 16 inches

    William Mophos, “Tom Tom” (2025), acrylic painting on wall fragments in an acrylic frame with cement board backing, 16.6 x 21 x 7.5 centimeters

    Nicolas V. Sanchez, “Mariana with lambs” (2018), color ballpoint pen on paper, 5.5 x 10.5 inches

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      ‘No One Knows All It Takes’ Invites Community Healing at the Haggerty Museum of Art

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      All images courtesy of Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, shared with permission

      ‘No One Knows All It Takes’ Invites Community Healing at the Haggerty Museum of Art

      September 8, 2025

      ArtColossalPartnerSocial Issues

      Grace Ebert

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      A core component of the Colossal-curated exhibition, No One Knows All It Takes, is community participation. Each of the artists—Bryana Bibbs, Raoul Deal, Maria Gaspar, and Swoon (previously)—is deeply engaged with the people they portray and collaborate with, a commitment that inspires nuanced, insightful projects and a truly communal process.

      As part of the exhibition at the Haggerty Museum of Art, we’ve considered how to reflect this mode of working through programming and a participatory project. The final piece in the show is Bibbs’ “Weaving Stories,” which consists of a large loom mounted on the gallery wall, along with threads, a paper shredder, and other materials nearby. Once viewers have considered each of the artists’ works, they’re invited to contribute to a collective tapestry on the loom or create a smaller, individual piece to take home.

      Installation view of “Weaving Stories”

      Attuned to the sensitive subject matter of the exhibition, Bibbs asks participants to explore their own feelings and memories in response to the artworks. Viewers can even write down their thoughts and interlace their shredded notes into the final work.

      In addition to “Weaving Stories,” No One Knows All It Takes also offers an opportunity to engage with Gaspar’s “Disappearance Jail (Wisconsin)” in a public event on October 9. Following a discussion about the intersection of art and incarceration with Dr. Robert S. Smith, the artist will lead attendees in a “punch party,” a workshop in which participants use a hole punch to obscure images of jails, prisons, and detention facilities. The completed works will then be re-hung in the gallery.

      And lastly, Colossal will also be hosting a conversation with Deal and Dr. Sergio M. González about immigration, wellbeing, and making art in this increasingly precarious moment. We encourage attendees to spend time with Deal’s works in the exhibition prior to joining us for that discussion, which will be held on September 24.

      No One Knows All It Takes is on view through December 20 in Milwaukee, with an opening reception on September 11. Find all of the programming on the museum’s website.

      Installation view of two works by Raoul Deal

      Installation view of Bibbs’ works

      Detail view of Gaspar’s “Disappearance Jail (Wisconsin)”

      Installation view of Gaspar’s “Disappearance Jail (Wisconsin)”

      Installation view of works by Raoul Deal

      Installation view of works by Raoul Deal

      Installation view of Swoon’s “Medea”

      Installation view of Swoon’s “Medea” and Bibbs’ works

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      ‘Speak of the Devil’ Conjures the World of Twin Sisters Haylie and Sydnie Jimenez

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      Sydnie Jimenez, “Prima,” “Lil Shay,” “Big Tone,” “Cali Girl,” and “Malice” (from left). All images courtesy of Joy Machine, shared with permission

      ‘Speak of the Devil’ Conjures the World of Twin Sisters Haylie and Sydnie Jimenez

      August 8, 2025

      ArtPartner

      Joy Machine

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      Joy Machine is thrilled to present Speak of the Devil, a joint exhibition of ceramic and mixed-media works by Chicago artists Haylie and Sydnie Jimenez. The exhibition runs from August 9 to September 20, 2025.

      An expression of endearment and surprise, “speak of the devil” is about manifesting what one desires. The idiom connotes a strange, even magical ability to conjure someone’s presence with a mere mention. Simply say their name and wait for them to appear.

      Haylie Jimenez, “In the grass with a flower” (2025), found table with grouted tiled image, 24 x 28 x 23 inches

      For Haylie and Sydnie Jimenez, making art is also an act of conjuring. Twin sisters with parallel and sometimes collaborative practices, the artists work primarily in ceramics and share a similar aesthetic, one rooted in narrative and rich with tattoos, piercings, and a generally punk style. Where Sydnie focuses on three-dimensions and builds figurative sculptures and totemic heads, Haylie prefers to etch scenes into flat panels. Both artists act as world-builders, depicting their queer, Black and brown friends and neighbors embracing their chosen kin.

      “These groups of people we call family and friends are the best of us and should be recognized as such,” the artists say. “We want to fully acknowledge our wonderful communities and depict them as they should be.”

      The Jimenez sisters were raised in the South, first in Florida and then in Georgia, with a Catholic mother. Born from religious fear, the phrase “speak of the devil” originated as a 17th-century superstition of summoning evil. The expression has since lost its sinister meaning, although a surface reading still elicits the diabolical.

      This contradiction between a superficial interpretation and reality is one Haylie and Sydnie are endlessly interested in teasing out. They have lived in Chicago for nearly a decade and have found commonality between their adopted city and the South: “both places that often get a bad rep but are so rich in culture, shared histories and positive aspects,” they say.

      Sydnie Jimenez, “Curtain Hair Guardian” (2025), terracotta and oxide wash

      Speak of the Devil invokes the cultural and social similarities between Chicago and the South. Centering people first and foremost, the artists highlight the vibrant communities that thrive in both regions. Architectural details like Sydnie’s gargoyle-esque sculptures and domestic items like Haylie’s lamps and inlay tables reference the very spaces necessary to establishing meaningful relationships and a community of care.

      While celebrating their friends, family, and those who might become such in the future, the artists create a warm, welcoming environment–complete with custom-stenciled walls—that offers an alternative to both oppression and violence and enduring stereotypes proliferated through popular culture and the media. This is their own magical act of conjuring. By visualizing a world of radical acceptance, pleasure, and endless joy, the artists lay the foundation to make such a world appear.

      Haylie Jimenez, “Lake Vibe” (2025), multiple glazed ceramic tiles, 25 x 18 inches

      Haylie and Sydnie Jimenez, “Te Quiero Mucho” (2025), glazed terracotta, 11 x 12 inches

      Sydnie Jimenez, “Jimenez Jersey” (2025), glazed stoneware and rhinestones, 39 x 14 x 6.5 inches

      Detail of Sydnie Jimenez, “Jimenez Jersey” (2025), glazed stoneware and rhinestones, 39 x 14 x 6.5 inches

      Haylie Jimenez, “Tangled Kudzu,” glazed ceramic tile, 7 x 8 inches

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      At Joy Machine, Five Artists Bring a Gust of Fresh Air for a Joint Exhibition with The Jaunt

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      Stevie Shao, “Thistle Butterfly sheltering from rain,” acrylic gouache and latex paint on paper, 16 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches

      At Joy Machine, Five Artists Bring a Gust of Fresh Air for a Joint Exhibition with The Jaunt

      June 9, 2025

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      Joy Machine

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      Joy Machine is excited to announce a joint exhibition with The Jaunt. Opening this week in Chicago, Ventus features paintings, sculptures, and prints by Cody Hudson, Seonna Hong (previously), Seth Pimentel, Stevie Shao, and Scott Sueme.

      Founded and curated by Jeroen Smeets, The Jaunt (previously) is a travel project that sends artists around the world to experience new locations and cultures. Once they return home, artists create a limited-edition silkscreen print inspired by their journeys.

      Seonna Hong, “Summer Swimmers” (2025), acrylic on linen, 30 x 24 inches, framed

      Being outside our comfort zones heightens our senses and opens us up to new experiences and inspiration. The Jaunt is a gust of new perspective and energy that flows through artists’ creative processes, allowing them to reorient and establish a new current.

      For Ventus, Smeets gathered a group of artists who have each participated in the project, traveling to places like Shanghai, Mexico City, and Jeju Island, along with the towns of Shelton, Washington, and Joseph, Oregon. Each lets their experiences and observations lead as they create new artworks.

      Chicago has always been somewhat of a home away from home for The Jaunt. The very first exhibition was in the city, and over the years, amazing artists living and working in Chicago–including Cody Hudson, David Heo, Liz Flores, and others–have participated. The Jaunt and Joy Machine are excited to partner and present these five artists, many of whom are showing here for the first time.

      Ventus runs from June 13 to August 2. RSVP to the opening reception here.

      Stevie Shao, “Swallows,” acrylic gouache and latex paint on shaped wood

      Seonna Hong, “Bigfoot,” hand-finished print

      Scott Sueme, “Self-Schema, Pillar One” (2025), acrylic, flashe, and pastel on wood, 69 x 5.5 inches

      Cody Hudson, “Self-Sufficiency, Tangerine Variant”

      Cody Hudson, “Alternative Education, Tangerine Variant”

      Seth Pimentel, silkscreen print, 50 x 70 centimeters, edition of 50, signed and numbered by the artist

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      Firebelly x Good Chaos: How an Ongoing Partnership Influenced a Joyful Identity

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      Firebelly x Good Chaos: How an Ongoing Partnership Influenced a Joyful Identity

      May 29, 2025

      ArtDesignPartner

      Firebelly

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      Liz’s work instantly dazzled and lit up my design brain… My eyes followed the edges bouncing from color to color. The longer you looked, the more you were rewarded.Will Miller, Senior Director of Design at Firebelly

      Around the same time as Firebelly’s partnership with Colossal, the Chicago design studio was also developing a brand identity for Good Chaos, an impact organization committed to creating opportunities for artists. As part of its initial launch, Good Chaos was seeking a trio of local artists to design distinct logos for the organization and create interactive and joy-filled digital experiences on the Good Chaos website.

      In his research, Firebelly’s Senior Director of Design Will Miller came across Liz Flores’s work on Colossal and felt she fit the criteria perfectly for Good Chaos’ launch initiative. She was added to the artist shortlist and was ultimately selected by the Good Chaos team to participate. Read more about how her work came to goodchaos.com on Firebelly.

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      Here’s What We’re Excited to See at EXPO CHICAGO 2025

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      Wangari Mathenge, “Re-Membering (Folded In Time)” (2025), oil on canvas, 57.99 x 82.01 inches

      Here’s What We’re Excited to See at EXPO CHICAGO 2025

      April 21, 2025

      ArtColossalPartner

      Grace Ebert

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      This week marks the beginning of Chicago’s art world Olympics as the largest fair returns to Navy Pier. From April 24 to 27, EXPO CHICAGO will host hundreds of galleries, site-specific projects, talks, and multi-disciplinary programming both downtown and across the city.

      To help you navigate, we’re sharing the artworks we’re most looking forward to seeing. And, if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, use the code COLOSSAL25 for $5 off.

      1. Wangari Mathenge with Pippy Houldsworth Gallery (London)

      The Chicago-based, Kenyan artist will present a collection of vivid new paintings that speak to the immense amount of information generated through her intensive research process. Surrounded by books, plants, and brightly patterned East African Kanga fabrics, Mathenge’s figures lounge among objects that transcend colonial narratives.

      Ilhwa Kim, “Calculative Flight” (2024), hand-dyed hanji paper, 132 x 164 x 13 centimeters

      2. Ilhwa Kim, Gordon Cheung, and Zheng Lu with HOFA (London)

      We’ve long been enamored by Kim’s roving, rolled-paper compositions that delineate dense pathways through broader expanses. Her dynamic works will be on view alongside Cheung’s decadent paintings and Lu’s stainless steel splashes.

      Florence Solis, “Makahiya VI” (2025), acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

      3. Florence Solis with The Mission Projects (Chicago)

      Beginning with digital collage before moving to acrylic and canvas, Solis renders ethereal portraits of women infused with Filipino folklore. Delicate leaves and flowers entwine with coiled hair, while veils shroud the figures in luminous coverings, binding each with a protective, yet restrictive layer.

      Suntai Yoo, “The Words” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 91 x 117 centimeters

      4. Suntai Yoo with Galerie Gaia (Seoul)

      Fragmented, surrealist landscapes figure prominently in Yoo’s paintings, which frequently pair common objects like books, bicycles, and apples with Korean letters. The artist is particularly interested in metaphor and how distinct items interact to create meaning.

      Desmond Beach, “The Guardian of the Small & Sacred” (2025), digital painting, woven Jacquard loom, hand and machine sewn pieceworked fabric, 47″x 47 inches

      5. Desmond Beach with Richard Beavers Gallery (Brooklyn)

      Mixing digital painting with patchwork quilts, Beach creates bold, forward-looking portraits. The Baltimore-born artist invokes the ways that trauma can be harnessed for resistance and collective solidarity.

      Jimmy Beauquesne, “Phase 3. Knight of infinite resignation” (2023-2024), colored pencils on paper, hand-cut metallic frame, 62 x 41 x 2 centimeters

      6. Jimmy Beauquesne with Fragment (New York)

      Nested inside hand-cut metallic frames, Beauquesne’s colored-pencil works imagine a dreamy, apocalyptic world that drips with fantastic details. The nine pieces form a narrative of humanity’s transformation sparked by phantasmagorical change.

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      ‘And Then There Was Everything’ Unearths the Allure of Natural Motifs at Joy Machine

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      Jeremy Miranda

      ‘And Then There Was Everything’ Unearths the Allure of Natural Motifs at Joy Machine

      April 9, 2025

      ArtNaturePartner

      Joy Machine

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      Joy Machine is thrilled to announce its second exhibition, And Then There Was Everything, featuring works by Paul S. Briggs, David Cass, Laura Catherwood, Yellena James, Jeremy Miranda, Jeffly Gabriela Molina, and Anna Ortiz. An opening reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on April 18.

      And Then There Was Everything takes its name from the opening line of Richard Powers’ novel The Overstory, which beckons readers into a winding, interconnected narrative tuned into the intimations of the trees. Powers writes that “a good answer must be reinvented many times, from scratch,” a sentiment each artist uniquely investigates through painting, ceramic sculpture, and collage. Iterating on natural motifs, these artists tap into our personal and collective psyches to unearth the recurring messages within.

      Paul Briggs, “Effloresce (Series)” (2025), black stoneware, white cone 6 glaze

      Rendering the familiar unfamiliar has long been a way to investigate the overlooked and to surface hidden emotions, and each artist presents seemingly common subject matter as an invitation to pause and look inward.

      In Briggs’ leafy vessels, repeating motifs are key to achieving equanimity. The artist uses a technique he calls “hand-turning” and works in a “very assertive but tender process.” From a single ball of clay, he pinches small, dynamic fronds surrounding the vessel walls as he finds a meditative balance in both his mind and the sculptures themselves.

      Although working at an intimate scale, Cass zooms outward as he paints undulating waves on antique tins, matchboxes, pulleys, and more, a collection of 14 of which are installed at Joy Machine. Visible swipes of paint delineate the horizon in some pieces, while others are entirely awash in curved lines. Interested in conveying the effects of a heating planet and rising waters, Cass uses repurposed, human-made containers representative of physical constraints as metaphors for our collective limits to adapt.

      In James’ alluring canvases, dense ecosystems spill from edge to edge. Striving for a perfect balance that becomes “a sort of compulsive meditation,” the artist paints delicate, otherworldly environments evocative of both land and sea. Catherwood similarly lingers in uncertainty as she renders hybrid creatures with fantastic motifs. Painted with soft, tender brushstrokes, the arresting beings become welcome companions to explore life’s mysteries and adjust to its cycles.

      Anna Ortiz, “Reflexión” (2024), oil on canvas, 30 x 34 inches

      Ortiz, too, conjures the uncanny in “Reflexión,” a desert landscape dotted with a pair of agave plants underneath an eclipse reflected on Lake Texcoco. The saturated, limited color palette renders the time of day ambiguous and helps establish a surreal borderland in which the now-dried lake still exists. Mixing memory and imagination, Ortiz draws on her own ancestral connections and positions the twin agaves as a way to consider unfulfilled destinies. 

      Miranda and Molina grapple with similar questions as they utilize recollections of moments and spaces. Observation is at the heart of Miranda’s works, and he harnesses the ethereal qualities of light to cast familiar spaces anew. In his hands, a nondescript pocket of forest or humble bonfire becomes dreamlike, prompting questions of perspective and how we understand our relationships to the settings that surround us.

      For Molina, a flutter of yellow butterflies and a mirrored parrot are symbols of connection and care. The brightly colored insects accompany a portrait of the artist’s mother as a child in “Mother Our Castles Will Not Be Made of Sand,” while “To Misericordia” conjures a place long gone. A poem inscribed in the work reads, “… And do you know that glitter and gold have gone out of fashion, and that your parrot no longer remembers himself?,” which references Molina’s great-grandmother’s pet and the ways companions give shape to the self.

      And Then There Was Everything is on view from April 18 to June 7. RSVP to the opening reception here.

      Jeffly Gabriela Molina, “Mother Our Castles Will Not Be Made of Sand” (2020), watercolor on Arches 300 Lb, 23 x 23 inches

      David Cass, “Pulley I – Rockport, ME” (2023-24), oil on marine pulley, 23 x 11.5 x 8 centimeters

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