A Stiller Life
A selection of works from the Studio Archive Project (founded by Lisha Bai)
June 5 - July 10, 2021
Deanna Evans Projects is pleased to announce the exhibition, A Stiller Life, a selection of work from the Studio Archive Project curated by Lisha Bai. The exhibition will be on view from June 5 – July 10, 2021 and includes works by Jesse Chapman, Madeline Donahue, Eric Hibit, JJ Manford, Keiko Narahashi, Meghan Petras, Cait Porter, Leslie Roberts, Rachel Roske, George Rush, Elisa Soliven, Shino Takeda, Karla Wozniak, and Sun You. The gallery is open Thursday to Saturday, from 12pm until 6pm.
A Stiller Life refers to the still life genre and to the slower pace of life we’ve been living this past year. Many of the works on this page capture subtle moments, from the shadow of a dish rack to light reflecting off a window pane. The works call attention to everyday objects and interior scenes that, in busier times, we may have overlooked, and that now form the daily backdrops of our lives, both on the screen and off. An ikebana arrangement, a lava lamp, an iron, a clock on the wall —the simple images in these works remind us of the many ways we’ve passed the time and come to appreciate a stiller life.
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The Studio Archive Project was founded by artist and collector Lisha Bai, Studio Archive Project was born out of Bai’s desire to connect art appreciators like herself with compelling works of art she knew were hidden away in the studios of fellow artists. The way she built her collection wasn’t primarily through traditional galleries, it was through studio visits: looking at a decade of works to understand the trajectory of an artist’s practice and finding hidden treasures along the way. Thinking that others could benefit from the knowledge she was gathering, and knowing there was a strong desire among artists for their stored works to be lived with and enjoyed, she founded Studio Archive Project, whose launch on June 5th coincides with the opening of A Stiller Life.
Studio Archive Project offers a selection of contemporary painting, sculpture, and works on paper, curated by Bai, direct from the studios of artists. Many of the participating artists are friends and colleagues from Bai’s past two decades in the New York art world: teaching colleagues, artist mentors, studio mates, and MFA classmates from Yale. Pricing is set by the artists themselves, and in most cases, is lower than the commercial art market, to make the work accessible to more collectors.
Studio Archive Project artists are dedicated to their work. They have been awarded prestigious grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, The Joan Mitchell Foundation, and New York Foundation for the Arts; had residencies at MacDowell, Yaddo, and the Rauschenberg Foundation. They hold advanced degrees from leading graduate programs in the arts, including Yale University, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Rhode Island School of Design. They have exhibited works at numerous galleries and institutions, including the Brooklyn Museum, Queens Museum, and National Academy Museum, New York; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro; Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul; and Essl Museum, Vienna. Their work has been reviewed by The New York Times, Artforum, Art in America, and The Wall Street Journal.
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Lisha Bai is an artist, curator, and Studio Archive Project founder who began her studio practice at Washington University in St. Louis and later received an MFA from Yale School of Art. Her work has been exhibited at Halsey McKay Gallery, Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery, Fortnight Institute and National Academy of Art, among other venues.
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To inquire about the availability of any of these works please email info@deannaevansprojects.com.