SLEEK x Praise Studio Vernissage. Photography by Claude Gerber.
ANDREW MONCRIEF
Andrew Moncrief. Photography by Claude Gerber.
Image Courtesy of Andrew Moncrief.
Image Courtesy of Andrew Moncrief.
Andrew Moncrief’s work is an examination and interpretation of masculinity, visually manifested in bold and poetic paintings. With multiple layers, abstraction, vibrant colors, and textures, that allow limbs to appear as if they are floating away from their conventional positions, Moncrief talks about the male identity, idealism, queerness, and representation. At the same time, it revolves around the post-internet concept of the body and Han’s notion of the tyranny of smoothness imposed by social media. The visual artist from Comox Valley, Canada, was influenced at an early age by a rigid and immobile image of masculinity. Today his work is emotional, yet strong, with the intention to touch the heart of the viewer.
AURORA CARLUCCI
Aurora Carlucci. Photography by Claude Gerber.
Image Courtesy of Aurora Carlucci.
The meaning of art is to evoke feelings. Aurora Carlucci’s work is mostly quiet yet dark, letting the viewer find their own way to approach a painting. Her art combines photography and installations with topics and materials, that are used in a surprising context. Therefore, the German-Italian Artist creates confusion and disorientation. After her graduation in graphic design in 2021, Carlucci is now a student at the University of the Arts Berlin. In the future many interesting projects are to come.
VERA KOCHUBEY
Image Courtesy of Vera Kochubey.
Image Courtesy of Vera Kochubey.
Powerful, protruding, large, colorful, and interdisciplinary. That’s how you could describe the work of Vera Kochubey. The contemporary artist has called Berlin her home since 2011 and is not only known for her paintings but also for performances and fashion. With garments that assimilate her paintings, she created a strong and unique signature look consisting of her black hair, big glasses, and lipstick. Originally, Kochubey grew up in the USSR, which is why her work is heavily influenced by American and Soviet art. Fusing that with inspiration drawn from queer culture and camp, the artist creates her own world, offering herself a welcomed break from reality – and for everyone who takes a look at it.
JONAS BUESSECKER
Photography by Claude Gerber.
Image Courtesy of Jonas Büßecker.
For Jonas Büßecker the human body in all of its facets is fascinating and disturbing at the same time. It can be a place to feel human connection and for the body to experience pleasure. But also, it can be a vessel for interpersonal fights to happen quietly and violently. His work uses these two approaches and finds peace in their simultaneity. Büßecker was born in the South of Germany and is now based in Berlin. He graduated in the studies of art therapy and in the fine arts at the University of Arts in Berlin. His artworks are a combination of sculpture and installation, between space and object, between pain and pleasure – between body and society.
MARCO SICILIANO
Photography by Claude Gerber.
Image Courtesy of Marco Siciliano.
At the SLEEK x Praise Vernissage, Marco Siciliano presented the video installation “18 square meters” in which he is building a completed living area inside a marked square at Tempelhofer Feld. It displays the essence of the work of the Italian artist, which focuses on the threshold between private and public space. It is about how easily the intimacy of a room can get violated – how a camping tent, a book, or a body can get lost in psychosomatic pain. Recurring subjects in Siciliano’s work create a thread of memories and personal experiences. The artist graduated from the Politecnico di Milano with a degree in interior design and is currently studying sculpture at the University of Arts in Berlin.
"18 Square Meters" by Marco Siciliano. Image Courtesy of the Artist.
Special thanks to Vuse, Gin Mare, Peroni, Benriach, and Woodford Reserve. A big thanks also to Selekt for their support, and to everyone who joined us!
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