Omar Abulsheikh (b. 1996) works develop slowly as he carefully layers paint to achieve his desired effect. As a result, his paintings are identifiable by saturated pigments, heavy linework on a textured surface. Abulsheikh’s most recent works feature nebulous, spray-painted backgrounds that are reminiscent of star fields. He then layers narratives upon them, pulling from a rich sense of humor that shines through his artwork.

The persistence and laser focus Renata Berdes possesses in pursuit of her artistic outcomes is indomitable. She continually pursues her themes, or “obsessions” as she calls them, with voracity and intention. Her sculptural works viewed collectively suggest the assemblage of a new space that plays with scale and permanence. Individually her sculptures are imbued with the magic of what is possible; first there was nothing, and now by Berdes’ hands and imagination the object exists. Found objects are unified through an intimate connection with the sense of touch that manifests in rich textures. Berdes delivers with confidence and honesty, engaging viewers through her own vulnerability. She invites us to see the world from her viewpoint and delights us with her reinterpretation of what is.

Billy Borgerd’s (b. 1986) artwork is influenced by his love of wrestling, movies and action heroes. His paintings express the depth and intensity of these themes through dark under-painting tempered by vibrantly hued details. Borgerd’s artwork continually evolves while remaining indelibly linked to the early years of his practice. His works feature larger than life characters rendered in strong tones and bold lines. Elemental shapes are assembled to represent his characters. Environments are addressed with intentional vagueness, allowing the subjects to take center stage.

Guy Conners was born in 1990 in Tokyo, Japan and moved to Chicago as a child. Outside of his work as a painter, Guy is an avid runner. He takes breaks from his practice to participate in several marathons each year in cities across the US. Guy has a talent for realism and is gifted with a keen sense of visual perception. Where other artists may be intimidated by the detail or scope of a reference image, he has the ability to break his subject down to the key qualities that convey depth, texture, and character. He skillfully layers brush strokes over time – whether in a wet on wet application of acrylic or delicate washes of watercolor – yielding a rich and varied surface.

Aaron Kleeblatt (b. 1974) is a prolific artist whose portfolio is both sharp and vibrant. His work can be identified by his minimalist approach to portraits- many being of American musicians or celebrities. His artworks are minimal by design and then energized with color palettes reminiscent of pop art. A movie buff, Kleeblatt has been known to say “movies are my life”. This cinematic influence is witnessed through dramatic contrast and the deliberate character building in his works.

Bill Lilly (b. 1972) is a self-proclaimed “metal-head,” Lilly’s work is very much inspired by the music he listens to. Skulls, flames, tornadoes, cyborgs and a multitude of other subjects of impending doom are common symbols in Lilly’s work. Most fascinating is his ability to combine all of these influences together, into a single, cohesive work. Like heavy metal, Lilly’s art is a force of technical dexterity, distortion, aggression, masculinity, and raw, unapologetic loudness.

Born in Chicago in 1955, Susan Pasowicz is a dreamer and visionary. Fascinated by mystery, color, and organic forms, Pasowicz intuitively uses colored pencil and graphite to create whimsical, dream-like landscapes. Informed by both the fantastical and everyday, hints of her surroundings and memories become tangled in a web of wispy, hair-like marks that build up on the works’ surface. Often incorporating mirrors, portals, windows, or doors, Pasowicz’s work transports the viewer to nebulous and magical environments.

John Phelan has an intuitive approach to art-making, working from imagination and memory to depict meaningful ideas or personal experiences. Recurring motifs anchor his compositions – text fragments, boxes, symbols, trains, clocks, churches, and simplified figures. His distinct drawings are often reminiscent of aerial maps or architectural floor plans. Currently, his work reflects a methodical process of mark-making, which accumulates over time to create directional swaths of color. He frequently rotates and covers both sides of the paper while working, causing the surface to become weathered and sometimes burnished.

Hubert Posey (b. 1964). As a non-verbal artist, Hubert utilizes his art-making process as a tool for connection and communication with others. With the help of support staff and volunteers, Hubert builds multidimensional sculptures, amassing an array of materials collected from around the studio. His additive method of layering creates finished objects that are otherworldly. He can often be found laughing as he paints, opening himself up to the world around him and to the community of the studio. Hubert’s process is so intrinsically linked with his own personal exploration that his progress is a beautiful thing to observe.

Alex Scott was born in 1987 and is a Chicago native. Known for his use of simplified forms and flat, bright colors, Scott’s fresh, direct approach to drawing and painting embodies a sense of nostalgia. His preferred materials are ballpoint pen, colored pencils, and acrylic. Scott’s influences range from cartoons and comics to classic mystery-comedy movies to children’s books, gaining continued inspiration from favorite books once read – The Phantom Tollbooth, Sam and the Firefly, In a People House by Dr. Suess, as well as books found in the studio. Neat arrangements of recurring characters, household objects, numbers, text, and symbols are frequently organized by letters of the alphabet and at times appear reminiscent of hieroglyphics. He often repetitively recreates past drawings or characters from memory with ease and accuracy, which results in slightly shifting iterations over years. This ongoing body of work exists across both individual works on paper and series of drawings in distinct sketchbooks.

OPEN PLANET FINAL SELECTIONS