Alliance Contemporary: This Place

The Beverly Area Arts Alliance is hosting a series of programs April through September at a pop-up space at 105th and Western. Thanks to a partnership with Nicky’s of Beverly, 10500 S. Western, the Alliance will be in residence in the space behind the restaurant to curate exhibitions, performances, and other special events. Our first program features local artist Chantala Kommanivanh, with opening reception on Friday, April 16th, 6-9pm.

Lao American refugees live and work between two worlds, the Lao and the American. In “This Place,” Chantala Kommanivanh explores cross-cultural conflicts and tensions created by these duel identities in a series of lush, intense, layered, and enigmatic works.

Per Chantala: “These paintings are of immigrants affected by cross-cultural conflicts and tensions that have created issues of dual-identity. They are of single and multiple standing figures. They are, at times, seemingly confrontational. With the guidance of personal and found photographs, I am activating one still memory to intensify another.

I handle paint loosely, with a mix of soft and forceful strokes layered with lush drips of diluted medium. The intense vibrant colors and broken aggressive marks are used intentionally to ease the balance between normalcy and discomfort.

Graffiti walls inspire my work. I am interested in decaying surfaces that are active with graffiti markings. The complex layers and textures intrigue me. In these paintings, I attempt to create the same effect; a palimpsest of marks on top of marks that build a history and leave residue of past memories.”