Monday, February 12, 2018

"Villains" – New Works by Shawn Finley at Rotofugi Gallery, Chicago


I recently had the privilege to exhibit my first one man gallery show at Rotofugi Gallery on February 3. It was a snowy Chicago evening, but despite the wintry weather, I enjoyed a very warm reception celebrating with friends, fans and family – many of whom had travelled from out of state to see the show.

The title – and theme – is "Villains", inspired by the bad guys we love to hate from the movies and graphic novels. This show is a rogue's gallery of bad guys (and gals) including stoic gunslingers, smoking hot assassins, scowling pirates, creeping ninjas, desperate ronin and evil kings. Each work is acrylic on canvas, with 18 paintings in total.

Each "Villains" portrait features a graphic, flat character surrounded by a moody abstract expressionist background, combining Pop Art and Abstract Expressionist techniques. Other paintings are "abstract only", adding the feeling of wind, rain, fire and ice to the mix.

Rotofugi Gallery, located on the north side of Chicago, will continue to host the "Villains" exhibit from Feb. 3-25. You can also view the entire show online.