Cristina Grajales Gallery may have an international reach, but as its new show ‘New York, New York’ proves, sometimes local is best. ‘New York is having a moment,’ says the eponymous gallerist. ‘So I thought it would be wonderful to celebrate the artists that work with us here.’ The result is an eclectic collection that gives the viewer a feel for the rich creative fabric of the city.
Grajales, who hails from Colombia but has lived in New York for around 30 years, has mustered up works from her existing stable of artists, such as painter-cum-designer John-Paul Philippe and designer Suzanne Tick - whose heavily textural weavings caught our eye at Design Miami - as well as pieces by new names.
Ironically it took a trip to London for Grajales to discover New York-based ceramicist James Salaiz, whose glossy, architectural bullets were on show at Dover Street Market. ‘I love the shapes, the glazing and the idea that one can see weapons in a non-threatening way,’ says Grajales. Back home in New York, a trip to Salaiz’s studio led her to the work of collagist Mark Welsh.
The exhibition also features pieces by designers Stephen Burks and Rama Chorpash, and artist Michele Oka Doner, to name just a few. And the space has been given a dose of New York attitude by graffiti artist Skott ‘Rage’ Johnson, who has emblazoned the names of each artist on the walls in a street-style scrawl.
