Fazzion creates pencil portraits as a way to give poetic expression to faces. A series of these portraits is dedicated to Italian actors. Another of her series is dedicated to Hollywood actors, such as Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd, or characters like the Joker, as portrayed by Oscar winner Jared Leto. As an artist, Fazzion has also developed – through Iranian friends and acquaintance – a great passion for the stunning art of Isfahan.

His creative process is a mixture of works on paper, acrylic paint, found objects and non-toxic hot glue, which creates a three-dimensional effect on any surface that gives a sense of realism and presence in his artwork. Darrell refers to this optical artistic illusion as “Definism,” which in his opinion portrays various differences in human nature from life’s everyday dramas to humankind’s quest to understanding the self.

In an era when vast accretions of consumer detritus and the vapid anecdotalism of digital media seem poised to overtake human creativity, authentic storytelling and the tangible materials of human existence take on elemental value as a means of connection, survival, and reinvention. In different media, but with the same rigorous and clear-sighted approach, artists Maximo González and Ato Ribeiro are innovating the philosophical and aesthetic sensibilities that will carry future generations forward into new modes of existence.

Downtown Los Angeles’s Corey Helford Gallery is currently presenting its annual Art Collector Starter Kit group show, featuring new 12” x 12” works from artists spanning across the globe, displayed throughout the Main Gallery. Featuring smaller, more affordable new works by well-known, popular artists was the idea behind CHG’s annual show when it launched in 2013. The show is back for its seventh installment, ACSK VII,  featuring top artists in the New Contemporary art scene.

Inspired by his personal experiences growing up in Africa and the current cultural and political state of society, Stanley is driven to create drawings that trigger an emotional connection between the viewers and his artworks. Using his works as a form of social and political activism, Stanley hopes to use his art to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves Regarding his new series, Stanley says, “My art is born out of the zeal for perfection both in skill, expression, and devotion to create positive changes in the world."

According to Yu, the characters she created for the show are based on her family, friends, childhood imagination, and things she loved as a child. The animal characters in the show have some correlation with her previous mini solo show, Animal World. Yu created a series of zombie animal characters who died from abuse and then returned as zombies to seek revenge on those who had made them suffer.

Paul Luikart is a writer and artist living in Chattanooga. He is fascinated by the role that paint plays and what it can do in the process of making a painting. Characteristic of Luikart’s work is the thick application of paint, sometimes applied with palette knives and brushes, and sometimes with old baseball cards and scrap mat board. Bold colors, long drips down the canvas, and layers upon layers give the paint its own say, so to speak, in his creations.

Combining the quirky, the vibrant and the storytelling aspects of art, Gallery 30 South has set up an exhibit of hundreds of artful coasters displayed in a storyboard fashion along the walls of the gallery. Beer coasters (like those you can find at your local bar or restaurant) have been transformed from a disposal, functionary object into a canvas for one-of-a-kind art pieces.The show, founded by Gallery 30 South owner Matt Kennedy in 2013, features the works of some of the most important, young artists of today.

Jennifer R. A. Campbell's compositions call attention to the chaotic world of humanity, while conversely investigating the various elements that inform the ways we interact. She presents her characters in fictitious landscapes, amid a frenzied environment that invites the spectator into a visual feast of symbols. In the absence of words, the viewer is able to arrive at multiple interpretations as to what is occurring in the scene presented as the artist furthermore highlights the absurdity of human existence.