Ch’i Contemporary Fine Art

Bitches Brew by Tamara Kowal
May 8th – June 6th 2008
Public Opening: May 9th, 6-9pm
Brooklyn, New York - Ch'i Contemporary Fine Art is pleased to host the first solo exhibition at the gallery by Tamara Kowal entitled Bitches Brew from May 8 – June 6th 2008.  Join us on Friday, May 9th, from 6-9 PM for an opening reception with the artist at the gallery's Williamsburg location of 293 Grand Street, between Roebling and Havemeyer. The public is invited to attend this event and to visit the exhibition during gallery hours: Wed- Sun 11 AM - 7 PM and Mon 9 AM – 5PM.  For more information contact the gallery at 718 218 8939.

Showcasing two series of paintings and an installation, the title Bitches Brew is taken from the 1969-Miles Davis album. The following excerpt from a review of the album surmises the emotions of the recording, “Over three days anger, confusion, and sheer will and emotion that resulted were percolated and edited into an astonishingly organic work.” – John F. Swed.  For Tamara Kowal, these sentiments attest to the inner turmoil of self-imposed ideals of perfection in the roles of our lives.  While on the other hand, the acceptance of our vulnerability and imperfection enables us to reconnect with others and ourselves, acknowledging these ties that bind us, becoming one and the same. The Pleiades: When Pluto was demoted as a planet aliens colonized it and created their version of Vegas (Vegaspluto).  The Pleiades, a cluster of stars are the showgirls of Vegaspluto; their names are Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygete, Celaeno, and Alcyone.  Each painting in the Pleiades series animates the celestial quality of each star, transformed into vibrant and exotic entities.

About Tamara Kowal
Born in Dinslaken, Germany, Tamara presently lives and works in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  Having studies Fine Arts at Queens College, Tamara moved to SoHo in the early 80s to pursue her career as a painter.  During that time she also became part of an artist collective and formed the not-for-profit gallery “Pushkin Gallerie”.  She enjoyed early success as a painter participating in group shows to benefit the Anthology Film Archives and the Children’s Aid Society.  In the 90’s Tamara moved to a 3,000 square foot loft in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn and has painted in seclusion for over 10 years to develop a body of work that has only recently been shown in a handful of private shows throughout Williamsburg.  Working historically with oil on canvas, Tamara recently began experimenting with glass blowing, textiles, and small works on paper.

About Ch'i Contemporary Fine Art
Ch'i Contemporary Fine Art, established in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 1999 and directed by Tracy Causey-Jeffery is committed to exhibiting vibrant contemporary art by living artists: both mid-career and emerging.  Ch'i exhibits works in two distinct styles: abstract, textural or fragmented figurative.  Ch'i hosts 11-15 exhibitions annually with their artists coming from across America, Asia, Europe and South America.  In addition to its own exhibitions, Ch'i participates annually in at least 3 international fairs.  In 2007, the gallery participated in Fountain NY and the Bridge Art Fairs in Chicago, London, and Miami. In 2008, Chi will participate in the first Bridge New York art fair in March. Additionally, Ch'i and its artists have been published in Art World News, NY Arts Magazine, Art Forum, Art News, Block Magazine, New York Times, The Village Voice, New York Sun, LA Times, Korea Times and Art and Antiques among others. Gallery artists are included in the permanent collections of Kantor Fitzgerald, The Musee Elysée, The Museum of the City of New York, MOMA, the Whitney Museum, Exxon Energy, Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Bank of China, the Kohler Company, The New York Public Library, The University of Maryland, Healthlink, the Kimbell Museum, the National Gallery of Australia, The Houston Museum and the Klutznick National Jewish Museum among others. Ch'i director, Tracy Causey-Jeffery received her masters in art history from the University of London after interning at Sotheby’s auction house in New York City. Prior to opening Ch'i, she owned and operated The Finer Side Galleries in Maryland and Washington, D.C. for 7 years.