Exhibition now on view through December 9th, 2018
“20 Questions” Artist Talk with Ai Campbell: December 9th, 4:30 – 6pm

Ground Floor Gallery is thrilled to present, “Underneath,” artist Ai Campbell’s latest solo exhibition! Campbell is based in Gowanus, Brooklyn. This will be the artist’s first solo exhibition at a Brooklyn gallery and we look forward to introducing her to new audiences!

The work of Ai Campbell celebrates the compelling nature of art’s most basic elements,  using the monochromatic colors of black and white to amplify positive negative spaces through the contrast.  Her works are inspired by organic forms, from the nascent to the moribund.  By eliminating the diversity of color, the monochromatic spaces enhance the contour of shapes allowing her to see vividly the simple yet critical elements of objects.

The resulting works are powerfully delicate yet paradoxically complex detailed paintings and drawings that arrest the imagination of the audience. 

Ai Campbell is a visual artist who currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. She was born in Osaka, Japan, trained in oil painting at the Kyoto College of Art and Design. Her work has exhibited in Osaka, Japan, Miami, St. Petersburg, Florida, Barcelona, Spain, London, UK, Vienna, Austria and New York City.

See the show and available works online HERE

Photo: Go Sugimoto

Artist Statement:

I’ve been fascinated with detailed monochromatic works since the first time I saw the beautiful landscape drawings of my grandfather, a successful industrial designer.  During the war, he spent his spare time drawing the places where he was stationed. The consistent 5 x 7 inch works contained fine details in the vivid contrast of black and white. Because he passed away before I was born, those drawings were my only interactions with him.

The simple yet explosive black and white spaces enhance the contour of shapes allowing one to see vividly simple yet critical object elements. An obsession with this type of imagery has become the central theme of my own work: engaging the most basic elements of life to build or extract the most complex.

I feature the organic shapes and natural forms that I encounter, such as water streams on a faded wall, layered leaves on a tree or my own tangled hair, exploring how their virgin elements can interact. I think the individually lifeless elements start to breath in the company of other types. My work will continue to explore the beauty and power in life’s intricate organic forms and I am excited to see evolution.