STRANGE WORLD

Chinatown Soup is pleased to present Strange World: From the Surreal to the Unreal, welcoming Michael Phipps and friends for a showcase of fantastical illustrative art on view May 16-20, 2023. Please join us for an after hours reception on Thursday, May 18th from 6-8 pm.

Michael Phipps’ ink drawings and paintings depict an alternate nature in intense detail. Pattern, texture, and twisting lines make up both his surrealscapes and other whimsical illustrations. He has brought a large collection of original artwork from his home in the west for its New York debut and has curated several works of other artists to augment this presentation, including Graham Yarrington, Calvin Yaituri, and Chris Becker.

Michael Phipps received his degree in Illustration from The University of Utah. Upon graduating, Michael continued to hone his craft creating fantastical and surreal scenes with a touch of whimsy. He has built a strong following over the years due to his illuminated manuscript-like technique of physically drawing or painting the minute details of any given piece with unwavering attention and sharp precision—a huge contrast to the digital shorthand so prevalent in today’s art market. Viewers can come close and find seemingly endless detail within the broader image, as each stroke is unique.

His murals exist in Los Angeles, New York State, Mexico City, and New Zealand, and he has been featured in publications such as The Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, Spectrum Fantasy Art, and Lürzer's Archive "200 Best Illustrators Worldwide".

Michael has created book covers and interiors for authors such as James Dashner and Dan Wells, album covers for a number of unusual, amazing and creative bands, illustrations for a variety of publications and institutions, and myriad other projects.

Graham Yarrington has a distinctive, colorful painted style depicting ethereal and otherworldly subjects. He has created illustrations for major clients, including The Grateful Dead, The New York Times, and Elton John.

Calvin Laituri is an award-winning artist, designer, illustrator, letterhead, and printmaker based in the Green Mountains of Vermont, who has contributed several hyper-detailed ink drawings to the show as well as a number of limited edition intaglio prints.

Chris Becker is a New York-based artist specializing in surreal and fantasy graphite drawings. He will be exhibiting several drawings inspired by classic European architecture constructed in unreal settings.