Kennedy Contemporary is pleased to present a new exhibition, Making Waves, highlighting the sculptures of Newport Beach native, Heather Zusman, and the paintings of Laguna Beach artist, Shane McClatchey. The title of the show speaks to their work, which draws inspiration from the ocean ecosystem and aesthetic patterns of the sea, and the traction each young artist has gained in their careers. Both extensively trained in woodworking and painting respectively, Zusman and McClatchey are two emerging artists who are beginning to make a name for themselves in the contemporary art world. Despite working in different mediums, they share a passion for creating artworks that are both visually striking and emotionally resonant, and respond to the natural beauty of Southern California.
Making Waves will be on view from April 26 through May 21st. To celebrate this exhibition, we will host a public reception on April 27th from 4 to 6pm.
Shane McClatchey is an oil painter who specializes in capturing the raw power and beauty of the ocean ecosystem and surf culture. Although classically trained in representational painting from the Laguna College of Art and Design (BFA, MFA), McClatchey brings a more modern flair to his compositions. Pulling inspiration from Andrew Wyeth and Wayne Thiebaud, as well as the writings of naturalists like Rachel Carson and Oliver Sacks, McClatchey constructs methodical compositions that are simultaneously fastidious and dazzling. Every painting captures a memory or feeling rather than an exact place.
Heather Zusman is a wood sculptor who creates graceful works that blur the line between abstract and figurative. Influenced by traditional woodworking practices and design motifs found in Art Nouveau and the Arts & Craft Movement, Zusman's sculptural works are simple in form and purposeful in detail. She fearlessly pushes her medium to the brink: creating intricate compositions that bend, curve, and swell, casting shadows on the wall. After receiving her BFA from Trinity College with a focus in Architecture, Heather began working in furniture design and committed to her woodworking formal training at the Waters and Acland Furniture School in Staveley, Cumbria, England, and later continued her training in Takamatsu, Japan, at the Naoki Ikushima Factory.
