Artists, clockwise from top left: Simon Xu, Tatyana Taylor, Annabelle Sigmond, Simon Xu
The Near South Loop gets Hygge with it at their upcoming Embrace of Comfort Group Exhibit at necessary & sufficient coffee® – Printers Row
Chicago, IL – November 5, 2024 - necessary & sufficient coffee – Printers Row announces "Embrace of Comfort" a regional group show reflecting artists’ reflection on comfort.
Embrace of comfort exhibit opening will take place from 1 pm to 5 pm on Sunday, November 24th at the Printers Row location. The work will be exhibited Barnes Collection gallery style in the café through February 1, 2025. Fourty-seven works of art, in all mediums, will be on display.
VOTE: Peoples Choice Award in the cafe. Get your ballot at the register.
“‘Embrace of Comfort’ is a timely exhibit in a fitting location. I was delighted by the submissions and had to expand my thinking about what comfort means, that it’s more than soft or handmade fabric. Our artists find comfort in a warm coffee cup, sharing a meal, nostalgia, water, repetition, craft, colors, wombs, music and more – all while utilizing every possible type of medium! What does comfort mean to you?" - Curator, Kate Vrijmoet
Exhibiting artists include: Revah Agarwaal, Olivia Bernard, Marcia Biasiello, Dlyan Bissonette, Lacy Bohanon, Annalise Bronsvel, Salvador Campos, Raya Dukhan, Daniel Eller, Michael Ennis, Abby Franke, Sofia Herr, Katharine Houpt, Hwahyun Kim, Sasha Kokhan, Jenny Lam, Anna Lentz, Josie Levin, Wendi Napoli, Mark Nelson, Kathleen Nesbitt, Sheryl Nieman, Diana Noh, Jermaine Nolan, Devyn Owen, Rosalina Perez, Isabelle Rizo, Sarah Roberts, Julian Sarria, Soph Schiavone, Annabelle Sigmond, Tatyana Taylor, Madi Walsh, Oberon Waters, Rosalie White, Simon Xu, and Xingi Zhao
necessary & sufficient coffee – Printers Row is woman-owned, sustainably driven, and deeply committed to our local roots.
➔ Event Details:
● Opening Reception: November 24, 2024. Artists will be present
● Time: 1 pm - 5 pm
● Two prizes will be awarded; curator’s choice award, and audience choice award.
● Location: necessary and sufficient coffee – Printers Row 728 S. Dearborn Street Chicago, IL 60605
The Embrace of Comfort: A Curator’s Perspective
Comfort. It’s one of those words that seems almost too simple, too universally understood, to deserve much examination. It’s easy to mistake comfort for something trivial, something shallow, something soft. But the artists in The Embrace of Comfort exhibit would likely argue otherwise. As a curator, it’s my job to guide you through the multi-layered interpretations of this theme—because, surprise, comfort is not always as cozy as it sounds. Sometimes, it’s bold. Sometimes, it’s unsettling. But always, it’s a reflection of the human need for safety, relief, and connection. So grab your coffee, make yourself comfortable, and let’s dive into what comfort means when put in the hands of artists.
The Comfort of Softness: Because Who Doesn’t Like a Fuzzy Blanket?
Let’s start with the obvious: soft things. You know those moments when you curl up with a plush pillow or a thick blanket, and your whole body just sighs in relief? That’s the comfort of touch, and it’s a theme many artists explore through texture, material, and form.
Sofia Herr’s A Quilt for the Last Five Years feels like a visual equivalent of that sigh. Her quilt—handcrafted, painstakingly layered, each stitch telling a different story—wraps you in warmth, not just through its material but through its emotional weight. The time spent in making it, the memories stitched into each part, transform this humble object into a tactile embrace. It’s a literal comfort, yes, but also a deep emotional one. A quilt isn’t just for warmth—it’s a hug from the past, a reminder that sometimes comfort isn’t just about the now, but about what has been.
Family: The Comfort of Home, For Better or For Worse
Speaking of the past, let’s talk about family. Ah yes, the comfort of familiar faces, shared experiences, and (let’s be real) the dysfunction that somehow still feels like home. Sasha Kokhan’s Under the Table captures this paradox beautifully. The image, a subtle nod to domestic life, shows a pair of legs tangled beneath a dining table. It’s at once a depiction of connection and separation, intimacy and space—like all family relationships. The comfort here isn’t just in the warmth of the family unit, but in the tangled mess of emotions and memories that make up the family dynamic.
But not all familial comfort is so complicated. Rosalina Perez’s Woman Floating in Pool takes a more literal approach, offering a serene moment of rest. The figure in her photograph, suspended weightlessly in water, seems to embody the quiet ease of being surrounded by loved ones—or perhaps, the relief of being left alone with your own thoughts. Sometimes, comfort is found in quietude, away from the demands of the world.
Rest and Relaxation: The Unspoken Necessity
Speaking of quietude, let’s talk about rest. Resting might sound easy enough, but it’s a rare, precious commodity these days. That’s why the works in this section offer a variety of takes on the comfort of rest—because, let’s face it, relaxation is an art.
Jermaine Nolen’s Sleep Tight is almost too cozy for words. The painting’s soft, rounded lines and muted tones conjure up the feeling of sinking into a plush mattress at the end of a long day. It’s restful, sure, but there’s also something about the way the forms seem to envelop you that suggests rest is not just about physical ease but emotional release as well.
Kathleen Cecilia Nesbitt’s End of Day, similarly, invites us into a moment of pause. Her photograph’s gentle lighting and serene composition create a mood that whispers: "It’s time to wind down." And when Michael G. Ennis’s Sunday enters the picture, you realize rest isn’t just about sleeping—sometimes, it’s about the quiet joy of doing absolutely nothing. Ennis’s archival photo print shows a moment of pure stillness, a snapshot of time spent in leisure, reminding us that comfort isn’t always about doing; sometimes, it’s just about being.
Nesting: Creating Your Own Comfort Zone
Nesting. We’ve all heard the term, and we all know what it means—whether we’re talking about a literal nest (hello, IKEA) or the comfort of surrounding yourself with things that make you feel safe. This is where comfort takes on a more personal, almost protective quality.
Annabelle Sigmond’s Nucleus Nest is a striking example of how we build our own comfort zones. The print presents an organic, almost biological form that feels both delicate and strong, like a cocoon or a protective shell. It’s a reminder that comfort isn’t just about external factors but about how we create safe spaces for ourselves.
Madi Walsh’s My Home is You takes the idea of nesting even further, using gouache and colored pencil to create an intimate, layered interpretation of what it means to be at home with someone else. The soft colors and intertwining forms speak to the comfort found not just in physical space, but in emotional connection. Snug, another of Walsh’s works, echoes this feeling with its rounded, cozy forms that invite you to settle in. These works are like visual blankets—there’s an invitation here to nestle down and find solace in what is familiar and safe.
Comfort in Color and Texture: The Visual Pleasures
Let’s talk about color and texture. Because sometimes, comfort isn’t something we can touch or feel—it’s something we can see. The way colors and materials collide in an artwork can be just as soothing as the softest cashmere sweater.
Raya Dukhan’s Pinch is a fascinating example of this. The mixed media on board brings together varied textures and tones, each element layered with intention to create a space that feels, paradoxically, both chaotic and calm. The artwork invites the viewer to explore the tactile pleasures of the piece—despite its complexity, there’s something soothing about its deliberate imprecision.
Then there’s Anna Lentz’s Square Mugs, a celebration of color and form that embodies the comfort of familiarity. Mugs, after all, are the ultimate comfort object—there’s something about holding one in your hands that automatically makes you feel a little more grounded, a little more at home. The snug design evoke a sense of calm, grounding you in the everyday joys of a cup of coffee or tea.
Nostalgia: The Comfort of Remembering
Nostalgia is another source of comfort, though sometimes it’s bittersweet. Salvador Campos’s The Assembled Cast brings this feeling to life, using mixed media found objects to create a whimsical yet poignant tribute to the past. There’s a sense of comfort in the way the objects come together to form something larger, something that evokes childhood memories or past experiences that we’ve somehow woven into the fabric of our own identity.
Dan Eller’s Call Me does something similar, using found objects to create a sculpture that reflects the comfort of familiar things—old phone parts, bits of personal history, tangled up in a strange kind of beauty. It’s the comfort of holding on to what’s been left behind, finding solace in what was.
The Womb: Comfort in the Beginning
Let’s shift gears a little. Sometimes comfort isn’t about what we have—it’s about where we come from. The womb, that primordial space where we were once cradled in safety, is a powerful symbol of comfort. Jenny Lam’s On the Boardwalk captures this sense of origin with a softness and delicacy that feels as though it’s gesturing toward something both fragile and foundational. Similarly, Isabelle Rizo’s Elegant Melancholy uses pastel tones and soft materials to evoke a quiet sense of reverence for the womb—the ultimate comfort zone.
Sara Roberts’s series Womb: 2nd Edition and Womb: 7th Edition are physical interpretations of this notion, using tulle, floral netting, and foam to create a tactile, almost sculptural meditation on the womb as a space of protection, origin, and comfort.
Natural Elements: Finding Comfort in Nature
There’s the comfort found in nature. Water, wood, stone—the raw materials that have surrounded us since the beginning of time—offer their own kind of soothing, elemental comfort.
Wendi Napoli’s Dance Between the Light uses mixed media and primarily wood to evoke the serenity of nature, while Sheryl Nieman’s Come Play takes a slightly more playful approach, using oil on canvas to create a scene that feels both grounded in the natural world and exuberantly alive.
Whether it’s the calming presence of water in Diana Noh’s Fish Creek and Marcia Biasiello
painting Can’t Count On a Second Chance, the comfort of nature is an ever-present theme that invites the viewer to reconnect with what is simple, eternal, and grounding.
The Comfort of Making: Crafting Our Own Peace
Finally, there’s the comfort of creating something with your own hands. Mark Nelson’s Cotton is a beautiful testament to this, a massive mixed media piece that speaks to the quiet joy of craftsmanship. The act of making is, in itself, a form of comfort—a way to channel your thoughts, emotions, and energy into something tangible. Devyn Owen’s Teacup Halves on the Seashore uses embroidery and beading to create delicate, intricate works that are at once personal and meditative.
The Self: Finding Comfort from Within
Lastly, there’s the most intimate form of comfort: the comfort found within oneself. Dylan Bissonette’s Untitled (Look) uses etched mirror to create a reflective surface that asks the viewer to confront themselves, to find comfort in the process of self-reflection. Tatyanna Taylor’s See Me takes a similar approach, using digital illustration to create a portrait that speaks to the quiet strength in asserting one’s presence, in finding comfort in who you are.
And there you have it. Comfort, in all its forms. Soft, hard, quiet, loud, intimate, and communal. Sometimes it’s as obvious as a cup of joe and the neighborhood coffee shop vibe, and sometimes it’s more complicated than a cashmere sweater. But it’s always there, in one way or another—waiting for you to find it, to embrace it, or to create it. Welcome to The Embrace of Comfort. It’s not just a show; it’s a cozy revolution, one artwork at a time.