The largest section of the fair is Focus, which is ripe for new discoveries. Highlights here include a solo painting presentation by self-taught American painter Devon DeJardin, who constructs large-scale spiritual narratives from puzzle-like forms, at Albertz Benda and Australian Aboriginal artist Reko Rennie, who uses geometric patterning and graffiti-style markings to create colorful, camouflaged canvases at Station gallery.
Meanwhile, Harper’s pairs Korean-American painter Young-Il Ahn’s monochromatic canvases with representational paintings of interiors by Brooklyn-based artist JJ Manford (with one of his interior scenes cleverly including a painting by Ahn). And, in one of more fascinating thematic exhibitions, Yeo Workshop presents a curated group of regional artists to examine stereotypical notions of Southeast Asian aesthetics, with everything from textiles and ceramics to photographs and videos energizing the booth.
