Visual Artist Abraham Debuts a Solo Exhibition of
His Early Drawings and Sketches in South Loop Gallery

Chicago: Elephant Room Gallery is thrilled to present another solo exhibition with represented artist, Abraham next month. “Early Works” opens on Friday, November 1st with a reception from 6 to 9pm and runs through December 7th. The gallery is located at 704 S Wabash Avenue in Chicago’s South Loop Neighborhood. More information can be found on the gallery’s website: www.elephantroomgallery.com

“Early Works” consists of Abraham’s drawings, sketches and single edition embellished prints that he created from 2007 to 2018. These works bridge his exit from a career in advertising and his entrance into the fine art world. Having amassed hundreds of sketches over the years, “Early Works” is a selection of less than 50 that were selected by both the artist and the curator, ERG’s co-owner, Kimberly Leja Atwood. The selection represents some of Abraham’s strongest and personally favorite pieces from that time period. Abraham would often draw and sketch in pencil on paper, cardstock and tracing paper while in work meetings or in waiting rooms. Unaware at the time that many of the ideas and characters he sketched would later become larger, colorful paintings.

This is the first time that Abraham is showing all works on paper in a solo exhibition. “Early Works” is a glimpse into the artist’s mind in that period of personal transition. Being intrigued by the fallibility of life, Abraham embraces ‘mistakes’ in his art; smudges, scratches, crooked lines, rough edges, and imperfect framing. Just starting to explore his visual language in an uninhibited way, the pencil works feature unique characters that seem only partially human doing various tasks. Each piece reads as if it is part of a larger bizarre fantasy narrative where the subject is the main character. The often repeated character of a man with small round spectacles is described by the artist to represent himself at various moments in his life. This familiar character feels relatable and could therefore be any one of us.

Abraham is a Filipino-American artist currently based in Chicago. After college he began to use his artistic skills as a freelance artist and has done work at some of Chicago’s top ad agencies. Armed with a double major and a unique wit, the artist uses an alternative point of view to re-imagine ideals and adds his own brand of social commentary by re-contextualizing graphic icons. He works primarily in acrylic, watercolor and ink. His work is informed by the cartoon imagery of his youth, and he counts among his influences many of the pop artists of the 1960’s. Abraham’s work is often playful and colorful, depicting unique characters in odd settings. There is almost always an underlying message or story behind the work. Abraham is represented by Elephant Room Gallery in Chicago.

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