"Gardeners of Eden"

Jonathan LeVine Gallery is proud to present Gardeners of Eden, David Choe’s first solo exhibition of paintings in New York. For Gardeners of Eden, David Choe will present the full range and scale of his versatile talent. Experimenting with mixed media, sculpture and painting, Choe’s exhibition is a culmination of recent adventures and powerful experiences. Inspired by being alive and loving life, Gardeners of Eden is a celebration of all acts undeniably human.

For Choe, the creative process is part of the narrative journey. “I don’t even know what the outcome is gonna be, but that’s part of the process, the journey has been amazing so far. It’s going to be my last show for a long time, so I’m painting like a fighter getting ready for the title belt.” His multi-layered works are a combination of an innate desire to create and an uncontrollable raw energy. Working from memories from the last two years in prisons, African jungles, and hitchhiking across America, Choe transcribes these sights and tales into his art. Through rustic portrayals of eating, praying, crying, and dying, Choe explores cycles of regeneration in both the self and human nature as a whole. His love of animals and food, quest for peace and redemption, and obsession with sex surface through these strong narratives.

Fascinated by the unpredictable outcome of fusing various mediums, Choe’s experimental techniques are a combination of chance, art, and alchemy. Inspired by the quickness and immediacy of the graffiti process, Choe transforms the gallery into a personal environment of idiosyncratic expression. Choe paints on canvas, paper and wood using a variety of materials including crayons, oil, house paint and latex, to acrylics, pens, watercolors, and spray paint. Choe’s restless creativity allows him to break ground in both subject matter and medium. Gardeners of Eden is an experimental platform for Choe within a gallery setting, marking a new direction for David Choe as already highly acclaimed fine artist.

About the Artist

David Choe was born in 1976, raised in Los Angeles and is of Korean descent. He is one of the most diverse and prolific artists working today. Choe’s art, photos, and writing have been featured in Giant Robot, and Vice Magazine among numerous other publications. His extensive client list includes Marvel Comics, Levi’s, IBM, and Nike. Choe’s three self-published, comic/journal/novellas: Bruised Fruit, Cursiv & Slow Jams have received awards and are sold out editions. David Choe’s works have been exhibited in galleries internationally. He is also one of the youngest artists ever to have a solo show at MOCA. A trailer of the new documentary “Dirty Hands: The Art and Life of David Choe”, is available on view at www.dirtyhandsmovie.com.