An installation view of Kate Shepherd at Liaigre in Nomad.
Photo: Courtesy of Liaigre
See New York Artist Kate Shepherd’s Vibrant Abstract Art at Liaigre
Don’t miss the chance to see this special exhibition, on view at the brand’s NoMad location through February 28
Liaigre Madison Avenue. Photo: Courtesy of Liaigre
With a unique visual language, New York artist Kate Shepherd applies delicate threadlike lines of oil paint over highly saturated coats of enamel, a special technique she has been refining for the last few decades. On view until February 28, a selection of Shepherd’s work has been installed at the Liaigre showroom in Manhattan’s NoMad district.
Creating beautiful pairings between space, line, and form, the elegant furniture on each level of the showroom is reflected back into the gleaming surfaces of the paintings. Viewers can also see themselves in the works as they stand close to the surface, peering in and pondering their own existence. Each artwork is a continuation of a theme that Shepherd has long been exploring. “Colors are fundamental to me, and they stem from my non-verbal emotions,” the artist tells Galerie, who hosted a special collector-filled cocktail event at the space. “I usually play upon the ideas of the last works I have made. There is a lot of exploration through process and methods in the studio. I use tools to create work and they often dictate the path I take and the results.”
An installation view of Kate Shepherd at Liaigre in NoMad. Photo: Courtesy of Liaigre.
An installation view of Kate Shepherd at Liaigre NoMad. Photo: Courtesy of Liaigre
At the entrance of the showroom, which is located on the corner of Madison Avenue and East 29th Street, passersby are stopped in their tracks by one of her large red works, titled Kind Red, 2019. Hanging on a white wall above one of Liaigre’s elegant grey sofas, and framed by the black lines of the store facade, the impression is striking. “Liaigre furniture is so elegant and spare as is my work so it was easy to select from the gallery’s inventory,” says Shepherd on the works she chose to present. “We selected works whose palette would offset the relatively monochromatic one of the showroom. I really enjoyed playing with the niches by filling them with yummy color. So, size was the main constraint.”
Event (2020) by Kate Shepherd. Photo: Courtesy of Galerie Lelong
Represented by the prestigious Galerie Lelong, Shepherd, whose work can be found in major museum art collections around the world including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Phillips Collection, is the latest artist to transform the brand’s space. Since Liaigre’s creation in 1985, its relationship with art and antiques has been an important way to share experiences. Strongly believing in the harmony created between architecture, furniture, art, and objects, Liaigre regularly commissions artists for its showrooms around the world.
“Showrooms are a meeting place for artists, collectors and private customers,” the company says. “Art is in dialogue with furniture and objects, offering a new reading of an interior at each installation.” In fact, the stunning contemporary ink paintings of Shih Yun Yeo are currently on view at Liaigre Singapore, thanks to a special partnership with the Artling. Art, of course, is always best appreciated in a home context, where the owner can reflect on the work every day and it becomes part of life. “In a domestic setting, artworks can be contemplated differently to a gallery,” says Shepherd. “You can look at them while sitting in a comfortable chair reading or in bed waking up.”
See more works from the exhibition, which is on view through February 28, below.
Kind Red (2019) by Kate Shepherd. Photo: Courtesy of Galerie Lelong
Nina Simone Sings Pirate Jenny #69B (2019) by Kate Shepherd. Photo: Courtesy of Galerie Lelong
Untitled (2011) by Kate Shepherd Photo: Courtesy of Galerie Lelong
Cover: An installation view of Kate Shepherd at Liaigre in Nomad.
Photo: Courtesy of Liaigre
