New Art / Hugh Leeman vandalizes corporate ads for art’s sake

May 5, 2012 | New Art | by Hugh Leeman |

Sometimes at night when I pray, I wonder if there is a God. And then amidst the dark silence, I know that there is, for it is the voice in my head saying ‘Hugh, cover up corporate advertising with your vandalism. Do it not just for fun but also for the father and my son’. Now let us pause from this blog and bow our heads as we remember that great passage from the bible about replacing ads with art.

New Art / Large scale mural by Hugh Leeman for Art Basel Miami

November 30, 2011 | New Art | by Hugh Leeman |

This is my new 8′ x 20′ hand painted mural in Miami, Florida, for Art Basel week. The mural is of Tracy and Raymond. Both are friends of mine from San Francisco. Raymond stopped by my studio to chat the other day as I was finishing up his portrait, on the right. He had cut his hair and shaved most of his beard, but was really excited to see his likeness so large. I told him it was to be part of a large mural installed in Miami. He said: ‘That’s great. Years ago I was in the slammer there’.

New Art / Brett Amory

November 18, 2011 | New Art | by Hugh Leeman |

Brett Amory’s work seems to define the times we live in, especially to those inhabiting the urban environment. Amory’s paintings give us the feeling of waiting to catch the next bus or waiting for the next text. Regardless of what we’re waiting on, we’re all waiting to be taken somewhere else. Read more

New Art / Augustine Kofie

November 17, 2011 | New Art | by Hugh Leeman |

Augustine Kofie’s pieces are at first fascinatingly bold in their simplicity. Only as they grow upon you do they begin to carry a complexity all their own, one which longs to be understood through a process of deconstructing and reconstructing the elemental forms living on his canvas. Read more

New Art / Beautiful portraits by Charmaine Olivia

November 16, 2011 | New Art | by Hugh Leeman |

Charmaine Olivia’s paintings speak to us in a voice that is tinged with the rhythms of an Oedipus Complex. The voice often comes from a young female subject whose intent is uncertain in nature, creating a desire in the viewer which follows us long after we’ve left earshot of the subject’s enticing voice and undeniable gaze. Read more

New Art / Paintings by Serge Gay Jr.

November 16, 2011 | New Art | by Hugh Leeman |

Serge Gay Jr.’s paintings are steeped in a feeling that seems to have found its way to the canvas from George Clinton’s saxophone. On their journey to the canvas, these sounds seem to have intermixed with those of social constructs and cultural misgivings, forming a complex if cacophonous narrative. This pleasant if unlikely synthesis makes its way to the viewer by way of the artist’s own curious light.

November 16, 2011 | Video | by Hugh Leeman |

My most recent video featuring footage on the streets and in the studio creating portraits with rust and chemicals. The video includes interviews with White Walls Gallery owner, Justin Giarla, as well as my friend and subject, the homeless street musician Blue.