Living in a Wiggly World
Living in a Wiggly World
Jeffrey Cheung, Rainen Knecht and Jiha Moon
June 10 - July 29, 2023
The Pit Los Angeles
So wiggle on the bottom, wiggle on the top
Wiggle up the middle and laugh a lot
'Cause I've been living in a wiggly world…
It’s never straight up and down.
Yeah I've been living in a wiggly world, wiggly world
The Pit is thrilled to announce its upcoming group exhibition "Living in a Wiggly World” featuring new work by Jeffrey Cheung, Rainen Knecht and Jiha Moon. Set to open on June 10, 2023, this group show explores themes of relationships to family, friends, and culture. Through their distinctive creative visions, these artists invite viewers to delve into an exploration of interconnectedness and shared experiences. The exhibition will be on view at The Pit Los Angeles from June 10 - July 29, 2023 with a summer hour opening reception on Saturday June 10 from 3-5pm.
In this group exhibition Jeffrey Cheung, Rainen Knecht and Jiha Moon collectively shed light on the intricate web of relationships that shape our lives. Each artist approaches this theme from a unique perspective, weaving narratives that touch upon the personal, the communal, and the cultural. Each work navigates the depths of human connection, unveiling stories of love, identity, and the intricate ties that bind us together.
Jeffrey Cheung, an influential artist and skateboarder, creates vibrant, expressive figures often intertwined as if in dance. His bold and energetic paintings depict diverse bodies and celebrate the beauty of queer and marginalized communities. Cheung's work serves as a celebration of friendship, love, and shared experiences, emphasizing the importance of building inclusive and supportive networks. Jeffrey Cheung (born 1989 in Castro Valley, CA) lives and works in Oakland, CA. He’s had solo exhibitions at New Image Art (L.A., CA), Hashimoto Contemporary (San Francisco, CA), BimBam Gallery (Paris, FR) and Pt. 2 (Oakland, CA). He’s been included in group exhibitions including Jeffrey Deitch (L.A., CA) and V1 (Copenhagen, DK). His work and platform Unity that he runs with his partner Gabriel Ramirez have been featured in The New York Times among other publications.
Rainen Knecht's artistic practice revolves around intimate portrayals of familial bonds and interpersonal relationships.The figures in Rainen Knecht’s paintings question the line between alien and real, human and animal, self and other. The artist employs a form of dream logic to examine beauty, humor and horror in works that are simultaneously sexy, angry, ugly and funny. Born in Gig Harbor, WA in 1982 Knecht now lives and works in Portland Oregon. She graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2006 where she received the Madjrakoff Painting award as an undergraduate. She received the Hallie Ford Fellowship in 2021. Her work has been included in group exhibitions internationally including Marvin Gardens , Ridgewood, NY (2022), Left Field, Los Osos, CA (2021), The Pit, Los Angeles, CA (2021), Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA (2020), Fourteen30 Contemporary, Portland, OR (2019), and Stems Gallery, Brussels, BE (2017).
Jiha Moon, a celebrated artist known for her innovative use of clay, explores the interplay between cultural identities and interpersonal connections. Her vibrant and whimsical artworks blend traditional Eastern and Western artistic elements, revealing the hybrid nature of contemporary culture. Jiha Moon (b. 1973) is from DaeGu, Korea and lives and works in Atlanta, GA. She received her MFA from the University of Iowa, Iowa City. Her works have been acquired by Asia Society, New York, NY, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, The Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC, Smithsonian Institute, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC, Weatherspoon Museum of Art, Greensboro, NC and The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA. She has had solo exhibitions at Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, GA, Taubman Museum, Roanoke, VA, the Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC, The Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, TN and Rhodes College, Clough-Hanson Gallery, Memphis, TN and James Gallery of CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY. She is recipient of prestigious Joan Mitchell foundation’s painter and sculptor’s award for 2011. Her mid-career survey exhibition, “Double Welcome: Most everyone’s mad here” organized by Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art and Taubman Museum has toured more than 10 museum venues around the country until 2018.
For more information email us at info@the-pit.la
Jeffrey Cheung, In the way, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in.
Jeffrey Cheung, Out the way, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in.
Jiha Moon, Peekaboo, 2022, Porcelain, underglaze and glaze, 13½ x 8 x 8 in.
Rainen Knecht, Big Impact, 2023, Oil on linen with artist frame, 30 x 24 in.
Rainen Knecht, The Waiting Room, 2023, Oil on canvas artist made frame, 30 x 24 in.
Rainen Knecht, Wading against the Tide, 2023, Oil on linen with artist frame, 20 x 16 in.
Jeffrey Cheung, Cream, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 64 x 54 in.
Jiha Moon, HaeTae (Soo-Gook), 2022, Stoneware, underglaze and glaze, 14 x 8½ x 8 in.
Jiha Moon, Peach Yellow Milagro, 2021, Porcelain, earthenware, underglaze and glaze, 12 x 10½ x 6 in.
Rainen Knecht, Bat Mama, 2023, Oil on linen with artist frame, 24 x 18 in.
Rainen Knecht, Bat Mama, 2023, Oil on linen with artist frame, 24 x 18 in.
Rainen Knecht, At the Shore, 2023, Oil on canvas and linen with artist frame, 38 x 28 in.