Stranger Factory

Tara McPherson Pop Up Shop at Stranger Factory this August!

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Mark your calendars! August 14th is gonna be killer! Tara McPherson and The Cotton Candy Machine are Poppin’ Up in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Stranger Factory! Swing by to meet Tara. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to shop her traveling selection of goods and merch including rare prints, art toys, books and more!

Sandi Ray Pierce, FOREVER, NEVERMORE / Otto Bjornik, FLORA & FAUNA / Jellykoe, I’M YOUR WEIRD FRIEND will run from May 4th – 27th, 2018

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Sandi Ray Pierce, FOREVER, NEVERMORE / Otto Bjornik, FLORA & FAUNA / Jellykoe, I’M YOUR WEIRD FRIEND will run from
May 4th – 27th, 2018

Opening Reception: Friday, May 4th from 6-9 PM
In her first solo exhibition at Stranger Factory, local artist Sandi Ray Pierce will be featuring a series of her iconic pen and ink and mixed media works on paper. As a self taught artist, she is heavily inspired by the local lowbrow culture of tattoo graphics, Dia De Los Muertos, and the rich typography and visuals of historic Route 66. Pierce contrasts themes of death and rebirth with the fleeting beauty of youth. She incorporates vintage floral art nouveau and graphics reminiscent of old rock and roll gig posters. Her love of the southwest and attention to detail in her meticulous cross hatching and stippling creates a nostalgic interpretation of life and death in the land of enchantment.
Artist and toy designer Otto Bjornik will be exhibiting a new series of hand-made toys and graphite drawings. His clean, minimalist style celebrates the curiosity of youth with a rich narrative that integrates his love of design and human connection through its many cultures and the unifying emotional states we all share.

“The Pen is Mightier than the Sword”
I am more than an illustrator. I am a storyteller. My tales are a rich mixture of precious childhood memories and fairy tales. I weave together lines to celebrate the beauty and elegance of nature and human form. And sprinkled within that tapestry are touches of whimsy that bring to mind the wonderment of childhood and play. It is my way of rekindling youth with a wink and infinite mirth.
An architect by training, I create works in pen and ink that are filled with intricate detail and influenced by stringent rules of design. The elements I choose often hold symbolic meaning, and I take care to piece them together like a jigsaw puzzle to tell an overall story.”
Artist couple Jellykoe will be exhibiting new mixed media works sure to be a nutritious blend of cute and creepy. The pair is known for wide eyed, blank stared children and creatures alike often in the forms of plush or 3-d cutouts. Their work is humorous, often drawn or encapsulated in a somewhat dark, kawaii style that makes you want to relive or perhaps re-evaluate your childhood.

Jellykoe is a designer toy company located in the heart of Columbia, SC. It was founded in 2009 by husband and wife duo Kelly and J. Spencer Shull. Spencer acts as lead product designer and illustrator for Jellykoe while Kelly is in charge of production, design, and marketing.

All three exhibitions are free and open to the public.

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

David Santiago solo exhibition “KNOTTY” this February

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David Santiago solo exhibition “KNOTTY” this February

Stranger factory is pleased to announce local artist David Santiago’s second solo exhibition at the gallery titled Knotty. “My focus was on creating a three-dimensional thickness to my work, creating tangles through many layers of hair that blanket the subject from the viewer.”

Santiago’s artwork explores a fascination with body language; focusing on creating people with very subtle expressions, as though they are hiding a secret. Looking into a straight face creates an uncertainty inside of you, a feeling you want to resolve.

David Santiago will be in attendance on February 2, from 6-9pm.

The exhibition will run through February 25.

Knotty will run from
February 2nd – 25th, 2018

Opening Reception: Friday, February 2nd from 6-9 PM
Artist will be in attendance for reception.

This event is free and open to the public.

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

 

Dave Johnson, Jim Mahfood, Amy Earles, and Kaitlin Ziesmer this November at Stranger Factory

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Stranger Factory Gallery
presents

November 3-26, 2017

main room
New Works
Dave Johnson

Stacked Pyramids
Jim Mahfood

project room
The Fir / The Green
Amy Earles

Your Freaky Friends
Kaitlin Ziesmer

New Works
Solo exhibition of new works by Dave Johnson
Opening reception, November 3, 6-9 pm

American comic icon, “Reverend” Dave Johnson, will be exhibiting new figurative paintings and black and white works on paper inspired by his rich history in character development and comic art. Well known as an Eisner award winning cover artist, Johnson will be presenting his own contemporary narrative work that focuses on sharp, contrasting color compositions and patterns that provide the backdrop for his bold, minimalist portraits.

Stacking Pyramids
Solo exhibition of new works by Jim Mahfood
Opening reception, November 3, 6-9 pm

Raw, frenetic illustration artist, Jim Mahfood, will be exhibiting new works in “Stacking Pyramids.”His work defines his exploration of imagined senses and sexuality couched in his trademark chaotic style…heaps of black ink seem to explode within and around his subjects as they struggle for a handhold in an unsure world. Mahfood’s illustration style is dense and rich, and carries an intense load of sex, comedy, confidence, and a subtle presence of the fear and uncertainty of impending doom.

The Fir / The Green
Solo exhibition of new work by Amy Earles
Opening reception, November 3, 6-9 pm

Amy Earles is a US-based artist known for paintings and illustrations with contrasting dark, yet but feminine affection for strong central characters reminiscent of another time. Her foreboding narratives focus on dark figures like witches and mysteriously personified animals along with the unproven innocence of the young.

She explores the hidden layers of the self and the subconscious, aspects of the dreaming mind, and what it might mean to become another self, or many selves, when no one is looking. We are expecting to see a mix of original works including oil paintings, gouache paintings, intricate pencil drawings, as well as some archival prints of some of her most recent work, and of course, some of her paper dolls.

Your Freaky Friends
Solo exhibition of new work by Kaitlin Ziesmer
Opening reception, November 3, 6-9 pm

Denver based Artist Kaitlin Ziesmer will be exhibiting new paintings that feature animals and pop culture archetypes that assume the identities of everyday humans. Her brightly saturated minimalist portraits offer humorous cut and paste alterations that are reminiscent of 80’s fashion magazines and the nostalgia of high school yearbooks.

This July: “A Memory” Lana Crooks & “Matriarchy” Horrible Adorables

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Stranger Factory Gallery
presents
“A Memory”
Lana Crooks
&
“Matriarchy”
Horrible Adorables

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A Memory
Solo exhibition of new work by Lana Crooks
July 7 – 30, 2017
Opening reception, July 7, 6-9 pm
The work for “A Memory” is inspired by victorian jewelry, mourning practices and hair work. For this exhibit I have learned traditional hair work using instructional manuals from the 1870’s and have used a number of materials (even my own hair) to emulate the victorian memorials. Creating wool skeletons and silk flowers encrusted in glass, jet, onyx and other semi precious beads to create modern memento mori specimens.
Lana Crooks loves the antique, the creepy, the cute and the mysterious. Constructing creatures from fabrics and found objects, she is a purveyor of faux specimens and soft curiosities that are a blend of science and fantasy. Sought after for her pattern-making abilities, she frequently teams up with other artists to breathe three dimensional life into their illustrations, earning her two Designer Toy Awards. She enjoys drawing from real specimens in dusty back rooms of Chicago’s natural history museums but, on an average day, you can find her in the studio surrounded by skulls, old books, aging fabrics, and a cat named Tanuki.

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Matriarchy
Solo exhibition of new work by Horrible Adorables
July 7 – 30, 2017
Opening reception, July 7, 6-9 pm
Horrible Adorables current body of work depicts matriarchal societies in the form of anthropomorphized creatures. It shows the social dynamics between royalty and their subjects; from those loyally serving their ruler to the fate of doomed queens after a revolt. Our hybrid creature interpretations are loosely based on matriarchies in the animal kingdom, where females reign supreme.
 
Horrible Adorables are the creations of Jordan Elise Perme and Christopher Lees; a wife and husband team from Cleveland, Ohio. They met at the Cleveland Institute of Art where Jordan graduated with her BFA in Fiber & Material Studies, and Chris was pursuing training in fine arts after completing his BS in Mechanical Engineering.
 
Jordan and Chris bring their soft sculptures to life by meticulously arranging patterns of felt scales onto hard carved forms. The resulting characters have qualities that are both cartoonish and eerily realistic at the same time. Horrible Adorables are strange hybrid creatures from a fantastical word. Their facial expressions and postures reveal recognizably human emotions as they interact with one another. Horrible Adorables can be found online and at indie craft fairs, galleries, and boutiques across the globe.
 
In addition to Horrible Adorables, Jordan also works as a freelance toy and textile designer. She has proudly worked for companies such as Little Tikes, Hasbro and Joann Fabrics.

Stranger Factory’s Made in New Mexico Group Exhibition

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Stranger Factory’s
Made in New Mexico Group Exhibition

JANUARY 2017
Stranger factory is so pleased to announce our January exhibition!

For the first time in our 6 year history, Stranger Factory gallery will host an exhibition of new works featuring a diverse group of artists from the land of enchantment. “Made in New Mexico” will feature almost two dozen local artists from throughout the state. Many of the artists are expected to attend the opening reception on January 13, from 6-9pm.
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The exhibition will run through January 29.
Participating artists, include: Ryan Singer, Stephan Webb, Karl Deuble, Joel Nakamura, Peter Hague, Johnpaul Gutierrez, Sandi Pierce, Stan Harada, Dorielle Caimi, Travis Black, Al​ Na’ir Lara, Jason Andrew Smith, David Santiago, James Black, Nikki Zabicki, Bubzilla, Rita Riggs, Chris Erickson, John Sumrow, Chris Grill, Kathie Olivas, Brandt Peters!

Made in New Mexico will run from
January 13th – 29th, 2017

Opening Reception: Friday, January 13th from 6-9 PM
Many artists will be in attendance for reception.

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

Stranger Factory Gallery September Exhibition: Chris Ryniak & Amanda Louise Spayd (Harvest Moon)

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Stranger Factory is pleased to announce contemporary character artists, Chris Ryniak and Amanda Louise Spayd will be joining forces once again for their fifth collaborative Stranger Factory show, entitled “Harvest Moon.” Drawing from a mutual fondness of Halloween, the two have crafted a show that celebrates crunchy fallen leaves, crisp autumn air, and the spooky darkness of a moonless night.

Chris’s detailed sculpting brings iconic characters into his own signature style. Friendly pumpkins, black cats, bats, and other creatures of the night will come out to play.

Amanda’s vintage-inspired Dust Bunnies recall a nostalgic Halloween from days gone by. Festooned with garlands, Trick-or-Treat bags, witch hats, and other festive touches, they eagerly await the witching hour with wide-eyed wonder.

About the Artists:
Amanda Louise Spayd’s mixed-media work combines the textures and colors of antique domestic objects, the natural world, and an obsessive attention to detail. Her aesthetic is influenced by her love of antiques and textiles, as well as a deep nostalgia for the innocent curiosity and emotional attachments of childhood. Creating objects that evoke strong emotions – pity, love, or a feeling of protection over them – is at the core of what inspires her artistically. She has been published internationally, and is highly sought after by collectors around the globe, as well as having recently entered the toy market with both Japanese sofubi and vinyl blindbox toys, as well as cast-resin collectible figures.

Chris Ryniak is an American artist born in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. He spent his childhood basking in the warm glow of Saturday morning cartoons and flipping over rocks in search of insects, reptiles and ghosts.

A sculptor and painter of all manner of creatures both large and small, he has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the world. His work has also been published in numerous books and periodicals in the US as well as in Europe and Asia. Chris is a toy-designer and sculptor of numerous instantly sold-out editions of designer art toys and figures. He is also well-known for his series of daily monster drawing project entitled ” Morning Scribbles” in which he has created and shared over 800 original creatures.
The show will run September 2 – October 2nd, 2016.
Opening Reception on September 2nd (6-9 PM)
*Both artists will be in attendance

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

The OUTER LIMITS gallery tour comes to Stranger Factory this August with Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters!

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The OUTER LIMITS gallery tour comes to Stranger Factory this August

with Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters!

Internationally recognized fine artists and toy designers Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters launched their highly anticipated OUTER LIMITS gallery tour earlier this Summer of 2016 across three cities from the “mile high” city of Denver, Colorado (Sally Centigrade Gallery)… to Old Route 66 in New Mexico (Stranger Factory Gallery), to across the pacific ocean to the capital city of Manila, Philippines (Secret Fresh).
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Stranger Factory is pleased to host the second stop for their OUTER LIMITS TOUR at their flag-ship gallery in Albuquerque, NM. Outer Limits opens On August 5th with an opening reception with the artists from 6-9 PM (both artists in attendance).

Outer Limits presents the most recent collaborations and individual new works from this artist couple. Often known for their hand made art toys and limited edition vinyl figures, both Peters and Olivas have also spent the last 20 years developing their careers as narrative painters. This current series of work is inspired by cosmic travelers, psychic healers, futuristic utopias, and a potential zombie apocalypse.

This exhibition tour marks the first time Peters and Olivas have shown together as a two-person exhibition in over 6 years.
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About the Artists:
Kathie Olivas is an internationally exhibited multi-media artist from New Mexico. Through her current body of work she explores society’s insatiable desire to assign ‘cuteness’ and our discomfort with the unknown. A dark blend of early American portraiture set in post apocalyptic times, her paintings and hand-made art toys are a satirical look at how fear affects our sense of reality.

Brandt Peters is an award winning internationally recognized and accomplished visual artist, designer, story developer (animation-film), illustrator, character and toy designer. His work hearkens back to the earliest days of comics and animation, with a seeming simplicity that hides layers of intricate back story. His humor and unerring sense of composition, combined with a strong narrative thread that has consistently woven through all his work for the past decade, has made him a favorite of art and toy collectors the world over.
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The show will run August 5 – 28th.
Opening Reception on August 5th (6-9 PM)

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

March brings two exhibitions to Stranger Factory! MAIN GALLERY: Kelly Tunstall / PROJECT ROOM: Brandan Styles & Ellie Rusinova

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March brings two exhibitions to Stranger Factory!

MAIN GALLERY: Kelly Tunstall / PROJECT ROOM: Brandan Styles & Ellie Rusinova

Kelly Tunstall

SOFT SERVE
18 x 24 acrylic and spray paint on panel

San Francisco based artist Kelly Tunstall renders stylized female figures and their adaptations to environment: nests built of painted boards held together by drawn nails or far off planets. The physical form and its accompanying exterior become a mirror for internal thought processes and turmoil. in an optimistic twist, her newest work focuses on her nostalgic love of ice cream.
Working in acrylic, collage, spray paint, pencil, pen and ink, and gold leaf, the experimental, yet classically grounded works live somewhat comfortably in a space between graphic expression, stylized representation, surrealism, and sketch. The patina of age and calligraphic drawing methods lend further depth to her story-filled worlds.
Kelly Tunstall (born 1979) received her BA from California College of Arts and Crafts in 2002 and currently resides in San Francisco, CA.

Brandan Styles & Ellie Rusinova

FOOLS AND GODS
Site specific installation of new works (project room)
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Artist Couple Brandan Styles and Ellie Rusinova will be creating a site specific installation of new works based on mysticism, circus performers, and an ongoing curiosity with all that is unknown in the universe. Both artists utilize layered wood and sculpted elements that defy time and space in various theatrical stages.
Brandan Styles is a self-made mad man, circus aficionado and an art obsessive. He pours all of his energy into creating magical, bizarre, funny and thoughtful art with the goal of expressing the thoughts and characters that inhabit his brain.
Ellie Rusinova is a multicultural artist, mixing history, heritage, dreams and ideas into a world of her own.
Ellie Rusinova and Brandan Styles are a husband and wife team, working on art and life together in Denver,CO with their two kids and 4 dogs. They also run a circus show, travel the country selling art, and love getting into spirited conversations.

Soft Serve” and “Gods and Fools” opens Friday March 4th, from 6-9 pm with a reception for the artists (open to the public).

The show will run March 4th – 27th.

   

The opening reception will be on March 4th from 6-9 pm
and all artists will be in attendance.

Soft Serve and Gods and Fools will remain on display until March 27th.

 

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049

 

February GALLERY Exhibit – Tokyo Jesus and Eimi Takano

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February brings a new two person exhibition direct from Japan to Stranger Factory!

 Tokyo Jesus & Eimi Takano

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Tokyo Jesus (on left) and Eimi Takano (on right)
This February, Stranger Factory gallery presents a new two person exhibition “Skulls and Sweets” by Japanese artist couple, Tokyo Jesus and Eimi Takano.

Both artists will be in attendance at the opening reception on Friday, February 5, from 6-9pm. Tokyo Jesus is a self taught artist whose work focuses on complex female characters that live between chaos and sanity. His vision is filled with soft sexual tension, skulls, and what he considers “ruined science.”
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHis wife Eimi Takano’s work is an extreme contrast visually with the sugary sweet visions of an idealized childhood. She describes her work as funny, yummy, and cute. Babies dreaming of becoming circus performers, memory bears, and starry-eyed donuts  create a world full of imagination and kawaii style optimism.

Both of their worlds explore the space existing between life and death and celebrating everything that is beautiful and recognizing the temporary of everything that will eventually die.

“Skulls and Sweets” opens Friday February 5, from 6-9pm with a reception for the artists (open to the public).

The show will run February 5- 28

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The opening reception will be on February 5th from 6-9pm
and both artists will be in attendance.

Skulls & Sweets will remain on display until February 28th.

Stranger Factory
3411 Central Avenue NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049