Photos from the opening of Age of Omuktlans featuring works by Mexico City based Curiot @FFDG in San Francisco. Photos by Chloe Rice

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The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco opened The Moment for Ink on Saturday, just before the start of the Lunar New Year Parade downtown.

This show interestingly re-imagines ink outside of its Chinese domain and includes several American and female artists, like Kiki Smith. Each piece employs ink in a very different way, from traditional drawings to installations taking up entire walls, and the medium takes on new surfaces and meanings. This is one of the best shows I’ve been to recently and shows vast differentiation, even though each piece is essentially made in the same medium. Chinatown presents never-ending opportunities for experience, and this is not to be missed. Just make sure you make it there before it closes on May 18th.

Toyin Odutola, Whenever the Occasion Arises, 2012, Pen ink and marker on paper, 9x12”

Hong Chun Zhang, Twin Spirits #2, 2002, Charcoal on paper, 5’x25'

After seeing McGee's Berkeley Art Museum exhibition last fall, this show was not what I was expecting, but it was perfect. Instead of a large-scale museum installation, the works were hung haphazardly on pins, just like any other student show which would take place in this gallery. A small crowd flowed into the gallery and then out into the hallway where they served cookies and popcorn, and where legends like McGee could look at student work hung in display cases. The artists were present, adding to the inclusive environment, and many students passed by on their way to class without realizing that there were stars in their halls. It was a great little show, and was probably highly encouraging to students who are just starting their art careers. It was as if the artists took a step back to show just how far they have come and, maybe, just how far they can go next.

The geometric-ness of Barry McGee

Mark Mulroney lives and works in Syracuse, NY and has shown here in San Francisco at Park Life, Ever Gold and FFDG. His current and 5th show at Mixed Greens in NYC began with the simple vision of a man stranded on a desert island with a palm tree, two coconuts, and maybe a girl. Vintage Playboys and the idea that Tarzan was an asshole.

WE'RE NEVER GETTING RESCUED WITH THAT ATTITUDE runs through March 16th.

New Shooting Gallery & White Walls

For this show, White Walls opened with the grizzly paintings of Chad Hasegawa. I've been a fan of this local artist since I saw his bear in Clarion alley, and he used this opportunity to bring his bears to the space of fine art, titling them appropriately for the role. Several paintings are titled with the names of modernist masters and their styles are replicated in the bears themselves. While Motherwell has thick, black brushstrokes, Rothko has a washed background and a fluid texture.

Moving further back brought visitors into Charmaine Olivia's Muses. This girl can paint with incredible detail and the works are undeniably beautiful, but this display was repetitive, they all kind of look the same. Her Muses are girly and pretty, which was seen in the audience attending, but they don't leave much room for anything but sexual femininity. But, that's ok. Sold individually, I can see any one of these works hanging in a girl's apartment anywhere in the city and it was great to see so much space devoted to a local artist.

Moving further back brought visitors into two project galleries, one by Sickboy and one by Word to Mother. Sickboy's installation, complete with a working coffin toy train, was my personal favorite of the night. The paintings are colorful and detailed, and I only wish that I would have been able to see them better. Moving around the train, it was really difficult to get to the paintings themselves, and I kind of wish they would have switched his gallery with Word to Mother, because that one is a little bigger. Word to Mother opened Fuck You Pay Me, a Giants-themed installation complete with baseball bats, foam fingers, and astro turf. Since there was only one painting, I popped in and out, but managed to score some cracker jacks and bazooka bubble gum before I left.

Saturday night really was more of an event than an exhibition, this is a new upscale version of the galleries, and I should but an emphasis on the plural, this place just keeps going and going. It was a suit and dress kind of night, fancy for any Tenderloin event, but frankly, the space is fancy and deserves if not your Sunday best, then at least Thursday's finest. These galleries have really transformed themselves in this move and I cannot wait to see what they do next.

Some installation photos of Guerrero Gallery's current two solo shows featuring graffiti writers REMIO and Tim Diet.

Vancouver based REMIO started VTS crew (Vandal Team Supreme, Vandal Travel System, Vandalize Till Sunrise, Very Top Secret) in 2002 and is a current member of two other legendary collectives, Twists’ DFW/THR and Os Gemeos’ VLOK.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Tim Diet began painting in the 80s, sneaking out of his parents’ house at night to “tag” alongside his older brother. The graffiti lifestyle immediately drew him in and influenced not only his craft, but his persona and idea factory as well. Diet has traveled across the US, Europe and Japan, just to paint. His recognizable work can be found on streets across the globe, in numerous books & publications, and now in galleries as his unique style continues to develop. This is Me will be the first exhibition of Tim Diet’s full body of work.

The shows run through Feb 25, 2013.

Photo: Jeremiah McNair

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Robert Bowen's work never fails to disappoint, but it was Lisa Alonzo and Lee Harvey Roswell who stood out in this selection. Alonzo's paintings have so much texture it's almost unbelievable. It looks as though she sculpts paint and molding paste into hundreds of roses maybe in the same way bakers decorate their cakes. Paired with the stippled colors forming her figures' faces, these woks have a confectionary quality that makes you drool. But Roswell, man that guy can paint. I stood in front of Hhh for at least 15 minutes looking at the detail, and the more I looked, the more I found. The picture below does not do it justice and a trip in person is necessary.

On display through March 23rd, this show is definitely worth a visit. Every single piece of work is high quality with a lighthearted sensibility. We also made a trip to the SoMa Streat Food Park, and it's a great route for an afternoon stroll.

Renee Castro, This is not a Native American, Acrylic paint and ink on wood panel, 25”x31”

Robert Bowen, The Guardian, Acrylic on panel, 24”x48”

Albert Reyes, Give Collection, Ink on book covers

Thanks to everyone who came out to last Friday's opening of Enthusiastic Person @FFDG here in San Francisco. Such a fun evening to celebrate Jay Howell's newest works and sculptures.

Photography by Shaun Roberts

Jay Howell and Tommy Guerrero

Kelly Tunstall, Jay Howell, and Ferris Plock

LA based Jay Howell opened his current solo show in San Francisco's Mission district at FFDG last Friday to a huge crowd (pics later today) featuring over 40 new works including, for the first time, one of a kind sculptural works.

The show Enthusiastic Person runs through March 2nd and can be viewed in person Wed thru Sat (1-6pm). Works can purchased online: ffdg.net

FFDG is pleased to present Los Angeles based artist Jay Howell in his third highly anticipated solo show with the gallery entitled “Enthusiastic Person” featuring over 25 new mixed media cartoon-styled works on paper. Currently in production on the first season of the animated children’s show “Sanjay and Craig”, which Howell is Executive Producer, Co-Creator and Art Director, Howell will exhibit recent colorfully bright and whimsical drawings featuring the cast of characters, patterns and geometric shapes so recognizable as Jay Howell works. The 2013 Noise Pop music festival will feature Jay Howell's artwork on all their promotional materials.

Jay Howell is an all around kind dude that lives in Los Angeles with photographer girlfriend Ruth Swanson and a dog named Street Dog. When he's not illustrating for Vans or drawing skateboards he can be seen on the streets fuckin' around and sayin' classic shit. Jay designed the main characters for Fox's hit show, "Bob's Burgers". He is currently working as an Executive Producer, Co-Creator and Art Director on "Sanjay and Craig" an animated children's show for Nickelodeon.

View complete show: www.ffdg.net