Artist Biography & Statement:
In 1992, the year after I graduated NYU Film School, I met my husband, Ed Mironiuk (aka GH-05-T). Eleven months later we started our own company, Cha-Pow! digital ink and paint, coloring animation for Coke commercials, Cartoon Network pilots and Saturday Night Live, to name a few.

In late 2005, as a hobby, I started Cuddly Rigor Mortis LLC, hand making plush dolls of my own creation. I had never sewn anything before in my life. I was lucky enough to have been included in gallery shows (Gallery 1988, Rivet Gallery, etc) and magazines and fans found me from all over the world.

But after 3 and a half years of sewing the same patterns over and over again in my spare time, I felt the need to expand my set of characters. I decided to put away my sewing machine and pick up a paintbrush. I had taught myself how to paint when I was eleven and it’s been a constant calling. No longer limited by the constraints of plush design, the range of Cuddly characters quickly grew to include food, real and imaginary animals, and charming botanicals. Again, I consider myself lucky that my paintings have been featured on top design and food blogs like Moco Loco, Super Punch and Eat Me Daily and exhibited in shows from artKitchen in Amsterdam to Gallery Nucleus in California to La Gaîté Lyrique museum in Paris.

Although my work has evolved from cute/horror to cute/creepy to just plain cute, the core of what Cuddly is stays the same.

Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Pandamonium from June 7th to 27th, 2014

Previous Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Twice – Told Tales from January 25th to February 28th, 2014

Artist Website: http://www.cuddlyrigormortis.com/

Skill:
Visual Development
Character Design
Illustration
Felt Sculpture

Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Pandamonium from June 7th to 27th, 2014

Previous Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Of History And Hope from April 5th to May 2nd, 2014

Artist Website: http://heathersketcheroos.tumblr.com

Skill:
Visual Development
Character Design
Illustration
Felt Sculpture

Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Pandamonium from June 7th to 27th, 2014

Previous Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Of History And Hope from April 5th to May 2nd, 2014

Artist Website: http://heathersketcheroos.tumblr.com

Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Pandamonium from June 7th to 27th, 2014

Artist Biography and Artist Statement:
Born in Moscow, Russia in 1979
From a very young age Leila’s life was strongly influenced by art. She started her art education in Russia and in 1996 immigrated with her family to New Zealand where she continued to study and practice art. Leila won a number of art awards and exhibited in a large number of personal and group shows in New Zealand, USA, Italy. Her works feature in many private collections in New Zealand, Australia, England, Italy, South Korea and Russia. She has established and run Art School since 2004 that provides art classes for Adults and Children.

Tertiary Education:
2009 – Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) – Elam, School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
1998-2001 – Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) – Elam, School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Courses and Training:
1995 – Icon Writing (Palekh School).
1994 – Palekh (Lacquer Miniature), Vena Art School.
1993 – Drawing, Watercolour – Private tuition with practicing artists.

Awards:
2008 – The Mazda Awards 2008 – 2nd Runner Up
2008 – The Morpeth Canada 2008 Art Award – People’s Choice award
2007 – Waitakere Trust Art Awards – Popular Choice Award
2002 – The Nokia Art Awards – Asia Pacific 2001
2001 – Telecom Art Awards

Publications / Media:
Books
‘Pop Surrealism. What a Wonderfool World’ – Drago, 2010, (Italy)
‘ELAM Graduate Work’ – University of Auckland, 2008, (NZ)
‘New Zealand’s Favourite Artists’, Edited by Denis Robinson – Saint Publishing 2006, (NZ)

Magazines/TV/Newspapers:
2012 June 17 – Trud (Newspaper), (Bulgaria)
2012 May 10 – Atr News – Moda ed estetica femminile, Rai Art News, Italy
2012 April – Leila Ataya: Benvenuti Nel Mio Regno, Via Condotti Magazine, p28-29, (Italy)
2012 March 27 – Rome, Leila Ataya et une touche de sensualité pop surréaliste, BSC News, France
2011 April 26 – “El ‘espejismo’ de Esther Noriega eclipsa la Pasarela de la Moda de Castilla y Leon”, Heraldo, (Spain)
2011 March – “Leila Ataya”, BSC News Magazine, p 102-110, (France)
2011 Feb 28 – “An Exhibition on perfumes”, Vogue Italy – on line, (Italy)
2010 Aug 16 -“Artist of the week”, Public republic – online Art Journal, (Bulgaria) English / Bulgarian
2009 May 21 -“Viewers Create Their Own Story”, The Aucklander, p11, (NZ)
2008 Dec 09 – “Art Circus – Watch This Space”, Artists Alliance Art All #93, (NZ)
2008 Dec – The University of Auckland News magazine (Dec 2008) – cover, (NZ)
2008 Sep 25 – “Russian Pearl”, Otago Daily Times, p33, (NZ)
2008 Sep 25 – “Art Seen”, Otago Daily Times, p34, (NZ)
2008 Nov 06 – “Artists await our votes” Western Leader, (NZ)
2008 Nov – Ponsonby News, p93, (NZ)
2007 Nov – “Leila’s world is full of art” Western Leader, p4, (NZ)
2004 Sep – RTV Triangle Television, (NZ)
2004 Aug 06 – “Te Atatu has a prize-winner – Artist’s work on show”, Western Leader, (NZ)
2003 Dec – “Iconic Art”, NZ House and Garden magazine, p153-156, (NZ)
2003 Winter – Arts Chat and Scribbles magazine, p8, (NZ)
2002 Sep 17 – TV3 News, (NZ)
2002 March 15 – “Religious Art Nurtures Spirit”, Eastern Courier , (NZ)
2002 – Eye On The World catalogue, (Thailand)
2002 Jan – “Bald canvas” Metro Magazine, (NZ)
2001 – Telephone Book 2001(Auckland, New Zealand) – Cover, (NZ)
2001 Feb – “An Elam Painting in every home” The University of Auckland News magazine, cover, (NZ)
2000 Nov 29 – “Lone Pine Lives On”, Auckland City Harbour News, (NZ)
2000 Nov 24 – “Felled Icon Lives Again on Cover”, Central Leader, (NZ)
2000 Nov 22 – “One Tree Hill Artist”, Times Pinnacle, (NZ)
2000 Nov 21 – “Artist Locks Up Telecom Award”, Manukau Courier, (NZ)
2000 Nov 17 – “Telecom Books The Keys To Auckland”, National Business Review, (NZ)

Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Pandamonium from June 7th to 27th, 2014

Previous Exhibitions at Flower Pepper Gallery: Of History And Hope from April 5th to May 2nd, 2014; A Tribute To Our Own Fairy Tale”, from September 7th to October 4th, 2013; Painted Sound, Jan 26th to Feb 28th, 2013

Artist website: http://www.leilaataya.com/Welcome.html

8″ x 10″ without frame, 9″ x 11″ with frame, Mixed Media on Wood Panel (Colored Pencil and Acrylic on Wood Panel)

Artist Biography:
Daisy works and lives in San Francisco as an artist and illustrator.??

She has worked extensively as a flash broadcast animator for both television and mobile games. Her work has been seen on Cartoon Network, HBO, MTV, Adult Swim, Nick Jr, Disney Interactive Games and Disney Playhouse, amongst others.??

She loves to paint and work on her personal fine art, and actively exhibits her work in galleries worldwide. She actively curates and organizes art shows featuring low-brow and entertainment industry artists in San Francisco.

In her free time, Daisy loves to travel with her husband and artist partner in crime, Damon O’Keefe.

About this piece:
For this piece, I drew inspiration from vintage Shanghai poster art of the 1940s. I love retro fashion and women, and thought it would be fun to blend the beauty and sophistication of classic Chinese poster girls with the cuddly softness of a baby panda.

Artist Website: http://www.daisychurch.com/

Artist Biography and Statement:
Ania Tomicka was born in 1985 in Lodz, Poland.

When she was only 9 she moved to Italy, where she started to draw seriously: manga at first and realistic things afterwards. She attended an art institute and graduated in 2004. During the school years she starts to paint with oil colors, a technique that soon to became her favorite. Hence she attended the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice where she found a lot of inspiration for her realistic and academic art. A year later she moved to Tuscany where she graduated at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence. She focused her interest in more things like digital art, illustration and new materials such as wood.

She also completed her studies at the academy of digital arts NEMO NT where she gained the title of student of the year.

Ania has always been interested in realistic, renaissance works. Her first loves are Salvador Dalì and Wojtek Siudmak’s big canvases, full of absurd and strange creations, painted in a divine way.

Her current paintings are inspired by the American Pop Surrealist movement.

Shows (Selected):
2013
SURREAL WORLD – Auguste Clown Gallery, Victoria, Australia
IRON-Y (solo show) – curated by Erica Calardo, Mondo Bizzarro Gallery, Rome, IT
WHAT BIG EYES YOU HAVE – curated by Sugarfueled and Sarah Banks, Galleryat City ArtsFactory, Orlando, Florida
E.T. – ENFANT TERRIBLE – Studioventuno Art Gallery, Salerno, IT
PLURALE FEMMINILE – curatedbyStudioventuno Art Gallery, Tattoo Convention, Rome, IT
18th ANNIVERSARY SHOW – MondoBizzarro Gallery, Rome, IT

2012
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW – Flower Pepper Gallery, Pasadena, CA
HOPE BEYOND – Modern Eden Gallery, CA
THE COLOR BLUE – Flower Pepper Gallery, Pasadena, CA
VANISHING POINTS – Auguste Clown Gallery, Brunswick Victoria, Australia
SCARYGIRL 10 years anniversary show – Toytokyo Underground Gallery, New York, USA
UNIVERSE (solo show) -curated by AllyTakeuchi, SwoonGallery, California
AUGUSTE CLOWN GALLERY -curated by Leigh Cornish, Brunswick Victoria, Australia
VEXED, curated by Andi Garcia, 423 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
SEA NO EVIL – Sea Shepherd Art Show, Los Angeles, CA
PIMP MY MARY, Mondo Bizzarro Gallery, Roma, IT
GAME OVER! – NovaBelgica art gallery, Belgium
NEO POP: Pop Surrealism vs Urban Art – Spazio Orlandi, Milan, IT

2011
ITALIAN POP SURREALISM: INTO THE FUTURE – curated by Andrea Oppenheimer, (Musei Capitolini) Centrale Montemartini, Roma, IT
ITALIAN POP SURREALISM: BIRTH OF A NATION – curatedby Andrea Oppenheimer, MondoBizzarro Gallery, Roma, IT
MONDO BIZZARRO SHOW – curatedby Rossana Calbi. Studioventuno, Salerno, IT
WI-FI ART: OneSunday – Workshop curatedbyMondo Bizzarro Gallery, n.3 Pop Surrealism- Made in Italy, Circolo degli Artisti, Roma, IT
LITERAL.EYES – London Miles, London, UK
THE NEW LOST GENERATION – MondoBizzarro Gallery, Rome, IT

2009
stARTup – Corridonia, IT

Press :: Books :: Catalogues:
Iron-y catalogue, 2013 Roma: MondoBizzarro Press
Dossier on ZUPI magazine, Brasil, 2013
Tattoo artists 3: Pop Surrealism by AniaTomicka. 2013.Argenta (FE): 3ntini Editore.
GIRLS: facts + fiction. 2012. Minneapolis: Light Gray Art Lab
Italian Pop Surrealism.2011. Roma: MondoBizzarro Press.

Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Pandamonium from June 7th t0 27th, 2014

Previous Exhibitions at Flower Pepper gallery: Of History And Hope from April 5th to May 2nd, 2014; Mad Hatters from November 23rd, 2013 to January 24th, 2014; A Tribute To Our Own Fairy Tale from September 7th to October 4th, 2013; The Color Blue from September 15th to October 19th, 2012; One Year Anniversary Art Show from December 8th, 2012 to January 24th, 2013

Artist Website: http://www.aniatomicka.com/

Artist Biography:
KiSung Koh has received BAA in Illustration program from Sheridan College, ON, Canada in 2012.

KiSung was born in S.korea, 1985 and moved to Canada in 2006, live and work around Toronto.

Artist Statement:
I love animals and natures like anyone else. They are all my inspirations.

My current works depict dreamy and imaginative place with animals and full of mysterious spirits where wildlife animals and I could feel secure and safe.

There is nothing more beautiful than when you actually see a wild animal in the nature. However, we rarely see them from where they are supposed to be and just don’t know how amazing they are to be alive.

In my paintings, I always think I should be integrated with nature and animals as I put myself into each painting and I want to share my thought and connect with people through my works.
As I see, feel, and hear animals, I also find more of myself.

I don’t make my works as religious view, but above all I do my works to Jesus Christ from my heart.

Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Pandamonium from June 7th to 27th, 2014

Previous Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Of History And Hope from April 5th to May 2nd, 2014

Artist Website: http://www.kisungkoh.com/

Artist Statement About This Art Piece:
Sometime you pour so much of yourself into something that you have nothing left, not even hope. You desperately want to see results, but waiting can be very discouraging. So instead you wait for hope.

The ribbon coming from inside the panda that is planted in the ground represents the part of ourselves that we put into our work, our families, and our wishes and dreams.

Artist Biography:
With the background of traditional painting, Desiree is able to create worlds of imagination filled with childlike fantasy and humor that allows her to connect with others and share her passion and sheer joy for keeping childhood alive in the lives of all.

Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Pandamonium from June 7th to 27th, 2014

Previous Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Of History And Hope from April 5th to May 2nd, 2014; Twice – Told Tales from January 25th to February 28th, 2014; Handmade Christmas Ornaments Sale from December 3rd to 31st, 2013; Designer Con 2013 from November 9th to 10th, 2013; A Tribute To Our Own Fairy Tale from September 7th to October 4th, 2013; All Things Bright And Beautiful from May 11th to June 7th, 2013; The Look Through My Eyes from August 11th to September 7th, 2012; Love In Small Doses from February 11th to April 11th, 2012

Artist Interview: http://bourbonandgoose.com/2013/06/for-the-love-of-art-david-chung-desiree-fessler/

Artist website: http://www.theartofdesiree.com/

Artist Biography:
Based in San Francisco and originally from Taiwan, artist Martin Hsu, graduated from California State University in Fullerton with a degree in animation. Currently, Martin is focusing on his fine art career, painting with his heart and showing his work in galleries across the nation. He draws his inspiration from his family, nature, animals and Hayao Miyazaki.

Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Pandamonium from June 7th to 27th, 2014

Previous Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Twice – Told Tales from January 25th to February 28th, 2014

Artist Website: http://www.martinhsu.com/home.php