PREVIEW: Erin M. Riley & Lucien Shapiro / “ANEW” @ Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco

“Based in Brooklyn, Erin M. Riley transforms found imagery from the Internet into meticulous hand-woven tapestries. The artist meditates on subjects often considered taboo. From sexually explicit iPhone screenshots to a neatly organized row of used tampons, the Riley’s pursuit of challenging content allows for self-contemplation and opens up a greater discourse surrounding current social issues. For “ANEW”, the artist focuses her weavings around various objects, often those specifically associated with womanhood. Riley elaborates further on the subject: ‘There is so much about being a woman that is hidden. We are meant to be clean, precious and virginal, and yet there are bodily functions that are off limits… I want to face the daily objects that so many women use, but so many women hide. The more comfortable we are around certain things, the less they can be used against us.’ “

“Lucien Shapiro’s practice expands from an impulsive drive to collect and recontextualize found materials. Living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area, the artist gathers items from his surroundings and fashions newborn relics in the form of masks, vessels and weapons. Shapiro’s work references a cycle of dependency and habit, often consisting of bottle caps, broken glass and drug paraphernalia. For “ANEW”, the artist will be debuting his latest series of sculptures, accompanied by a film, derived from the proverbial principle “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” Aligned with Riley’s textiles, Shapiro’s new work stems from repetition and self-reflection, addressing a loss of the senses that can only be regained through a ritualistic journey in search of resolve.”