The Chariot (2017)
Pastel, graphite, chalk, and casein on rag paper mounted to panel
60 x 48 in
152.4 × 121.9 cm
Mother (installation view)
Mother (2017)
Graphite, charcoal, chalk, and casein on rag paper
74 x 50 in
188 x 127 cm (unframed)
Bather’s Soap (2017) (installation view)
50lbs soap, dye
5 x 13 x 9 in
12.7 x 33 x 22.9 cm
Standing Bathers (2017)
Pastel, graphite, chalk, pencil, and casein on rag paper mounted to panel
111 x 70 in
281.9 x 177.8 cm
Standing Bathers (detail)
Standing Bathers (detail)
Whiplash (headless bather) (2017) (installation view)
Pastel, chalk, pigment, oil, and casein on rag paper mounted to panel
29.75 x 24 in
75.6 x 61 cm
Three Bathers (2017)
Graphite and casein on rag paper
14 x 11 in
35.6 × 27.9 cm (unframed)
The Shaver (2017)
Graphite and casein on rag paper
38.5 x 24 in
97.8 x 61 cm (unframed)
The Swimmer (2017) (detail)
Drafting pencil on wall
Splish Splash (2017)
Pastel, chalk, graphite, and casein on rag paper mounted to panel
16 x 12 in
40.6 x 30.5 cm
Them Bathers (2017)
Graphite, charcoal, chalk, and casein on rag paper
40.5 x 25 in
102.9 x 63.5 cm (unframed)
Jenny Goat (2017)
Pastel, pigment, chalk, and casein on rag paper mounted to panel
60 x 48 in
152.4 × 121.9 cm
SexPot (2017) Graphite, pencil, and casein on rag paper
Untitled (2017)
Graphite, pencil, and casein on rag paper
Red Room (2017)
Pastel, chalk, and casein on rag paper mounted to panel
60 x 48 in
152.4 × 121.9 cm
Shower Head (2017)
Pastel, graphite, and casein on rag paper mounted to panel
16 x 12 in
40.6 x 30.5 cm
Lunch Break (2017)
Pastel, graphite, and casein on rag paper mounted to panel
16 x 12 in
40.6 x 30.5 cm
Danaide (2017)
Graphite, chalk, and casein on rag paper
15 x 11 in
38.1 x 27.9 cm (unframed)
Hello Darkness (2017)
Graphite and casein on rag paper
14 x 11 in
35.6 × 27.9 cm (unframed)
Sylvia and the Goose (2017)
Graphite, charcoal, and casein on rag paper
15 x 11.25 in
38.1 × 28.6 cm (unframed)
Detail of wall drawing
Graphite and charcoal on drywall
Reception:
6 May 2017 7-10p
at Alter Space (1158 Howard Street)
Koak
Bathers, the first solo exhibition by Koak, will feature new works in painting, drawing, and installation.
Koak’s artwork pulls from the lineage of hand-drawn cartoons, comics, and historical nude portraiture. For this exhibition the artist has examined the rich history of bathing as depicted throughout art, from Cezanne’s The Large Bathers (c.1906) to the more anxious depictions of bathers in contemporary painting. Through this she explores themes of gender, identity, transformation, and the tenuous relationship between humans and water in our modern day.
In Standing Bathers (2017), a painting that measures 111 inches tall, we witness a nuclear sunset glowing over a chaotic gathering around a riverbed. Billowing smoke, distressed animals, and oil-slicked water are a few of the elements that accompany the painting’s several grieving figures. A broken but defiant woman in the lower corner sits poised and staring at the viewer. With the majority of artworks in this exhibition set indoors, away from the natural world, Standing Bathers is one of the few moments where the artist aligns with the historical and envisions an outdoor bathing scene. However, this painting, rather than depicting a leisurely setting, embraces the tension that revolves around our relationship to natural resources—it references icons such as tear gas, water cannons, and police dogs, imagery that has become synonymous with protests.
Koak’s twisted sense of humor runs through even the most tender of images. Her skillfully rendered body distortions convey a nuance to the women she’s created, women who live in a multifaceted dimension, where everything is deeply felt and interpreted. Her compositions present the female form in an array of states and emotions, each heightened through her use of shape, form, and color. Koak’s women are not passive—they are alive, engaged, and aware.
Koak is an artist living and working in San Francisco, California. She has received her MFA in Comics at California College of the Arts and her BFA from their Individualized Program. Recent exhibitions include BBQLA (Los Angeles), Holiday Forever (Jackson Hole), 100% Gallery (San Francisco), Et al. etc. (San Francisco), Olsen-Gruin (NYC), and Material Art Fair (Mexico City). Her work has been published in Vault Magazine, It’s Nice That, Vice, and will be in the forthcoming issue of Oberon.
Feature in Vault Magazine
Feature on It's Nice That
Feature on Vice Creators
View available work