Andrew Hem (interviewed) will be moving east for his next solo show, scheduled to open May 14th at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York. For his first solo at the Chelsea showspace, he will bring his surreal paintings influenced by his Asian heritage and the urban sensibility of his formative years in Los Angeles. Often times, his characters jump or hover over otherworldly scenes oftentimes rendered in vivid blues & greens.

Hem elaborates – “I love creating worlds that do not exist. A world where people don’t care about others’ appearance, and nobody has to worry about fitting in or being an outcast. Where everyone is accepted. No necks, long arms, no nose, blue faces are all normal. This is a world that doesn’t exist, and that’s why I love creating it. I’ve experienced and witnessed too many times where people are disgusted with what is different.”

Discuss Andrew Hem here.