LOGAN SQUARE — A project more than a year in the works has culminated in a collaboration between Logan Square’s Galerie F and a celebrated Chinese artist who made his mark on the neighborhood over the weekend during his first visit to the United States.
The team-up with artist Hua Tunan will center around a May 1 opening exhibit, the filming of a documentary and the creation of a new mural in Logan Square. The mural is an original work the 24-year-old artist spent time painting at the Mega Mall art wall, located across the street from Galerie F, 2381 N. Milwaukee Ave., this past weekend and plans to complete Monday.
Photo by Sharyne Moy Tu
“Hua's work stopped me in my tracks the first time I saw it … and that was a JPEG on the Internet. There's something to be said about any artist's work that does that to you,” said Brian Merel, Galerie F’s newest staff addition.
The two spent many a night talking until the early morning hours in preparation for Tunan’s visit, Merel said, noting that the 13-hour time difference has left him “permanently an insomniac.” But the late nights were worth the wait for Tunan’s first-ever solo gallery show — “Earth Spirit” — set for May 1 at Galerie F, he said. The outdoor murals feature pandas.
The new project is far from Galerie F’s first international collaboration but the shop is committed to raising the bar in Chicago.
“While there are many amazing museums and galleries here, Chicago doesn't seem to draw the 'frenzy' that other major cities like New York and L.A. are used to. We want people booking flights, taking road trips or flying helicopters to get their asses here for an event ... for the sole reason that to miss it would be a regretful mistake,” Merel said.
And missing Tunan while he’s in town would be exactly that sort of mistake.
Photos by Sharyne Moy Tu
Tunan is early in his career but he’s already garnered major accolades. In 2014, his artwork was chosen to represent China for McDonald’s during the FIFA World Cup. He’s also worked creatively with Lexus, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, NIKE, Jaguar, Volvo, Das Auto and Disney, among others.
The artist will now create murals around Chicago — including Logan Square and Chinatown — during his visit, according to the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, which described Tunan’s bold work as a combination of “traditional Chinese art and splashing ink with Western graffiti.”
“His style is just so fine tuned and feels as if it's jumping off the page. It's quite terrifying, to be honest,” Merel said. “We want to show his process, dedication, soulful creativity and his journey. What will unfold is anyone's bad guess.”
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