Chris Bogia
Bonsai, 2021
Stenciled linen pulp paint on abaca and hemp base sheet
18 x 24 inches

For his paper variable at Dieu Donné, Chris Bogia has designed a graphic bonsai tree in three colors, reflecting the seasonal variations in bonsai trees seen in real life: Bonsai (Autumn), Bonsai (Cherry Blossom), and Bonsai (Verdant). Working with Master Collaborators Tatiana Ginsberg and Amy Jacobs using laser cut stencils and brightly-hued paper pulp, his graphic interpretation of these living trees turned decorative domestic objects stand out starkly against the warm tone of the handmade paper.

“Actual bonsai trees take daily maintenance and discipline
to achieve their balanced, harmonious forms, so I like the idea of them as still imagery within my practice—all of the pleasure, none of the labor! They represent, for me, the peace we are all craving while navigating the daily chaos of a starkly divided socio-political world.”

About the Artist

Chris Bogia
American, b. 1977
Lives and works in Queens, NY

Between large scale sculptures and delicate watercolor illustrations, Chris Bogia’s works reflect his ongoing interests in interior design, decorative art and queer spaces. Bogia’s works refer to the decorative and the contemporary, both physically and psychologically. He received his MFA from Yale University and his BA from New York University. Bogia was a recent recipient of the Jackson Pollock - Lee Krasner Foundation Grant; a Queens Council for the Arts, New Works Grant; as well as a Rema Hort Mann Foundation Artist Community Engagement Grant. Bogia is the co-founder and former director of Fire Island Artist Residency, the world’s first LGBTQ artist residency. He has been represented by Mrs., Maspeth, NY, since 2020.

For more information, please visit his website.