Assistant Professor of Drawing and Art John Chae’s work part of 2024 FotoFocus Biennial
Alfred University Assistant Professor of Drawing and Art John Chae, School of Art & Design, New York State College of Ceramics, is part of a group exhibition, Southern Democratic, at The Carnegie Galleries in Covington. KY.
Southern Democratic is also a featured project in the 2024 FotoFocus Biennial: Backstories, an activation of more than 100 projects at museums, galleries, universities, and public spaces throughout the Grater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and northern Kentucky areas. Now in its seventh iteration, the Biennial is believed to be the largest project of its kind in the U.S.
The Backstories theme of the Biennial focuses on stories that are not evident at first glance. Instead, they offer context for what happened previously or out of view, providing narratives not yet told or presented from a new perspective. Once told, they shed light on current circumstances.
Southern Democratic in particular is an exhibition of meditative vignettes, each featuring a specific body of work by an artist actively examining the changing world. The works are presented in dialogue with Election Eve, highlighting continued interest in concepts of place, life in the South, and uncanny imagery of the everyday.