Srijon Chowdhury in his studio in Portland, OR, 2024, Photo by Aaron Wessling.
Srijon Chowdhury (b. 1987) was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and lives and works in Portland, OR, where he and his wife Anna Margaret run the exhibition space Chicken Coop Contemporary. He holds a BFA from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN, and an MFA from the Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA. He has been awarded grants from the Oregon Arts Commission, 2018; Regional Arts and Culture Council, 2018; Andy Warhol Foundation, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, and Calligram Foundation, 2017; and the Otis Governors Grant, 2012. In 2017, he was awarded the Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artists Fellowship. Chowdhury has presented solo exhibitions at Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA; Foxy Production, New York, NY; Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA; SE Cooper Contemporary, Portland, OR; CFA Live, Milan, Italy; Antoine Levi, Paris, France; and Ciaccia Levi, Paris, France; among others. His work has been included in group shows at the FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY; François Ghebaly, Los Angeles, CA; Foxy Production, New York, NY; Et al., San Francisco, CA; Franz Kaka, Toronto, Canada; Chapter NY, New York, NY; Deli Gallery, New York, NY; White Columns, New York, NY; Nir Altman, Munich, Germany; the Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA; Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA; among others. Chowdhury’s work was recently showcased in the 2024 Artists’ Biennial in Portland, OR. Concurrent with his co-curation of the Frye Art Museum’s group exhibition Door to the Atmosphere, the institution held Chowdhury’s first solo museum exhibition Same Old Song in 2022, coinciding with a publication of the same name. Tapestry, the artist's debut solo show with P·P·O·W, is on view through October 19.
Srijon Chowdhury
b. 1987, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Lives and works in Portland, OR
Education
BFA, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul MN
MFA, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA
Solo Exhibitions
2024
Tapestry, P·P·O·W, New York, NY
2022
Srijon Chowdhury: Same Old Song, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA
Groundhog Day, SE Cooper Contemporary, Portland, OR
2021
A Still Life, Ciaccia Levi, Paris, France
Dandelion Song, Foxy Production, New York, NY
2020
Srijon Chowdhury, Foxy Production, New York, NY
2019
A Divine Dance, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA
Revelation Theater, curated by Antoine Levi, CFA Live, Milan, Italy
2018
Before Dreams, Antoine Levi, Paris, France
The Coldest Night, Upfor, Portland, OR
Endings, two-person exhibition with Bobbi Woods, The Art Gym, Portland, OR
2016
Memory Theater, Upfor, Portland, OR
Since The Garden, Klowden Mann, Los Angeles, CA
2014
The Garden, Klowden Mann, Los Angeles, CA
2013
Believer, Helen Bolsky Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2010
Nepotism, The Gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024
Oregon Contemporary Artists’ Biennial, Oregon Contemporary, Portland, OR
2023
Friends & Lovers, The FLAG Art Foundation, New York, NY
2022
Durian on the skin, François Ghebaly, Los Angeles, CA
At Land, Foxy Production, New York, NY
Familiars, Et al., San Francisco, CA
2021
Jennifer Carvalo, Srijon Chowdhury, Azadeh Elmizadeh, Jack Jubb, Jennifer J. Lee, Geetha thurairajah, Franz Kaka, Toronto, Canada
Striving After Wind, Chapter NY, New York, NY
2020
Severed Symbol, Deli Gallery, New York, NY
Barely Furtive Pleasures, curated by Olivia Aherne, Nir Altman, Munich, Germany
2019
Condo New York, Foxy Production, New York, NY
Futures of Love, Magasins Généraux, Pantin, France
White Columns 2019 Benefit Auction Exhibition, White Columns, New York, NY
Cicatrices, VO Curations, London, UK
Portraits, Foxy Production, New York, NY
2018
Swamp Thing vs Man Thing, Et al., San Francisco, CA
2017
February, curated by Jenni Crain and Ludia Glenn Murray, Roberta Pelan, Toronto, Canada
Water & Dreams, curated by Katy Cowan, The Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
July Kamikazes: Blue, Pøst, Los Angeles, CA
Ours is a City of Writers, LAMAG, Los Angeles, CA
2016
Out Of Sight, Seattle, WA
2015
Imperceptibly and Slowly Opening, Sector 2337, Chicago, IL; Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
The Great Debate About Art, UpFor, Portland, OR
Source Amnesia, Klowden Mann, Los Angeles, CA
Sincerely Yours, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2014
The Beautiful Changes, RH Contemporary Art, New York, NY
Fictions, Klowden Mann, Los Angeles, CA
Incognito, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica, CA
Not-Knowing, Jaus, Los Angeles, CA
2013
Walk the Line, Launch Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Chess Set, curated by Andrew Berardini, Helen Bolsky Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
LAndscape, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Miami, FL
Awards
2018
Oregon Arts Commission Career Opportunity Grant
Project Grant, Regional Arts and Culture Council
Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artists Fellowship
2017
Precipice Fund, the Andy Warhol Foundation; Portland Institute for Contemporary Art; Calligram Foundation
2012
Otis Governors Grant
Bibliography
2022
Fajemisin, Olamiju. “Metapainting.” Spike Magazine, June 2022.
Krafcik, H. "Srijon Chowdhury’s 'Groundhog Day’ at SE Cooper Contemporary.” Viewable West 7 Apr. 2022.
Gifford, Aashley. "A Sneak Peek at the Portland Gallery Shows You Can See During the 2022 Spring Season.” Portland Mercury 28 Feb. 2022.
2021
“Art in America Guide 2022.” Art in America, Dec. 2021.
Kissick, Dean. “Srijon Chowdhury: A Still Life.” Ciaccia Levi, 1 Oct. 2022.
"Srijon Chowdhury at Foxy Production." Contemporary Art Daily, 14 July 2021.
Chowdhury, Srijon. Flower Power: A Studio-Visit Conversation Between Paul Maziar & Srijon Chowdhury: In Conjunction with Dandelion Song. New York: Foxy Production; AC Books; 2021.
Fujimori, Manami. "Gallery Hopping in Chinatown a.k.a. Two Bridges: Manhattan’s Hottest Art Area.” YomiTime. 25 June 2021: 4.
White, Katie. "'Srijon Chowdhury: Dandelion Song’ at Foxy Production.” Artnet, News 15 June 2021.
Yin Zhang, Lisa. "Srijon Chowdhury.” The Guide, 14 June 2021.
Lavrador, Judicaël. "La jouissance des jours heureux.” Beaux Arts, 3 Mar. 2021.
2020
Akers, Torey. "Severed Symbol: Srijon Chowdhury, Heidi Lau, and Guo Fengyi.” Whitehot Magazine, 20 Dec. 2020.
Borisova, Daria. "FIAC Paris Review.” Arte Fuse, 29 Oct. 2020.
Waxman, Lori. "60wrd/min COVID Edition: Srijon Chowdhury, Tamara Becerra Valdez, Katy Cowan, Ben Bogart.” Newcity, Art 23 Oct. 2020.
Davidson, Reilly. "Srijon Chowdhury." Artforum, 7 May 2020.
Fateman, Johanna. “Srijon Chowdhury.” The New Yorker, 20 April 2020.
Storm, Rebecca. “Srijon Chowdhury at Foxy Production.” The Editorial Magazine, 7 April 2020.
Cruz, Cristina. “Editors’ Picks: 8 Things Not to Miss in the Virtual Art World This Week.” Artnet, 16 March 2020.
2019
Gerwin, Daniel. “Srijon Chowdhury.” Artforum, 14 December 2019.
Preston Zappas, Lindsay. “Art Insider Nov. 14: Romance of fatherhood, digitally-influenced paintings, and more.” KCRW, 14 November 2019.
Gilsdorf, Bean. “Portland’s Artist-Run Spaces Thrive Under the Radar.” Art in America, 12 December 2019.
Schwendener, Martha and Will Heinrich. “At Frieze New York, Islands of Daring.” The New York Times, 2 May 2019: C13.
Abrams, Loney. “At Frieze, Galleries Are ‘Risking it’ with Newly Represented Artists: Here Are 7 Highlights.” Artspace, 2 May 2019.
Pirovano, Stefano. “Emerging artists to watch: Srijon Chowdhury and his dark positivity.” Conceptual Fine Arts, 26 March 2019.
Leiman, Layla. “What does it mean to be alive today? In conversation with Srijon Chowdhury.” Art Maze Magazine, Issue 11. Winter, 2019: 42-55.
2018
Gifford, Ashley. “Utopian Visions with Srijon Chowdhury.” Art Practical, 16 October 2018.
Bergman, Aeron and Alejandra Salinas. “Chicken Coop Contemporary.” OEI #82-83: Art in the Age of Kleptomania, November 2018: 200-207.
Kissick, Dean. “The Downward Spiral: Portland.” Spike Art Magazine September 2018. Motley, John. “Endings.” The Art Gym, No. 80. 2018.
Motley, John. “Endings.” The Art Gym, No. 80. 2018.
2017
Brewer, Gary. “Studio Visit: Srijon Chowdhury.” Art and Cake, 30 July 2017.
Mothes, Kate. “Srijon Chowdhury.” Young Space, 19 Aug. 2017.
Zrnic, Milan, Charlotte Collett and Fabrice Paineau. “Srijon Chowdhury.” Double Magazine, No. 34. F/W 2017: 164-165.
2016
Mizota, Sharon. "Review: Srijon Chowdhury paintings pull you in for a closer look.” Los Angeles Times, 16 Sept. 2016.
Whitney Kimball, Michael A. F. “We Went to Philly Part 1: Vox Populi.” Artfcity, 21 June 2016.
Speer, Richard. “Artist Profile: Srijon Chowdhury.” art ltd. Magazine, Vol. 10 No. 3 May/June 2016.
Cathcart, Erik Odin. “Momento mori.” Imagine Zero, 29 May 2016.
Wunnan, Nim. “Srijon Chowdhury: Remembering Memory.” Oregon ArtsWatch, 20 May 2016.
Pangburn, DJ. “Ritual, Fetish and Infinity Collide in a Memory Theater.” The Creators Project, 15 May 2016. Kedmey, Karen. “Srijon Chowdhury Mines the Universe’s Memories for his ‘Memory Theater.’” Artsy, 27 Apr. 2016.
2015
Foumberg, Jason. “Surrealism Takes Center Stage at This MCA Show.” Chicago Magazine, Nov. 2015. Sierzputowski, Kate. “Pausing to Consider how Plants React to Humans.” Hyperallergic, 15 Nov. 2015.
Voon, Claire. “At Pulse Miami Beach, Plants, Plants Everywhere.” Hyperallergic, 2 Dec. 2015.
McMahon, Katherine. “Source Amnesia at Klowden Mann.” ARTnews, 23 July 2015.
Mohr, Bill. “Sincerely Yours — Torrance Art Museum.” Bill Mohr Poet, 21 Jan. 2015.
2013
Cowan, Scott. “Sublime and/or Rehearsal: What is the meaning of a painting?” Than Assuming, 15 Apr. 2013.
Srijon Chowdhury
Dean Dreaming, 2024
oil on linen
30 x 40 ins.
76.2 x 101.6 cm
Srijon Chowdhury
Anna Giving Birth to Inez, 2024
oil on linen
24 x 36 ins.
61 x 91.4 cm
Srijon Chowdhury
Justin at Latourell Falls, 2024
oil on linen
48 x 96 ins.
121.9 x 243.8 cm
Srijon Chowdhury
Andreas with Wildflowers, 2024
oil on linen
72 x 60 ins.
182.9 x 152.4 cm
Srijon Chowdhury
Mother and Child, 2020
signed and dated on verso
oil on linen
30 x 40 ins.
76.2 x 101.6 cm
(CHOWDHURY-009)
Srijon Chowdhury’s work occupies a liminal space between reality and dream, where meticulous realism intertwines with surreal, exaggerated forms.
From Srijon Chowdhury’s spectacular debut at P·P·O·W, to a tightly edited show of Mark Armijo McKnight’s work at the Whitney Museum of American Art, here’s what not to miss in New York City.
Oscillating between a highly stylized technique and uncanny realism, the Portland-based artist’s prismatic compositions elements from daily life to find the universal in the quotidian.
Discover the artists that made the biggest splash at the New York fairs in May
Srijon Chowdhury’s debut solo museum exhibition metes out dizzying variations in style, genre, and scale. Yet his work’s coherence around the themes of life, death, and myth anchors the viewer.
When Portland painter Srijon Chowdhury was invited to present a solo exhibition at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, he asked himself, “what’s the best kind of museum show an artist could have?” His answer: “a retrospective.”
Apparition and otherworldliness manifest in subtle ways across many pieces of the exhibition—though Chowdhury’s human subjects appear distracted or removed from this influence.
In Chowdhury’s eerily beautiful world, the mythic and the contemporary merge.
It felt as though I had entered an alternate reality, populated by enchanted flowers, mysterious women, and a menagerie of eerie woodland creatures.
Chowdhury’s paintings occupy a threshold between the visible and something more mysterious.
