SOCO Gallery
“As SOCO Gallery turns five this May, there is a lot to look back on and celebrate. I am incredibly proud of the program we have worked so hard to build and am grateful for the partnerships with all the artists we have been privileged to exhibit. I have especially enjoyed reflecting on the history of our exhibitions with female artists, and I would also like to acknowledge our entirely female gallery team. I am very thankful for our community of collectors and friends for their support over the years, and I look forward to seeing what the next five years brings.”
– Chandra Johnson
Nestled in a bungalow atop Providence Road in the Queen City of Charlotte, NC, you will find one of our very favorite spots. Full of art, beauty, and books, SOCO Gallery and SOCO Shop have introduced us to the works of so many incredible artists.
With a passion for contemporary art and an incredible eye for talent, founder Chandra (Chani) Johnson has created an internationally renowned program and an equally phenomenal team. We have so much respect for the work Chani is doing and can’t wait to see what she will share with us next.
Celebrating a birthday just around the corner, we wanted to take a moment to revisit all of the amazing women artists SOCO has shown and represented over the past five years.
While we wish we were there right now flipping through “Great Women Artists,” enjoying the works on the walls, and most importantly toasting our friends at SOCO, we are sending love and birthday wishes from afar.
We promise to bring cake the next time we visit!
Liz Nielson
Black Diamond, 2018
analog chromogenic photogram on Fujiflex
I will not pretend to understand the complex technique that goes into Liz Nielsen’s camera-less photos… What I do know is that from her darkroom, magical paintings of light emerge, ones that draw you in and take you on a journey of shape and color.
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Summer Wheat
Maybe Tomorrow, 2019
acrylic paint on aluminum mesh
With paint pushed through the back to form elaborate pictures on the front, there is a tapestry feel to Wheat’s texture-rich works which makes them fascinating to view from all angles.
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Holly Coulis
Lemon and Rosé, 2019
gouache on Arches watercolor paper
Bright colors mixed with a splash of nostalgia saturate the canvases of Holly Coulis’ refreshing still life paintings.
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Shara Hughes
Please Move, 2018
oil and acrylic on canvas
“It was during the Whitney Biennial 2017 that I got lost in Shara’s art for the first time. Multiple studio visits and openings later, I have yet to find my way back nor do I really want to. I am quite at home in her hauntingly gorgeous ‘made-up’ landscapes. I think I will stay.”
(Excerpt from our interview in June)
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Jen Ray
Untitled, 2018
watercolor and ink on handmade paper
Self-described as “classic mythology meets Star Wars meets seventies glamrock meets art deco fashion design meets critical feminist thinking meets the burlesque of the thirties meets comic strips,” Jen Ray’s works successfully walk the line between playful and powerful… funky yet timeless.
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Sally Mann
Jessie Bites, 1985
gelatin silver print
Known for her rich ability to chronicle through her lens the lives of those closest to her, I love how Mann captures not only fierce determination but also the inherent need for connection within her young daughter.
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Mallory Page
Venus Ballroom - Summer IV, 2017
acrylic on canvas with natural maple frame
There is a meditative quality to Page’s monochromatic paintings—one that quiets the soul and allows us to see.
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Clare Rojas
Untitled, 2016
vinyl paint on linen
Creativity seems to be something Clare has always had in abundance, and she holds her art sacred. Through her paintings, drawings and music—constantly in conversation with each other—Clare weaves the stories of life, of strength and of the common threads that connect us all.
(Excerpt from our interview in December)
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Holly Keogh
The Lean Out, 2018
acrylic ink on panel
With a talent for color and a willingness to question what is to be archived and remembered, Keogh creates captivating paintings of times gone by. When asked in a past interview if she had considered pursuing another field, she answered, “I did try other things, but depression would inevitably set in, and I realized it was just inside me to be an artist.” Yes! We hear you, Holly, and are so glad you are following your truth.
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Anne Lemanski
Queen's Flight, 2017
archival pigment print on masonite
Through her two- and three-dimensional art, Lemanski reminds us of the beauty of Nature and the all too often complicated and exploitative relationship we as a people have with her and her creatures.
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Elliott Puckette
Untitled, 2017
Ink On Paper
Described by Chani as “expressive, lyrical, and gestural,” Elliott Puckette’s calligraphic paintings emphasize the beauty of a line and the precision of a practiced hand.
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Mona Kuhn
Acqua 1, 2010
Chromogenic Print
While I often think of sun-drenched rooms and beautiful nudes when someone mentions Mona Kuhn, I absolutely love her Venetian series. Here the body has become the city’s architecture, and the glass she so often shoots through is now the water of the canals.
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Linda Foard Roberts
9/11, 2001
Toned Gelatin Silver Photograph
As I have struggled to find balance within this new world around what to share with my boys and what to shield them from, I have returned often to this hauntingly beautiful image.
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Jackie Gendel
convalesce, 2013
Ink & Gouache On Paper
There is something so intimate about this painting for me; it is as if I can feel the shared touch within it. I find it quite beautiful.
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Karine Laval
Untitled #10, 2014
Chromogenic Print
Equal parts calming and alluring, I am rather enamored by the dreamlike worlds Karine Laval creates within her photographs.
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Stacy Lynn Waddell
Untitled (Island v), 2012
Burned, Branded and Singed Paper With Watercolor
With an invitation of a ‘slow glance,’ one enters Waddell’s burned, branded, and watercolored works to find them overflowing with meaning and depth.