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Artists

James Kao

James Hua-Zen Kao was born 1975 in Houston, Texas.

Education

2006 M.F.A. Painting and Drawing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2004 B.F.A. Painting and Drawing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
1997 B.A. Philosophy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

One And Two Person Exhibitions

2010 Possible Worlds, Toomey Tourell Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
2009 Ways of Worldmaking, Lloyd Dobler Gallery, Chicago, IL
2008 Frequencies: New Work by Michael Ajerman and James Kao, Toomey Tourell Fine Art, San Francico, CA
  Prehensile, The Ford Center for Fine Arts, Knox College, Galesburg, IL
2007 James Kao: New Paintings, Gosia Koscielak Gallery, Chicago, IL
  Filaments, Lee E. Dulgar Gallery, South Suburban College, South Holland, IL
  Dilations, Gosia Koscielak Studio & Gallery, Chicago, IL
2006 Recent Paintings, American Theater Company, Chicago, IL

Group Exhibitions

2009 University-wide, juried by Allison Peters Quinn, DOVA Temporary,Chicago, IL
  Seeking Art: ‘Bargain Basement’, a project by Hui-min Tsen, Co-Prosperity Sphere, Chicago, IL
  The Diorama Show, curated by Laura Schaeffer, HOME, Chicago, IL
  Third National Juried Exhibition, juried by Susanna Coffey, Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY
  Seeking Art: ‘Bargain Basement’, a project by Hui-min Tsen, NFO EXPO, Versi
2008 Bridge Art Fair w/ Toomey Tourell Fine Art, New York, NY
  sMART Benefit & Auction, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL
  artWORK 5, Gallery 2, Chicago, IL
2007 Art Now Fair w/ Gosia Koscielak Gallery, The Claremont Hotel, Miami Beach, FL
  Faculty Group Exhibition, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
  Bridge Art Fair w/ Gosia Koscielak Studio & Gallery, Chicago, IL
  Celebration of Faculty Work, Dominican University, River Forest, IL
  Around the Coyote w/ Gosia Koscielak Studio & Gallery, Chicago IL
2006 Moreover: Practicing Representation + Abstraction, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL
  Slowness, Heaven Gallery, Chicago IL
  Gallery Artists, Gosia Koscielak Studio & Gallery, Chicago, IL
  SAIC Graduate Exhibition, Gallery 2, Chicago, IL
  Landscape, Seascape, Dreamscape, The Arts Alliance Center at Clear Lake, Nassau Bay, TX
2005 Plaza Art Exhibition, Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL
  Experiment 400/5, Gallery 400, Chicago, IL
  Chicago Art Open, Gallery 2, Chicago, IL
  Strictly Drawing, Bloomingdale Park District Museum, Bloomingdale, IL
  Nippon Steel USA, Inc., Juried Show, Chicago, IL
2004 Around the Coyote, Up the Stairs Gallery, Chicago, IL
  SAIC Undergraduate Exhibition, Gallery 2, Chicago, IL
  Nippon Steel USA, Inc., Juried Show, Chicago, IL
2003 Galleria ISA, Group Show, Montecastello di Vibio, Italy Festival of the Arts, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Teaching Experience

2006-present Adjunct Asst. Professor in Painting & Drawing, Dominican University, River Forest, IL
2007-present Instructor in Painting & Drawing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
2006-present Instructor in Painting & Drawing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Early College Program (ECP), Chicago, IL
2008-present Instructor in Painting & Drawing, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL
2006-07 Instructor in Painting & Drawing, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL
2006 Instructor in Drawing, Indiana University Northwest, Gary, IN
2002-05 Teaching Assistant (Nine Teaching Assistantships in Studio, Seminar, and Art History), SAIC, Chicago, IL
2001-present Private Tutor in Painting and Drawing, Chicago, IL

Professional Activities

2007-present Faculty Representative, Admissions, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
2008 Visiting Artist Lecture and Critiques, Knox College, Galesburg, IL
2006 Visiting Artist Talk, Whittier College, Whittier, CA
2005-06 Co-Director, Interlink Visiting Artist Program, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL
2005 Panelist, Painting: Issues of Color, “Wittgenstein, the Language of Color, and Painting”, College Art Association Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA
2005 Co-Curator, Drawn to Drawing., Betty Rymer Gallery, Chicago, IL
2005 Exhibitions and Events Committee, School of the Art Institute, Chicago, IL
2001-03 Judicial Review Committee, School of the Art Institute, Chicago, IL

Bibliography

ArtSlant.com, “Not So Ordinary”, Roby Farrell Roulo. September 28, 2009
AtLength Magazine, “A Correspondence with James Kao”, September, 2009
Dominican Star, “(Re)visions Showcases Faculty Artwork”, November 19, 2008
Time Out Chicago, “Mutability”, Garin Pirnia, Issue 189, October 9-15, 2008
Pattanayak, Anjali. “Kao paints with mixed meanings”, The Knox Student, February, 21, 2008.
“BAC Auction Offers Original Art”, The Villager, February 2008.
“Winners Announced for 2007 Plaza Art Competition”, The Villager, December 2007.
Flavorpill Chicago, Issue 132, March 31, 2007.
Hawkins, Margaret. “‘Classic Hits’ from the past still a real blast”, Chicago Sun-Times. March 23, 2007.
Myers, Terry. “Time is on Our Side”, exhibition catalogue for Slowness.
Kuntz, Katrina. “Drawn to Drawing”, F News, July 2005.

Awards And Honors

2007 Best of Show, Plaza Art Exhibition, Beverly Arts Center
2006 Runner-up Terra Foundation for American Art Fellowship
2006 Honorable Mention Leadership Award, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2005 Plaza Art Best Figurative Painting Award, Beverly Arts Center
2005 Nippon Steel USA, Inc. Presidential Purchase Award
2005 College Art Association Graduate Student Travel Grant
2004, 06 Incentive Merit Scholarship Award (SAIC)
2003, 04 Nippon Steel Inc., USA/ SAIC Award
2005 College Art Association Travel Grant
2004 Student Government Senator (SAIC)
2002, 03, 04 Student Leadership Award (SAIC)
2001-04 Enrichment Scholarship Award (SAIC)
2001 Adiba Shaby Scholarship Award
2001 Vibul School of Painting Art Student Award
2001 City of Hope Service Award

Download James’ CV [34.5KB]