Raffi Kalenderian

Eighteen with a Bullet

May 25 - July 6, 2024

Opening: Friday, May 24, 6 - 8 pm

11-13, rue des Arquebusiers, Paris

Galerie Peter Kilchmann is pleased to present the seventh solo exhibition by Raffi Kalenderian (*1981 in Los Angeles, where he lives and works). It is the artist’s first solo outing in our Paris gallery and his first exhibition in France.

Kalenderian created eleven new paintings of various sizes for the show and six works on paper. They are a continuation of his series of signature-style portraits of friends and fellow artists which he depicts in intimate moments of introspection, gazing, or casual activity. Each work’s setting and narrative are personally connected with the LA-based artist.

Rendered with meticulous attention to detail and with a vibrant color palette, Kalenderian's portraits transcend mere representation, capturing the essence and personality of his subjects with sensitivity and depth. Through his skillful use of light, shadow and perspective, he imbues his figures with a sense of presence and emotional resonance, inviting viewers to engage with the inner worlds of his subjects.

Parallel to the presentation of new works Kalenderian will perform at an interactive installation called Raffi’s & Al’s together with his artist friend Alberto Cuadros. Raffi’s & Al’s is an in-situ bar installation containing eighteen works by fellow artists. Galerie Peter Kilchmann was the first gallery to host Kalenderian and his pop-up bar in our booth at Art Basel Miami in 2023. The Paris edition of the installation will be its fourth rendition.

The central painting in the exhibition Studio (18 with a bullet), 2020-2024, oil on canvas, 152 x 213 cm, lends its title to the show. It is both a reference to the number of works by different artists present in the bar installation as well as the song 18 with a Bullet by English songwriter Pete Wingfield (b. 1948). Music and individual songs are often catalysts for the Californian artist's paintings. The work is meta in the truest sense in that it contains several paintings of the show within itself. Here, the artist gives us a look into his studio where he spends most of his time and where he works on his creative process, often in isolation. It hence builds a counterpoint to the social activity often associated with a bar.

The artist will be present at the opening and will serve drinks in Raffi’s & Al’s on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon during Paris Gallery Weekend on May 25 and 26.

Kalenderian graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2004 with a degree in Fine Arts. Since then, his work has been exhibited in many international solo and group exhibitions in the US and Europe, including Kunstmuseum St. Gallen; University Art Museum, Long Beach; Santa Barbara Museum of Art; Nassima Landau Foundation; Tel Aviv; McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, San Francisco; Saatchi Gallery, London; at Susanne Vielmetter, Los Angeles; Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, and many others. His works are in the collections of the Georgia Museum of Art, Athens (US); Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli, Turin; and Santa Barbara Museum of Art, among others. In 2021, for the portrait gallery of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Kalenderian portrayed the Austrian theater and opera director Nikolaus Bachler, who led the State Opera as artistic director from 2008 – 2021. The work is currently exhibited in the Portrait Gallery of the State Opera.

For further information please contact: Audrey Turenne (audrey@peterkilchmann.com) or Marina Hinkens (marina@peterkilchmann.com)