EPISODE ONE
We were excited to present the first U.S. edition of our series, inspired by the South Korean phrase "홍익인간" (hongik ingan), meaning "to broadly benefit the human world." In this spirit, we aim to create a relaxed and much-needed space where Chicago-based creatives can openly share their artistic practices and insights with the city's aspiring artists, art enthusiasts, and future patrons.
This first roundtable discussion featured three dynamic Chicago creatives—Liz Flores, Francine Almeda, and Bethany Chan. The event included a critical live conversation among the artists that will contribute to the inaugural episode of our media series, followed by a series of personalized prompts that will showcase each artist's unique personality and perspectives.
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ARTIST & MURALIST
She is deeply influenced by the everyday human experience, storytelling, and the female body. Working primarily with acrylic paint on canvas, her work is a representation of the human condition through lines, shapes, and abstract figures. It’s a reaction to life, an emotion, or a memory and is driven by her interests in community, womanhood, and Latinidad. While the women in her paintings are influenced by her experiences, they remain ambiguous in face and form, giving the viewer the opportunity to see themselves.
"Painting has always been my way of self-understanding and for viewers, it’s my hope that my work can spark self-reflection in their own life. "
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GALLERIST, CURATOR, & DJ
She is the Founder and Director of Tala, an independent contemporary art space and gallery with a multitudinous program containing a library and atrium marketplace. Prior to this, she founded Jude Gallery, an artist-run project and exhibition space which ran from 2021-2024. As a gallerist, Francine builds community-based platforms for artists that encourage transdisciplinary experimentation of all mediums with the goal of proposing new realities. Her practice nurtures new methods of collaboration in order to expand the capacities of art as a caretaking tool. With a focus on conceptual, narrative-driven curatorial projects, and public programming.
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TATTOOIST & ARTIST
B is a designer and tattooist based in Chicago.
B is currently at Evergreen Studios and has previously worked with clients and companies including Holly Hunt, Autodesk/Fusion 360, the National Audubon Society, and more.
They are one of the co-founders of and currently lead visual design at the non-profit Advanced Design.
FEATURED ARTISTS
