Gallerist Aiden Nelson, director/co-owner of Wönzimer Gallery and TV host Joey Zhou, founder of the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA)
Los Angeles, California, USA. 23rd March, 2025. The art exhibition "Windswept", opened on March 21st, 2025 at Wönzimer Gallery in Los Angeles, California. "Windswept" is an immersive group exhibition curated by Genie Davis, featuring over 15 painted works from artist Susan Ossman, and sculptural, photographic, collage, video, and installation works by artists Dani Dodge, Angelica Sotiriou, Beth Elliott, Linda Sue Price, Snezana Saraswati Petrovic, Diane Cockerill, Bruce Cockerill, Scott Meskill, Eileen Oda, Jason Jenn, Nancy Kay Turner, and Nancy Voegeli-Curan.
"Windswept" Exhibition at Wönzimer Gallery
"Windswept" Exhibition at Wönzimer Gallery
The exhibition explores each artist's unique perspective on wind, investigating how this natural force and its symbolism impact every facet of life. Wind represents a mood and a sensation, integral to our culture, literature, and yearning for transformation. From vibrant acrylics and oil paintings to abstract neon and ethereal mixed media, their works depict the wind's effect on nature and various elements of our world.
"Windswept" Exhibition at Wönzimer Gallery
"Windswept" Exhibition at Wönzimer Gallery
On March 23rd, the gallery hosted an event by Textile Arts LA, called "Spring Slam" featuring presentations on the topic of fashion. Textile Arts LA is a nonprofit organization founded by Carrie Burckle, and is dedicated to inspiring, connecting, and championing the textile arts community. The presenters were Mimi Haddon, fashion photographer/author, Meredith Strauss, fashion designer/entrepreneur, Kimberley Chrisman-Campbell, fashion historian/author, Elle Rali, fashion designer/entrepreneur, and students from Otis College, Erin Bond, Mai Tae Preece, and Ethan Prins. TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, attended with artist Jie Geng, LABA Overseas China Envoy and Freda Ou, LABA Overseas Asia Envoy both attending by video conference.
Carrie Burckle, founder of Textile Arts LA, and presenter Elle Rali
Presenters Elle Rali, Mimi Haddon, Erin Bond, Mai Tae Preece, Meredith Strauss, Kimberley Chrisman-Campbell, and Ethan Prins get applause from the attendees
Carrie Burckle, founder of Textile Arts LA, with artist Jie Geng, LABA Overseas China Envoy attending by video conference
Designer Ethan Prins with Freda Ou, LABA Overseas Asia Envoy attending by video conference
TV host Joey Zhou, founder of the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) and Mimi Haddon, fashion photographer/author
Carrie Burckle, founder of Textile Arts LA, and TV host Joey Zhou, founder of the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA)
About Textile Arts LA
Textile Arts LA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring, connecting, and championing the textile arts community. We foster a dynamic and inclusive space for artists, makers, and enthusiasts across Los Angeles and Southern California to engage with the rich traditions and evolving practices of textile arts. Our community includes artists, designers, curators, educators, collectors, and advocates—all united by a passion for textiles. Through exhibitions, workshops, lectures, and networking events, we create opportunities for learning, collaboration, and creative exchange. By highlighting local talent, organizing original programming, and providing essential resources, we strive to elevate and expand the influence of textile arts by weaving a stronger, more connected arts community.
Website: www.textileartsla.org
About Wönzimer Gallery
Founded by two independent visionaries—Swiss artist and musician, Alaïa Parhizi, and American entrepreneur, Aidan Nelson—Wönzimer embraces a lively energy that is cultivated through professional leadership and a genuine love of diversity. Living up to its name, which translates to "living room" in German, Wönzimer fosters a welcoming atmosphere where everyone feels at home. This spirit of inclusivity is the foundation behind fostering joyful, spontaneous interactions between extraordinary individuals from all walks of life. Wönzimer is interested in unique voices from all different backgrounds to inspire and question the world we live in today. And it does this through an ever-evolving embrace of the vast creative potential of human beings.
Website: Â www.wonzimer.com
The Beverly Arts News is sponsored by Cynthia Clarté, MDSUN, Youben Hu Art Studio, En Guangzhi Art Studio, and The Beverly Arts Foundation
Updated: 5 days ago
Artist Jiannan Huang
The Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) Icon Awards took place on March 2nd, 2025, honoring LABA Blue Chip artist Jiannan Huang with a LABA Icon Award for Lifetime Achievement. The event was held during the Luxury Gala 2025 Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Universal City Hilton Hotel in Universal City, California. The awards ceremony was organized by the LABA Biennial International Art Festival and LABA Icon Awards committee, bringing together award winners and guests from around the world for a night of celebration and recognition at the Luxury Gala 2025.
Prince Mario Max Schaumburg-Lippe, Marla Maples, Carlos Amezcua, model/actress Dustin Quick, TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, and other host at the Luxury Gala 2025 Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Universal City Hilton Hotel (Photo credit: Samira's Network)
Luxury Gala 2025 Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Universal City Hilton Hotel (Photo credit: Samira's Network)
The LABA Icon Awards were hosted by TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, TV host/former news anchor Carlos Amezcua (winner of 22 Emmy® awards), model/actress Dustin Quick, and special guest actress/TV personality Marla Maples. Other LABA guests included sound designer Paul Ottosson (3-time Oscar® winner), director/filmmaker Harrison Engle, renowned artist Todd Williamson, financial entrepreneur Sharon Amezcua, producer Douglas Ivanovich, artist Rosana Largo Rodriguez, music artist Karen Han, Sir Laurent Khaiat, international investors Jacky (Jiahao) Zhang and Dr. Binghua Chen, Professor Lingyun Xiang, and Freda Ou, Chairman of the LABA Asia Region.
Artist Jiannan Huang
Jiannan Huang, a Chinese calligrapher, painter, collector, and appraiser, has been ranked in the Top Ten of the Hurun Art Rankings since 2015, with a total of 1.15 billion yuan in the auction market, and ranked 21st in the top 500 contemporary artists in the world on Artprice, an authoritative European and American art website. He is the Asian artist with the fastest valuation and popularity growth in the European and American painting market in the past three years. He released a signed version of the complete original painting NFT on the entire network, targeting the high-end art market, with only 500 copies, and the original auction price is tens of millions of yuan, and the signed print is tens of thousands of US dollars. Jiannan Huang is one of the world's top artists, specializing in Western oil painting and Chinese ink painting. He ranked third in the Hurun Chinese Art List in 2020 and 2023, and ranked 19th in the world in the Hurun Art List in 2020. In 2021, he was awarded the Honorary Membership of the Royal Society of St. George (RSSG) California Chapter, and in 2022, he won the Royal Society RSSG "Master of Art" Award, and was awarded first place in the LABA Top 10 Most Influential and Most Valuable Artists in 2022.
The Beverly Arts News is sponsored by Cynthia Clarté, MDSUN, Youben Hu Art Studio, En Guangzhi Art Studio, and The Beverly Arts Foundation
Updated: 7 days ago
Douglas Ivanovich, LABA Board member, Freda Ou, Chairman of LABA Asia, Harrison Engle, LABA Board member, artist Ke Yi with his certificate, Guo Li (wife of Ke Yi), Sheri Determan, LABA Board member, and TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA
Los Angeles, California, USA. 6th March, 2025. Artist Ke Yi is named Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) Blue Chip artist at a ceremony held at the Four Seasons hotel in Los Angeles, California. The guests included TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, and LABA Board members - Harrison Engle, Paul Ottosson, Karen Han, Douglas Ivanovich, and Sheri Determan. Other guests were Freda Ou, Chairman of LABA Asia, Huajun Zhang, founder of Chuan Ya Wood, an international leader in piano manufacturing, Ling Pang, director of the Chuan Ya Museum, and Guo Li (wife of Ke Yi).
Harrison Engle, LABA Board member, artist Ke Yi with his LABA Blue Chip artist certificate
Artist Ke Yi was born in Fushun, Sichuan in August 1953. He has worked as a professor, master's degree tutor, and doctoral tutor for interdisciplinary research in literature and music at Sichuan University in China. From 2010 to 2014, he served as the president of Sichuan Conservatory of Music. In 2019, Shinhan University in South Korea awarded Ke Yi a doctorate in education. He is currently the honorary dean of the Violin Art Institute of Sichuan Conservatory of Music and the honorary director of the Guqin Research Center of Sichuan Conservatory of Music. After retiring in 2014, Yi Ke started his oil painting career and formed a unique creative style with "music thinking in painting". As of 2025, he has completed more than 2,200 oil paintings, including "European Refugee Wave", "Soul Returning to Seda", "North Sea Style", "Chasing the Wind", "My Heart Will Go On", etc., as well as musicians and artists series, with themes covering portraits, natural landscapes and humanities and history. Ke Yi's multiple skills and talents that include musician, artist, performer, and educator, construct the image of an "all-in-one artist" who adheres to the essence of creativity in the artistry of his work.Â
TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, gave a speech and led the ceremony
Harrison Engle, LABA Board member receives gift from artist Ke Li for LABA
Harrison Engle, Freda Ou, Douglas Ivanovich, Karen Han, Huajun Zhang, Sheri Determan, Paul Ottosson, and Joey Zhou
The Beverly Arts News is sponsored by Cynthia Clarté, MDSUN, Youben Hu Art Studio, En Guangzhi Art Studio, and The Beverly Arts Foundation