ABOUT THE ARTISTS
EXPO CHICAGO
Belkis Ayón (b. 1967, Havana, Cuba, d. 1999, Havana, Cuba)
EXPO CHICAGO showcases leading contemporary and modern art galleries each April at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, alongside a diverse and inventive program of talks, on-site installations, and public art initiatives. Inaugurated in 2012, EXPO CHICAGO draws upon the city’s rich history as a vibrant international cultural destination, while highlighting the region’s contemporary arts community. In 2023, EXPO CHICAGO was acquired by Frieze, the world’s leading platform for modern and contemporary art. In 2025, EXPO CHICAGO is celebrating its 12th anniversary edition by hosting 170 leading international exhibitors at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall from April 24 through April 27. The Peninsula Chicago is pleased to be the premier hotel partner for EXPO CHICAGO and to present a special exhibition installed throughout the public areas of the hotel.
Belkis Ayón reimagined the mythology of Abakuá , an all-male Afro-Cuban fraternal society, through her masterful collography prints. She centered her work on Sikán , a woman sacrificed for possessing the sacred voice, symbolized by fish or fish scales. Her haunting, mouthless figures explore themes of ritual, power, and silence, as seen in Untitled (Sikán, Nasako and the Holy Spirit) (1993) and Although to heaven we may go, they will always remember us (1990). Ayón gained international recognition, exhibiting at the 1993 Venice Biennale. Her legacy continues with major acquisitions by MoMA and the National Gallery of Art. In 2024, marking 25 years since her passing, she was honored with Belkis Ayón: Sikán Illuminations at Modern Art Oxford and a solo presentation at David Castillo Gallery. Through her groundbreaking practice, Ayón reclaimed a hidden history, leaving behind a visual language that continues to resonate, shaping contemporary discourse on mythology, identity, and the power of storytelling.
Caroline Kent (b. 1975, Sterling, Illinois, lives and works in Chicago, Illinois)
Caroline Kent’s practice is an intricate dialogue between abstraction, language, and cultural memory. By reevaluating and challenging the tenets of abstract painting, she constructs a visual lexicon that operates like a form of translation—one that is open to interpretation yet deeply rooted in structure. Her work draws from the spontaneity and formal rigor of Mexican sculptors and painters, blending geometric precision with a painterly freedom that feels both intuitive and intentional. In Cornered with no surrender in sight (2022), Kent’s process of experimentation and improvisation takes center stage.
Chicago | Navy Pier expochicago.com
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online