Cbabi Bayoc’s new portrait “Spirited” is a detailed exploration of color, pattern, and expressive lines. The same can be said of Zina Al-Shukri’s portrait “Conduit of Holy Fire.” Yet, the two artists’ individual styles mean that their final products are entirely unique.
On February 9, these two paintings—and many more—will be on view at Houska Gallery (4728 McPherson) as part of a dual exhibition of Bayoc and Al-Shukri’s work. According to curatorial director Lauren Tracy, the two artists were chosen because of their distinctive approaches to portraiture, as well as the balance between Bayoc’s “stronger abstraction” and Al-Shukri’s “dreamy, intuitive” style.
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Bayoc, a St. Louis-based artist often recognized for his large-scale murals, has been working on more than 20 new pieces for the gallery since October 2023—more than half of which are portraits. The collection is titled Nickel Bag of pHunQ, a riff on the 1993 song “Nickel Bag” by hip-hop trio Digable Planets.
“They were one of my favorite groups when I went to college in the ‘90s, and ‘funk’ is what I kind of labeled my special sauce on my paintings; all the patterns and bold color and all that,” Bayoc says.
The title idea was supplied by Bayoc’s wife, Amber, who was also a source of inspiration to him throughout the creative process. And, while this exhibition comes with plenty of Bayoc’s signature “special sauce,” it also incorporates some fresh themes and materials. After participating in the annual graffiti art event Paint Louis in September, Bayoc was surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response he received for the large-scale portrait that he painted. He realized that Nickel Bag of pHunQ would be an ideal avenue to work on “finding a happy medium between portraits and abstract.”
To do that, Bayoc began to incorporate other media besides acrylic paint in his paintings, using spray paint and paint pens to add a graphic quality to the work. He also became increasingly fascinated with how light can create dynamic shapes on the face and how certain images can inspire an emotional connection.
“I’m drawn to those images that have a really strong dark and light,” Bayoc says. “Other than that, it’s just the emotional connection—I see it, and I’m like ‘That’s dope!’ and then I sketch it.”
Nickel Bag of pHunQ will be displayed alongside Al-Shukri’s exhibition, titled COMMUNION. The collection similarly explores the relationship between the painter and their subject. Even from early childhood, Al-Shukri was interested in art as a means of capturing and processing emotions.
“I was born in Baghdad, and I am a product of the Arab diaspora. Being in that setting at an early age, where I had to acclimate myself very quickly to my surroundings, I became very naturally curious about people and how to relate to them,” Al-Shukri says. “Art was a really good escape for me, it was a good coping mechanism throughout all of the different forms of trauma that we experience as human beings.”
Now based in Arkansas, Al-Shukri has spent more than two decades honing her approach to portraiture. Her process typically involves building a relationship with her subjects and painting them in person: “It’s always the sitter, and the relationship I have with them, that creates the painting,” Al-Shukri says. Those relationships became even more important during the early days of the pandemic, when emotional intimacy felt especially valuable. Many of the pieces on display in COMMUNION were created during that time in Al-Shukri’s life and career.
“[While creating this body of work], there was a lot of crying that happened, a lot of very deep discourse between us,” Al-Shukri says. “People were telling me about childhood traumas, and profound tragedies that have happened in their lives. There was this really big shift that happened, when I started getting more intimate with myself, that unfolded my ability to become more intimate with other people. My painting started becoming more colorful as well.”
Al-Shukri uses a multimedia approach for her work, combining gouache, ink, oil, watercolor, and more. As she paints her subjects, she chooses colors and materials based on the trajectory of the conversation.
“If someone says something that sounds very fluid, like water, I’m going to reach for watercolor. If someone says something kind of harsh or rigid, I’ll reach for charcoal,” Al-Shukri says.
COMMUNION will include 10 small, abstract pieces and five large portraits. Despite having a large body of work to choose from, Al-Shukri found that narrowing down her selections for this gallery didn’t feel complicated.
“Given the intensity and turmoil that’s going on in the world—especially with Black and brown bodies right now—it was a pretty easy edit for me,” Al-Shukri says. “Most of the people in the portrait work are my family; they’re my cousins and uncles. I think our voices as Black and brown people really need to be amplified right now. I feel like we need to be exposed, revered, upheld, and celebrated.”
Bayoc and Al-Shukri’s portrait exhibitions are on display February 9 through March 16. An opening reception will be held February 9 from 5-8 p.m. Houska Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment anytime.
